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Query: UNIPROT:P42574 (caspase-3)
 45,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric (Curcuma longa), used commonly as a spice, has been shown to possess anticarcinogenic activity. Curcumin inhibited AK-5 tumor growth and induced apoptosis in AK-5 cells. Curcumin induced apoptosis is mediated through the activation of caspase-3, which is specifically inhibited by the tetrapeptide Ac-DEVD-CHO. In addition, curcumin induced tumor cell death is caused through the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates which is inhibited by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Our studies suggest that the apoptotic process induced by curcumin is the mechanism mediating AK-5 tumor cell death.
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PMID:Antitumor activity of curcumin is mediated through the induction of apoptosis in AK-5 tumor cells. 1006 93

We have shown previously [E. Sikora, A. Bielak-Zmijewska, K. Piwocka, J. Skierski, and E. Radziszewska (1997) Biochem. Pharmacol. 54, 899-907] that curcumin prevents formation of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation in rat thymocytes and human leukemic T lymphocytes (Jurkat cells) induced to undergo apoptosis. In this paper we show that 50 microM curcumin by itself induces cell death in Jurkat cells, but its symptoms differ from those observed after a short ultraviolet (uv) irradiation. Ultraviolet-irradiated Jurkat cells displayed typical symptoms of apoptosis: morphological changes, internucleosomal and high-molecular-weight DNA fragmentation, formation of sub-G1 fractions in DNA content frequency histograms, and dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane electric potential (Delta psi). In contrast, curcumin-treated Jurkat cells exhibited DNA splitting into high-, but not low-, molecular-weight fragments. These cells retained their high mitochondrial Delta psi, and the content of Ca2+ in endoplasmic reticulum stores remained at the level typical for untreated cells. The frequency of opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pores in curcumin-treated cells was decreased compared to the controls, whereas uv irradiation made these pores completely open. Curcumin did not produce any change in the activity of caspase-3, whereas uv irradiation considerably activated this protease. The morphology of curcumin-treated cells displayed chromatin condensation, which was insensitive to the caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, but no formation of typical apoptotic bodies, as was the case after uv irradiation. In contrast to uv-irradiated cells, curcumin-treated Jurkat cells considerably increased the level of Bcl-2. It is concluded that the programmed cell death induced by curcumin in Jurkat cells differs from "classical" by the lack of mitochondrial depolarization and of the involvement of caspases.
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PMID:A novel apoptosis-like pathway, independent of mitochondria and caspases, induced by curcumin in human lymphoblastoid T (Jurkat) cells. 1036 29

Curcumin, a major active component of turmeric, has been recognized as an anticarcinogenic agent because of its propensity to induce apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. Previously, we showed that curcumin protects cells against oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation and induces a novel apoptosis-like pathway in Jurkat cells (Piwocka et al. Exp Cell Res 249, 299-307, 1999). Here, we have studied the ability of curcumin to induce cell death in other human and rodent transformed as well as normal cells. Normal cells were quiescent or stimulated to proliferate. We showed that 50 microM pigment is able to induce cell death in all studied cells, but cell death symptoms varied for different cells. All the cells died as assessed by the TdT-mediated UTP nick end labeling method or trypan blue exclusion test. No one type of cells showed oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation (DNA "ladder") due to curcumin action, although in HL-60 cells, we were able to observe sub-G1 formation and caspase-3 activation. Together, these data showed that curcumin induces cell death in all tested cells that can be classified as apoptosis-like, and only in HL-60 cells can it be recognized as classical apoptosis.
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PMID:Effect of curcumin on the apoptosis of rodent and human nonproliferating and proliferating lymphoid cells. 1134 Oct 39

We have investigated the chemopreventive role of curcumin in gastrointestinal cancers by studying the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis in gastric (KATO-III) and colon (HCT-116) cancer cells. Curcumin inhibited cell proliferation and induced G2/M arrest in HCT-116 cells. Investigation of the levels of cyclins E, D and B by immunoblot analysis showed cyclin B level was unaffected, whereas cyclin D and E levels declined with curcumin in both cell lines. Investigation of cyclin-dependent kinases, Cdk2 and Cdc2, showed activity of Cdc2, but not Cdk2, increased markedly in response to curcumin. In both cell lines, immunoblot analysis indicated that curcumin caused induction of apoptosis as evidenced by cleavage of PARP, caspase-3, and reduction in Bcl-XL levels. Curcumin also stimulated the activity of caspase-8, which initiates Fas signalling pathway of apoptosis. Curcumin therefore appears to exert its anticarcinogenic properties by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in certain gastric and colon cancer cells.
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PMID:Curcumin induced modulation of cell cycle and apoptosis in gastric and colon cancer cells. 1139 78

Carbonyl compounds with diverse carbon skeletons may be differentially related to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. In this study, we compared intracellular signals delivered into cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO), which differ only by a methyl group. Depending on their concentrations, GO and MGO promoted phosphorylations of ERK1 and ERK2, which were blocked by the protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors herbimycin A and staurosporine, thereby being PTK-dependent. GO and MGO also induced phosphorylations of JNK, p38 MAPK, and c-Jun, either PTK-dependently (GO) or -independently (MGO). Next, we found that MGO, but not GO, induced degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) as the intracellular substrate of caspase-3. Curcumin and SB203580, which inhibit JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, but not herbimycin A/staurosporine, prevented the MGO-induced PARP degradation. We then found that MGO, but not GO, reduced the intracellular glutathione level, and that cysteine, but not cystine, inhibited the MGO-mediated activation of ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK, or c-Jun more extensively than did lysine or arginine. In addition, all the signals triggered by GO and MGO were blocked by amino guanidine (AG), which traps carbonyls. These results demonstrated that GO and MGO triggered two distinct signal cascades, one for PTK-dependent control of ERK and another for PTK-independent redox-linked activation of JNK/p38 MAPK and caspases in HUVECs, depending on the structure of the carbon skeleton of the chemicals.
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PMID:Glyoxal and methylglyoxal trigger distinct signals for map family kinases and caspase activation in human endothelial cells. 1142 86

Curcumin, a yellow pigment from Curcuma longa, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antioxidative properties. Although its precise mode of action has not been elucidated so far, numerous studies have shown that curcumin may induce apoptosis in normal and cancer cells. Previously, we showed that in Jurkat cells curcumin induced nontypical apoptosis-like pathway, which was independent of mitochondria and caspase-3. Now we show that the inhibition of caspase-3 by curcumin, which is accompanied by attenuation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, may be due to elevation of glutathione, which increased in curcumin-treated cells to 130% of control. We have demonstrated that glutathione depletion does not itself induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells; though, it can release cytochrome c from mitochondria and caspase-3 from inhibition by curcumin, as shown by Western blot. The level of Bcl-2 protein was not affected by glutathione depletion even upon curcumin treatment. Altogether, our results show that in Jurkat cells curcumin prevents glutathione decrease, thus protecting cells against caspase-3 activation and oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. On the other hand, it induces nonclassical apoptosis via a still-unrecognized mechanism, which leads to chromatin degradation and high-molecular-weight DNA fragmentation.
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PMID:Effect of glutathione depletion on caspase-3 independent apoptosis pathway induced by curcumin in Jurkat cells. 1152 52

Curcumin, a dietary pigment in turmeric, posseses anti-carcinogenic and anti-metastatic properties. The present study was conducted to study in vitro chemopreventive effects of curcumin in transformed breast cells. Here, we show that curcumin inhibits H-ras-induced invasive phenotype in MCF10A human breast epithelial cells (H-ras MCF10A) and downregulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 dose-dependently. Curcumin exerted cytotoxic effect on H-ras MCF10A cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Curcumin-induced cell death was mainly due to apoptosis in which a prominent downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax were involved. We also suggest a possible involvement of caspase-3 in curcumin-induced apoptosis. Curcumin treatment resulted in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in H-ras MCF10A cells. Apoptotic event by curcumin was significantly inhibited by pretreatment of an antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), suggesting redox signaling as a mechanism responsible for curcumin-induced apoptosis in H-ras MCF10A cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that curcumin inhibits invasion and induces apoptosis, proving the chemopreventive potential of curcumin.
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PMID:Inhibition of invasion and induction of apoptosis by curcumin in H-ras-transformed MCF10A human breast epithelial cells. 1153 70

Curcumin, in addition to its role as a spice, has been used for centuries to treat inflammatory disorders. Although the mechanism of action remains unclear, it has been shown to inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1, transcription factors required for induction of many proinflammatory mediators. Due to its low toxicity it is currently under consideration as a broad anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor cell agent. In this study we investigated whether curcumin inhibited the response of gammadelta T cells to protease-resistant phosphorylated derivatives found in the cell wall of many pathogens. The results showed that curcumin levels > or =30 microM profoundly inhibited isopentenyl pyrophosphate-induced release of the chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha and -1beta and RANTES. Curcumin also blocked isopentenyl pyrophosphate-induced activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1. Commencing around 16 h, treatment with curcumin lead to the induction of cell death that could not be reversed by APC, IL-15, or IL-2. This cytotoxicity was associated with increased annexin V reactivity, nuclear expression of active caspase-3, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor to the nucleus, and morphological evidence of nuclear disintegration. However, curcumin led to only large scale DNA chromatolysis, as determined by a combination of TUNEL staining and pulse-field and agarose gel electrophoresis, suggesting a predominantly apoptosis-inducing factor-mediated cell death process. We conclude that gammadelta T cells activated by these ubiquitous Ags are highly sensitive to curcumin, and that this effect may contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties of this compound.
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PMID:Curcumin inhibits activation of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells by phosphoantigens and induces apoptosis involving apoptosis-inducing factor and large scale DNA fragmentation. 1154 38

Curcumin, the active ingredient from the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn), is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It has been recently demonstrated to possess discrete chemopreventive activities. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying such anticancer properties of curcumin still remain unrealized, although it has been postulated that induction of apoptosis in cancer cells might be a probable explanation. In the current study, curcumin was found to decrease the Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell number by the induction of apoptosis in the tumor cells as evident from flow-cytometric analysis of cell cycle phase distribution of nuclear DNA and oligonucleosomal fragmentation. Probing further into the molecular signals leading to apoptosis of EAC cells, we observed that curcumin is causing tumor cell death by the up-regulation of the proto-oncoprotein Bax, release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, and activation of caspase-3. The status of Bcl-2 remains unchanged in EAC, which would signify that curcumin is bypassing the Bcl-2 checkpoint and overriding its protective effect on apoptosis.
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PMID:Mechanisms of curcumin-induced apoptosis of Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma cells. 1167 93

Pharmacologically safe compounds that can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells have potential as anticancer agents. Curcumin, a diferuloylmethane, is a major active component of the food flavor turmeric (Curcuma longa) that has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells. The apoptotic intermediates through which curcumin exhibits its cytotoxic effects against tumor cells are not known, and the participation of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 or Bcl-xl in the curcumin-induced apoptosis pathway is not established. In the present report we investigated the effect of curcumin on the activation of the apoptotic pathway in human acute myelogenous leukemia HL-60 cells and in established stable cell lines expressing Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Curcumin inhibited the growth of HL-60 cells (neo) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whereas Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl-transfected cells were relatively resistant. Curcumin activated caspase-8 and caspase-3 in HL-60 neo cells but not in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl-transfected cells. Similarly, time-dependent poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage by curcumin was observed in neo cells but not in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl-transfected cells. Curcumin treatment also induced BID cleavage and mitochondrial cytochrome c release in neo cells but not in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl-transfected cells. In neo HL-60 cells, curcumin also downregulated the expression of cyclooxygenase-2. Because DN-FLICE blocked curcumin-induced apoptosis, caspase-8 must play a critical role. Overall, our results indicate that curcumin induces apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway involving caspase-8, BID cleavage, cytochrome c release, and caspase-3 activation. Our results also suggest that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl are critical negative regulators of curcumin-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) induces apoptosis through activation of caspase-8, BID cleavage and cytochrome c release: its suppression by ectopic expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. 1175 35


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