Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P42574 (caspase-3)
 45,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

L-Arginine is the common substrate for two enzymes, arginase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Arginase converts L-arginine to L-ornithine, which is the precursor of polyamines, which are essential components of cell proliferation. NOS converts L-arginine to produce NO, which inhibits proliferation of many cell lines. Various human breast cancer cell lines were initially screened for the presence of arginase and NOS. Two cell lines, BT-474 and MDA-MB-468, were found to have relatively high arginase activity and very low NOS activity. Another cell line, ZR-75-30, had the highest NOS activity and comparatively low arginase activity. The basal proliferation rates of MDA-MB-468 and BT-474 were found to be higher than the ZR-75-30 cell line. N-Hydroxy-L-arginine (NOHA), a stable intermediate product formed during conversion of L-arginine to NO, inhibited proliferation of the high arginase-expressing MDA-MB-468 cells and induced apoptosis after 48 h. NOHA arrested these cells in the S phase, increased the expression of p21, and reduced spermine content. These effects of NOHA were not observed in the ZR-75-30 cell line, which expresses high NOS and relatively low arginase. The effects of NOHA were antagonized in the presence of L-ornithine (500 microM), which suggests that in MDA-MB-468 cell line, the arginase pathway is very important for cell proliferation. Inhibition of the arginase pathway led to depletion of intracellular spermine and apoptosis as observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt)-mediated nick end labeling assay and induction of caspase 3. In contrast, the ZR-75-30 cell line maintained its viability and its L-ornithine and spermine levels in the presence of NOHA. We conclude that NOHA has antiproliferative and apoptotic actions on arginase-expressing human breast cancer cells that are independent of NO.
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PMID:Arginase activity in human breast cancer cell lines: N(omega)-hydroxy-L-arginine selectively inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cells. 1086 25

The human promonocytic U937 cell line, which is moderately susceptible to poliovirus infection, has been used to investigate the induction of apoptosis by this virus. Infection of U937 cells with poliovirus induces morphological changes typical of apoptosis. Poliovirus-resistant U937 cells (PRU) have been isolated that are resistant to apoptosis induced by poliovirus, but that undergo apoptosis after treatment with TNF plus cycloheximide. Despite the fact that poliovirus triggers nitric oxide production in U937 cells, the inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase, N(omega)-monomethyl-l-arginine, did not hinder apoptosis after infection, suggesting that NO does not play a direct role in this process. Finally, poliovirus infection of U937 cells led to the cleavage of pro-caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, indicating the activation of the CPP32 ICE-like cysteine protease in the induction of apoptosis. Our findings suggest that cellular death takes place in U937 cells productively infected by poliovirus as a result of apoptosis and involves caspase activation.
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PMID:Poliovirus induces apoptosis in the human U937 promonocytic cell line. 1087 68

The role of dynamin GTPases in the regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis is well established. Here, we present new evidence that the ubiquitously expressed isoform dynamin-2 (dyn2) can also function in a signal transduction pathway(s). A </=5-fold increase of dyn2 relative to endogenous levels activates the transcription factor p53 and induces apoptosis, as demonstrated by reduced cell proliferation, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 activation. Dyn2-triggered apoptosis occurs only in dividing cells and is p53 dependent. A mutant defective in GTP binding does not trigger apoptosis, indicating that increased levels of dyn2.GTP, rather than protein levels per se, are required to transduce signals that activate p53. A truncated dyn2 lacking the COOH-terminal proline/arginine-rich domain (PRD), which interacts with many SH3 domain-containing partners implicated in both endocytosis and signal transduction, triggers apoptosis even more potently than the wild-type. This observation provides additional support for the importance of the NH(2)-terminal GTPase domain for the apoptotic phenotype. All described effects are dyn2-specific because >200-fold overexpression of dyn1, the 70% identical neuronal isoform, has no effect. Our data suggest that dyn2 can act as a signal transducing GTPase affecting transcriptional regulation.
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PMID:Evidence that dynamin-2 functions as a signal-transducing GTPase. 1089 63

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in adults and is invariably fatal. We have investigated the effect of cyclo-(Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Val) (cRGDfV) peptide on survival of human malignant glioma cells in vitro and in vivo. Immunofluorescent analyses revealed the presence of alpha(v)beta3 integrin on U-87MG and U-373MG cells, but minimal expression on U-251MG cells. Treatment of U-87MG and U-373MG cells in vitro with cRGDfV (20 microg/ml), but not the linear peptide, resulted in the appearance of rounded and loosely attached cells with subsequent cell death. By comparison, neither this cyclic peptide nor its linear homolog had any significant effect on growth and morphology of U-251MG cells. The death of cRGDfV-treated (20 microg/ml) glioma cells was blocked by pretreatment (10 microM) of cells with DEVD-FMK and LEHD-FMK, inhibitors of caspase-3 and caspase-9, respectively. Moreover, when glioma cells grown as spheroids were treated with cRGDfV (50 microg/ml), spheroid formation was markedly reduced. Further, treatment of intracranial U-87MG tumors in scid mice with cyclic peptide significantly (p < 0.001) prolonged their survival. These results indicated (i) that cRGDfV induced apoptosis of human glioma cells by binding alpha(v)beta3 integrin expressed on their cell surfaces and (ii) that cRGDfV may be an effective and non-toxic direct anti-tumor therapy for alpha(v)beta3-expressing GBMs.
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PMID:Human malignant glioma therapy using anti-alpha(v)beta3 integrin agents. 1089 66

The endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is shown to induce apoptotic bodies formation and DNA fragmentation, hallmarks of programmed cell death, in human neuroblastoma CHP100 and lymphoma U937 cells. RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors like actinomycin D and cycloheximide reduced to one-fifth the number of apoptotic bodies induced by AEA, whereas the AEA transporter inhibitor AM404 or the AEA hydrolase inhibitor ATFMK significantly increased the number of dying cells. Furthermore, specific antagonists of cannabinoid or vanilloid receptors potentiated or inhibited cell death induced by AEA, respectively. Other endocannabinoids such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol, linoleoylethanolamide, oleoylethanolamide, and palmitoylethanolamide did not promote cell death under the same experimental conditions. The formation of apoptotic bodies induced by AEA was paralleled by increases in intracellular calcium (3-fold over the controls), mitochondrial uncoupling (6-fold), and cytochrome c release (3-fold). The intracellular calcium chelator EGTA-AM reduced the number of apoptotic bodies to 40% of the controls, and electrotransferred anti-cytochrome c monoclonal antibodies fully prevented apoptosis induced by AEA. Moreover, 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid and MK886, cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, caspase-3 and caspase-9 inhibitors Z-DEVD-FMK and Z-LEHD-FMK, but not nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, significantly reduced the cell death-inducing effect of AEA. The data presented indicate a protective role of cannabinoid receptors against apoptosis induced by AEA via vanilloid receptors.
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PMID:Anandamide induces apoptosis in human cells via vanilloid receptors. Evidence for a protective role of cannabinoid receptors. 1091 56

Mitochondrial cytochrome c release plays a critical role in apoptotic signal cascade after the activation of cell surface death receptors. We investigated the role played by nitric oxide (NO) in mitochondrial apoptotic signaling in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) plus actinomycin D (TNF-alpha/ActD)-induced apoptosis. NO produced either by S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP) or inducible NO synthase (iNOS) prevented TNF-alpha/ActD-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes and also inhibited both caspase-8-like (IETDase) and caspase-3-like protease (DEVDase) activity as well as mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Recombinant human (rh) caspase-8 induced the cleavage of the cytochrome c-effluxing factor Bid and cytochrome c release from purified mitochondria in the reconstitution system with Bid(+/+) cytosol, but not with Bid(-/-) cytosol. The addition of SNAP and the caspase-8 inhibitor Ac-IETD-fmk inhibited caspase-8-dependent Bid cleavage and cytochrome c release. The inhibitory effect of NO on caspase-8 was reversed by dithiothreitol (DTT). Furthermore, rh-caspase-8 was found to be modified by S-nitrosylation with 1.7 moles of NO bound per mole of enzyme. Treatment of hepatocytes with interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) plus interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), which induced iNOS expression and NO production, suppressed TNF-alpha/ActD-induced Bid cleavage and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. The NOS inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMA) inhibited the protective effects of IL-1beta and IFN-gamma. The liver-specific NO donor V-PYRRO/NO also inhibited in vivo elevation of IETDase activity, Bid cleavage, and mitochondrial cytochrome c release in the livers of rats injected with TNF-alpha plus D-galactosamine. Our results indicate that one mechanism by which NO protects hepatocytes from TNF-alpha/ActD-induced apoptosis is via the interruption of mitochondrial apoptotic signaling through S-nitrosylation of caspase-8.
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PMID:Nitric oxide prevents tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced rat hepatocyte apoptosis by the interruption of mitochondrial apoptotic signaling through S-nitrosylation of caspase-8. 1100 21

Nitric oxide (NO) is a widely recognized mediator of physiological and pathophysiological signal transmission. Its generation through L-arginine metabolism is relevant in the mesangium of the kidney where NO is produced by constitutive and inducible NO-synthase isoenzymes. Signaling is achieved through target interactions via redox and additive chemistry. In mesangial cells (MC), the outcome of these modifications promote on one side activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase while on the other side cytotoxicity is elicited. These contrasting situations are characterized by: 1) cGMP formation and signal propagation towards myosin light chain kinase, the effector system that regulates F-actin assembly, thereby affecting reversible relaxation/contraction of mesangial cells; and 2) initiation of morphological and biochemical alterations that are reminiscent of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, p53 or Bax accumulation as well as caspase-3 activation. Off note, NO formation with concomitant initiation of apoptosis is efficiently antagonized by the simultaneous presence of superoxide (O2-). We will recall the consequences that stem from a diffusion controlled NO/O2- interaction thereby redirecting the apoptotic initiating activity of either NO or O2- towards protection. The crosstalk between cell destructive and protective signaling pathways, their activation or inhibition under the modulatory influence of NO will be discussed. Here we give examples of how NO elicits physiological and pathophysiological signal transmission in rat MC.
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PMID:Molecular actions of nitric oxide in mesangial cells. 1100 40

Molecular scanning of human IRS-1 gene revealed a common polymorphism causing Gly-->Arg972 change. Diabetic and pre-diabetic carriers of Arg972 IRS-1 are characterized by low fasting levels of insulin and C-peptide. To investigate directly whether the Arg 972 IRS-1 affects human islet cells survival, we took advantage of the unique opportunity to analyze pancreatic islets isolated from three donors heterozygous for the Arg972 and six donors carrying wild-type IRS-1. Islets from carriers of Arg972 IRS-1 showed a two-fold increase in the number of apoptotic cells as compared with wild-type. IRS-1-associated PI3-kinase activity was decreased in islets from carriers of Arg972 IRS-1. Same results were reproduced in RIN rat b-cell lines stably expressing wild-type IRS-1 or Arg972 IRS-1. Using these cells, we characterized the downstream pathway by which Arg972 IRS-1 impairs b-cell survival. RIN-Arg972 cells exhibited a marked impairment in the sequential activation of PI3-kinase, Akt, and BAD as compared with RI N-WT. Impaired BAD phosphorylation resulted in increased binding to Bcl-XL instead of 14-3-3 protein, thus sequestering the Bcl-XL antiapoptotic protein to promote survival. Both caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities were increased in RIN-Arg972 cells. The results show that the common Arg972 polymorphism in IRS-1 impairs human b-cell survival and causes resistance to antiapoptotic effects of insulin by affecting the PI3-kinase/Akt survival pathway. These findings establish an important role for the insulin signaling in human b-cell survival and suggest that genetic defects in early steps of insulin signaling may contribute to b-cell failure.
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PMID:The common Arg972 polymorphism in insulin receptor substrate-1 causes apoptosis of human pancreatic islets. 1109 86

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) can prevent endothelial cell apoptosis. We investigated the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways by which S1P protects endothelial cells from serum deprivation-induced apoptosis. We show here that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) undergo apoptosis associated with increased DEVDase activity, caspase-3 activation, cytochrome c release, and DNA fragmentation after 24 h of serum deprivation. These apoptotic markers were suppressed by the addition of S1P, the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (100 micrometer), or caspase-3 inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. The protective effects of S1P were reversed by the nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor N-monomethyl-l-arginine, but not by the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-(1,2,4)oxadiazolo[4,3-a]-quanoxaline-1-one, suggesting that NO, but not cGMP, is responsible for S1P protection from apoptosis. Furthermore, S1P increased NO production by enhancing Ca(2+)-sensitive NOS activity without changes in the eNOS protein level. S1P-mediated cell survival and NO production were suppressed significantly by pretreatment with antisense oligonucleotide of EDG-1 and partially by EDG-3 antisense. S1P-mediated NO production was suppressed by the addition of pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of G(i) proteins, the specific inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC), and the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA-AM. These findings indicate that S1P protects HUVECs from apoptosis through the activation of eNOS activity mainly through an EDG-1 and -3/G(i)/PLC/Ca(2+) signaling pathway.
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PMID:Sphingosine 1-phosphate protects human umbilical vein endothelial cells from serum-deprived apoptosis by nitric oxide production. 1113 47

The ubiquitin proteasome system is responsible for the proteolysis of important cell cycle and apoptosis-regulatory proteins. In this paper we report that the dipeptidyl proteasome inhibitor, phthalimide-(CH2)8CH-(cyclopentyl) CO-Arg(NO2)-Leu-H (CEP1612), induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth of the human lung cancer cell line A-549 in an in vivo model. In cultured A-549 cells, CEP1612 treatment results in accumulation of two proteasome natural substrates, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1 and p27KIP1, indicating its ability to inhibit proteasome activity in intact cells. Furthermore, CEP1612 induces apoptosis as evident by caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Treatment of A-549 tumor-bearing nude mice with CEP1612 (10 mg/kg/day, i.p. for 31 days) resulted in massive induction of apoptosis and significant (68%; P < 0.05) tumor growth inhibition, as shown by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated UTP end labeling. Furthermore, immunostaining of tumor specimens demonstrated in vivo accumulation of p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 after CEP1612 treatment. The results suggest that CEP1612 is a promising candidate for further development as an anticancer drug and demonstrate the feasibility of using proteasome inhibitors as novel antitumor agents.
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PMID:CEP1612, a dipeptidyl proteasome inhibitor, induces p21WAF1 and p27KIP1 expression and apoptosis and inhibits the growth of the human lung adenocarcinoma A-549 in nude mice. 1124 20


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