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)

Apoptosis is a process of active cell death and is characterized by activation of caspases, DNA fragmentation, and biochemical and morphological changes. To better understand apoptosis, we have characterized the dose- and time-dependent toxic effects of cadmium in Rat-1 fibroblasts. Staining of cells with phosphatidylserine (PS)-annexin V, Hoechst 33258 or Rhodamine 123 and Tunel assays showed that incubating cells with 10 microM cadmium induced a form of cell death exhibiting typical characteristics of apoptosis, including cell shrinkage, externalization of PS, loss of mitochondria membrane potential, nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. Expression of Bcl-2 or CrmA each suppressed cadmium-induced cell death although Bcl-2 was somewhat more effective than CrmA. In vitro assay of caspase activity carried out using poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) as a substrate as well as intracellular caspase assays using a fluorigenic caspase-3 substrate confirmed that caspase-3 is activated in Rat-1 cells undergoing cadmium-induced apoptosis. Both Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (DEVD-cho) and Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethylketone (YVAD-cmk), selective inhibitors of caspase-3 and caspase-1, respectively, suppressed significantly cadmium-induced cell death. However, the nonselective caspase inhibitor, z-Val-Ala-Asp-floromethylketone (zVAD-fmk), was the most efficacious agent, almost completely blocking cadmium-induced cell death. Taken together, these results demonstrate that as in other forms of apoptosis, caspases play a central role in cadmium-induced cell death.
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PMID:Cadmium induces caspase-mediated cell death: suppression by Bcl-2. 1077 Nov 29

Cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) are human carcinogens. Cr(VI) is taken up into cells and reduced by cellular reductants to the potential DNA damaging species Cr(V), (IV), and (III). Reactive oxygen species and carbon-based radicals may also be produced during Cr reduction. We previously found that Cd blocks Cr-induced apoptosis, which could allow a larger proportion of genetically damaged cells to escape and become transformed. This study helped define the mechanisms of Cd-induced suppression of apoptosis. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO K1-BH4) cells were treated with either Cd (5-20 microM), Cr(VI) (350 microM), or Cd (5-20 microM) plus Cr(VI) (350 microM) for 3 h and then cultured in metal-free media for an additional 48 h at which time DNA was extracted or nuclei were examined to determine apoptosis. Cd markedly reduced Cr-induced DNA fragmentation and reduced the number of Cr-induced apoptotic cell nuclei to control levels. Additional study investigated the biokinetics and cellular metabolism of Cr. Cd did not alter the cellular Cr accumulation and there were no differences in the levels of reduced glutathione, a compound possibly important in Cr reduction and reflective of the cellular reducing environment. The antiapoptotic effect of Cd was not due to diminished cellular reduction of Cr(VI) as assessed by electron-spin resonance determination of the levels of Cr(V). Thus, Cd suppression of Cr-induced apoptosis is not based on altered Cr toxicokinetics or metabolism. In addition to Cr, Cd also inhibited apoptosis induced by hygromycin B and actinomycin D. Cd was a very effective inhibitor of caspase-3 activity, a central mediator of apoptosis, with nontoxic levels of Cd resulting in up to approximately 60% inhibition. These results indicate that Cd may have a generalized inhibitory effect on apoptosis, possibly by inhibiting caspase-3. Inhibition of apoptosis by Cd may allow a greater portion of genetically damaged cells to survive, or give selective growth advantages, and has implications as a potential nongenotoxic mechanism of Cd carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Possible role of caspase-3 inhibition in cadmium-induced blockage of apoptosis. 1079 43

Metallothionein (MT) is a low-molecular-weight, sulfhydryl-rich, metal-binding protein that can protect against the toxicity of cadmium, mercury, and copper. However, the role of MT in arsenic (As)-induced toxicity is less certain. To better define the ability of MT to modify As toxicity, MT-I/II knockout (MT-null) mice and the corresponding wild-type mice (WT) were exposed to arsenite [As(III)] or arsenate [As(V)] either through the drinking water for 48 weeks, or through repeated sc injections (5 days/week) for 15 weeks. Chronic As exposure increased tissue MT concentrations (2-5-fold) in the WT but not in MT-null mice. Arsenic by both routes produced damage to the liver (fatty infiltration, inflammation, and focal necrosis) and kidney (tubular cell vacuolization, inflammatory cell infiltration, and interstitial fibrosis) in both MT-null and WT mice. However, in MT-null mice, the pathological lesions were more frequent and severe when compared to WT mice. This was confirmed biochemically, in that, at the higher oral doses of As, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were increased more in MT-null mice (60%) than in WT mice (30%). Chronic As exposures produced 2-10 fold elevation of serum interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, with greater increases seen by repeated injections than by oral exposure, and again, MT-null mice had higher serum cytokines than WT mice after As exposure. Repeated As injections also decreased hepatic glutathione (GSH) by 35%, but GSH-peroxidase and GSH-reductase were minimally affected. MT-null mice were more sensitive than WT mice to the effect of GSH depletion by As(V). Hepatic caspase-3 activity was increased (2-3-fold) in both WT and MT-null mice, indicative of apoptotic cell death. In summary, chronic inorganic As exposure produced injuries to multiple organs, and MT-null mice are generally more susceptible than WT mice to As-induced toxicity regardless of route of exposure, suggesting that MT could be a cellular factor in protecting against chronic As toxicity.
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PMID:Metallothionein-I/II null mice are more sensitive than wild-type mice to the hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of chronic oral or injected inorganic arsenicals. 1082 79

Chronic exposure to cadmium (Cd) via food and drinking water is a major human health concern. We have previously shown that metallothionein (MT), a metal-binding protein, plays an important role in protecting against Cd toxicity produced by repeated sc injections. However, it is unclear whether MT protects against Cd-induced nephrotoxicity following chronic oral exposure, a route with obvious human relevance. To clarify this issue, MT-I/II knockout (MT-null) and background-matched wild-type (WT) mice were allowed free access to drinking water containing CdCl(2) (30, 100, and 300 ppm Cd), or feed containing CdCl(2) (100 ppm Cd) for 6 months, and the resultant nephrotoxicity was examined. Chronic oral Cd exposure produced a dose-dependent accumulation of Cd in liver and kidney of WT mice, reaching levels up to 50 microg Cd/g tissue. Immunohistological localization of renal MT indicated that chronic oral Cd exposure in WT mice greatly increased MT in the proximal tubules and the medulla, with cellular localization in both the cytoplasm and nuclei. As expected, no MT was detected in kidneys of MT-null mice. After 6 months of Cd exposure, tissue Cd concentrations in MT-null mice were only about one-fifth of that in WT mice. Even though the renal Cd concentrations were much lower in the MT-null mice, they were more sensitive than WT mice to Cd-induced renal injury, as evidenced by more severe nephropathic lesions, increased urinary excretion of gamma-glutamyl-transferase and glucose, and elevated blood urea nitrogen. Six months of Cd exposure to MT-null animals resulted in greater increases in renal caspase-3 activity, an indicator of apoptosis, than to WT mice. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that lack of MT renders MT-null mice vulnerable to Cd-induced nephrotoxicity after chronic oral exposure, the primary route of human Cd exposure.
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PMID:Metallothionein-I/II null mice are sensitive to chronic oral cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity. 1096 23

Apoptosis induced by cadmium has been shown in many tissues in vivo and in cultured cells in vitro. However, its molecular mechanism is not fully understood. When the human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 was treated with cadmium for 12 h, evidence of apoptotic features, including change in nuclear morphology, DNA fragmentation, formation of DNA ladder in agarose gel electrophoresis, and phosphatidylserine externalization, were obtained. Moreover, loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsi(m)) was observed in the cadmium-treated cells and was inhibited by a broad caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK). Caspase inhibitors suppressed the DNA fragmentation in the order of Z-VAD-FMK > caspase-8 inhibitor > caspase-3 inhibitor. Expression of Bcl-x(L) and Bid decreased significantly in the cadmium-treated cells, although no apparent change in Bcl-2 and Bax expression was found. Tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylendiamine, a cell-permeable heavy metal chelator, partially reversed the increase of fluorescence of Fura-2 in the cadmium-treated cells. In addition, verapamil (70 microm), a voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channel blocker, inhibited the DNA fragmentation induced by cadmium less than 100 microm and decreased the fluorescence of Fura-2. Cadmium up-regulated the expression of type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R) but not type 2 or type 3 IP(3)R. Calpain inhibitors I and II partially prevented DNA fragmentation. No effects of Z-VAD-FMK on the expression of type 1 IP(3)R or of calpain inhibitors on the loss of Deltapsi(m) were observed. These results suggest that cadmium possibly induced apoptosis in U937 cells through two independent pathways, the Ca(2+)-calpain-dependent pathway and the caspase-mitochondria-dependent pathway.
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PMID:Apoptosis induced by cadmium in human lymphoma U937 cells through Ca2+-calpain and caspase-mitochondria- dependent pathways. 1097 Sep 1

The purpose of this review article is to discuss established molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and their relevance to cell death induced by environmental toxicants. Apoptosis is a highly regulated form of cell death distinguished by the activation of a family of cysteine-aspartate proteases (caspases) that cleave various proteins resulting in morphological and biochemical changes characteristic of this form of cell death. Abundant evidence supports a role for mitochondria in regulating apoptosis. Specifically, it seems that a number of death stimuli target these organelles and stimulate, by an unknown mechanism, the release of several proteins, including cytochrome c. Once released into the cytosol, cytochrome c binds to its adaptor molecule, Apaf-1, which oligomerizes and then activates pro-caspase-9. Caspase-9 can signal downstream and activate pro-caspase-3 and -7. The release of cytochrome c can be influenced by different Bcl-2 family member proteins, including, but not limited to, Bax, Bid, Bcl-2, and Bcl-X(L). Bax and Bid potentiate cytochrome c release, whereas Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) antagonize this event. Although toxicologists have traditionally associated cell death with necrosis, emerging evidence suggests that different types of environmental contaminants exert their toxicity, at least in part, by triggering apoptosis. The mechanism responsible for eliciting the pro-apoptotic effect of a given chemical is often unknown, although in many instances mitochondria appear to be key participants. This review describes our current understanding of the role of apoptosis in environmental toxicant-induced cell death, using dioxin, metals (cadmium and methylmercury), organotin compounds, dithiocarbamates, and benzene as specific examples. Finally, we conclude with a critical discussion of the current knowledge in this area and provide recommendations for future directions.
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PMID:Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by cytotoxic chemicals. 1105 38

Cadmium (Cd) is a well-known environmental carcinogen and immunotoxin. Currently the direct cytotoxic effects of Cd on thymocytes are largely unexplored. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the apoptogenic property of Cd and the mechanisms involved, using primary cultured mouse thymocytes as a model. Cd-induced apoptosis in thymocytes was studied by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay and DNA gel electrophoresis. The results showed that Cd was able to cause apoptosis in mouse thymocytes in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Cd exposure led to a rapid and sustained intracellular calcium (Ca2+) elevation, followed by caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage, all of which preceded the characteristic DNA fragmentation. BAPTA-AM, a specific intracellular Ca2+ chelator, abolished Cd-induced Ca2+ overloading and subsequently inhibited caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, and apoptosis. It is believed that intracellular Ca2+ elevation may trigger caspase-3 activation either through mitochondria or through activation of Ca2+-dependent protease in Cd-treated thymocytes. Results from this study thus provide new information for a better understanding of the immunotoxic and immunomodulatory effects of Cd.
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PMID:Critical role of calcium overloading in cadmium-induced apoptosis in mouse thymocytes. 1118 Nov 7

Treatment of U-937 human promonocytic cells with the stress inducers cadmium chloride (2 h at 200 microM), heat (2 h at 42.5 C) or X-rays (20 Gy), followed by recovery, caused death by apoptosis and stimulated caspase-3 activity. In addition, all stress agents caused intracellular oxidation, as measured by peroxide and/or anion superoxide accumulation. However, while pre-incubation with antioxidants (N-acetyl-L-cysteine or butylated hydroxyanisole) inhibited the induction of apoptosis by cadmium and X-rays, it did not affect the induction by heat-shock. Pre-incubation for 24 h with the GSH-depleting agent L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO) switched the mode of death from apoptosis to necrosis in cadmium-treated cells. By contrast, BSO only caused minor modifacions in the rate of apoptosis without affecting the mode of death in heat- and X-rays-treated cells. BSO potentiated peroxide accumulation in cells treated with both cadmium and X-rays. However, while the accumulation of peroxides was stable in the case of cadmium, it was transient in the case of X-rays. Moreover, the administration of antioxidants during the recovery period sufficed to prevent necrosis and restore apoptosis in BSO plus cadmium-treated cells. Cadmium and X-rays caused a decrease in intracellular ATP levels, but the decrease was similar in both apoptotic and necrotic cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that (i) stress inducers cause intracellular oxidation, but oxidation is not a general requirement for apoptosis; and (ii) the duration of the oxidant state seems to be critical in determining the mode of death.
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PMID:The role of intracellular oxidation in death induction (apoptosis and necrosis) in human promonocytic cells treated with stress inducers (cadmium, heat, X-rays). 1137 Jul 46

Cadmium (Cd), a potent immunotoxic metal, induces apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mode of action remains unclear. We previously reported that Cd-induced apoptosis was partly dependent on mitochondria. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of caspase-9, which is the apex caspase in the mitochondoria-dependent apoptosis pathway, in Cd-induced apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. A specific inhibitor of caspase-9, Z-LEHD-FMK, partly inhibited DNA fragmentation induced by Cd treatment in HL-60 cells. Moreover, treatment of HL-60 cells with Cd resulted in the appearance of Cytochrome c (Cyt c), a potent activator of caspase-9, in the cytosol at 3 h, which closely paralleled the activation of caspase-9. Caspase-9 is an initiator caspase that is a potent activator of downstream effector caspases such as caspase-3. Caspase-3 activation was subsequent to the Cyt c release at 6 h. DNA fragmentation, an index of induction of apoptosis, also appeared 6 h after Cd treatment. The effects were more pronounced at 9 h after Cd addition. A broad-specificity inhibitor of caspases, Z-Asp-CH(2)-DCB, inhibited caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation induced by Cd in a dose-dependent fashion. The results suggest that Cd-induced apoptosis is partly caused by caspase-9 activation triggered by Cyt c.
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PMID:Cadmium induces apoptosis partly via caspase-9 activation in HL-60 cells. 1175 88

Acute administration of cadmium results in hepatotoxicity. Recent reports indicate that Kupffer cells, the resident macrophages of the liver, participate in the manifestation of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is a major product of Kupffer cells and mediates the hepatotoxic effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It has been speculated that cadmium also may exert its hepatotoxicity via the production of TNF-alpha by the Kupffer cells. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine whether mice deficient in TNF-alpha are resistant to Cd-induced hepatotoxicity. TNF-alpha-null (TNF-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were dosed ip with saline, LPS (0.1 mg/kg)/Gln (d-galactosamine, 700 mg/kg), or CdCl2 (2.2, 2.8, 3.4, and 3.9 mg Cd/kg). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activities were quantified to assess liver injury. Caspase-3 activity was quantified to assess hepatocellular apoptosis. LPS/Gln treatment increased ALT (17-fold) and SDH (21-fold) in WT mice. In contrast, LPS/Gln-treatment did not significantly increase ALT or SDH in TNF-KO mice. LPS/Gln-treatment caused a 7.8-fold increase in caspase-3 activity in WT mice but did not increase caspase-3 in TNF-KO mice. Cadmium caused a dose-dependent increase in liver injury in both WT and TNF-KO mice. However, the liver injury produced by Cd in the TNF-KO mice was not different from that in WT at any dose. No significant increase in caspase-3 activity was detected in any of the Cd-treated mice. These data indicate that, in contrast to LPS/Gln-induced hepatotoxicity, TNF-alpha does not appear to mediate Cd-induced hepatotoxicity.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-null mice are not resistant to cadmium chloride-induced hepatotoxicity. 1190 45


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