UNIPROT:P42574 - FACTA Search

Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Target Concepts:

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

The obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) is responsible for a range of human diseases, including acute respiratory infection. Although experimental intratracheal infection with Cp results in a massive recruitment of neutrophil granulocytes (polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN)), the role of these cells in the defense against Cp is unclear. In this study the interactions of PMN with Cp were investigated. In vitro coincubation experiments showed that human granulocytes were able to internalize Chlamydia in an opsonin-independent manner. Importantly, phagocytosed Cp were not killed; the ingested bacteria survived and multiplied within PMN. Although uninfected granulocytes became apoptotic within 10 h, infected PMN survived up to 90 h. Coincubation with Cp significantly decreased the ratio of apoptotic PMN, as detected by morphological analysis, annexin V, and TUNEL staining. The observed antiapoptotic effect was associated with a markedly lower level of procaspase-3 processing and, consequently, reduced caspase-3 activity in infected PMN. LPS was found as a major, but not exclusive, component responsible for the observed antiapoptotic effect. Chlamydia LPS affected PMN apoptosis both by acting directly on the cells and by inducing the autocrine production of the antiapoptotic cytokine IL-8. These data show that, in contrast to other microbial pathogens that drive phagocytes into apoptosis to escape killing, Cp can extend the life span of neutrophil granulocytes, making them suitable host cells for survival and multiplication within the first hours/days after infection.
...
PMID:Chlamydia pneumoniae multiply in neutrophil granulocytes and delay their spontaneous apoptosis. 1473 60

The balance between polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) apoptosis and necrosis in inflamed tissues is an important determinant of the degree of tissue injury. To prevent senescent PMNL from releasing their toxic contents into surrounding tissues, these cells become apoptotic and are then internalized by tissue macrophages. PMNL apoptosis and subsequent ingestion by macrophages are the major mechanisms for clearing PMNL that have been recruited to the inflamed sites and thus for promoting resolution of the inflammation. PMNL have a short half-life that is extended at the inflamed site by pro-inflammatory cytokines including Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Gro-alpha, and they contact with the bacterial cell walls containing lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Conversely, anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, accelerate the apoptosis of LPS-activated PMNL. Spontaneous PMNL apoptosis does not require Fas ligation but involves proteolytic cascades -caspases (particularly caspases 3 and 8), calpains and the proteasome-that activate kinases, e.g. caspase 3-mediated activation of protein kinase C-delta, dissociate actin-binding proteins from filamentous actin, and participate in cell surface as well as nuclear morphological transformations. Members of the Bcl-2 protein family, Mcl-1 and A1, are involved in the regulation of PMNL apoptosis. Cell surface receptors and protein kinases, particularly mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), also play critical roles in transducing the signals that result in PMNL apoptosis or extended survival. A growing understanding of the mechanisms regulating leukocyte apoptosis and of the molecules mediating safe phagocytic clearance of dying cells may yield new insights into the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In this regard, therapeutic strategies to resolve chronic inflammation could usefully target PMNL. This review summarises current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms and components of PMNL apoptosis.
...
PMID:Molecular regulation of neutrophil apoptosis and potential targets for therapeutic strategy against the inflammatory process. 1503 37

Microvascular endothelial cells (mECs) circulate at higher numbers in patients with severe sepsis and hemophagocytic syndromes. Although these blood mECs might stem from damaged microvasculature, they are perfectly viable and lead to the establishment of cell lines. Such mECs were cultured in low-dose human serum pools (0.5%) and MEM-alpha medium. Antigenic profiling revealed the expression of CD36, factor VIIIa, CD95-ligand, and CD44, but also CD146. We studied the antioxidative effect of the hematopoietic growth factor G-CSF(1) after in vitro stimulation with LPS from E. coli 0111:B4; the growth factor appeared to exhibit a protective effect on organ function in patients with SIRS. mECs were stimulated with 1 micro g/mL of LPS for 24 h and 48 h with and without G-CSF (3x10(3) U/mL) preincubation. After 24 h, supernatants of the stimulated mEC were tested for IL-8 by ELISA, and cells were tested for hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1, Hsp32) by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry using OSA110 (mAb, Stressgene). Stimulation with LPS upregulated IL-8 by a factor of 2 to 10 in mEC. Preincubation with G-CSF markedly downregulated the LPS-induced IL-8 secretion (20-50%), but IL-6 production was not affected. Upon 48 h of LPS stimulation, mECs developed massive signs of apoptosis and concomitant caspase 3 activation. Caspase 3 activity induced by LPS (24 h) or by staurosporin (6 h) was found to be dramatically downregulated by the G-CSF preincubation protocol.
...
PMID:G-CSF modulates LPS-induced apoptosis and IL-8 in human microvascular endothelial cells: involvement of calcium signaling. 1503 98

We tested the hypothesis that oxidant-injured cells upregulate thioredoxin, whereas oxidant-stressed, but not injured, cells upregulate interleukin (IL)-8 after injury. We exposed primary human tracheobronchial epithelial cells and transformed human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B S.6) to 0, 200, 400, or 600 microM H(2)O(2) for 1 h followed by an additional 7 h of incubation. Subsequently, the cells were double-labeled with markers of injury (either Ethidium Homodimer-1 for cellular injury or MitoTracker dye for functional mitochondria) or oxidant stress (5-[and 6]-chloromethyl-2',7'-dicholorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) and antibodies specific for the chemoattractants IL-8 or thioredoxin. We found significant inverse relationships between numbers and stained chemoattractant volumes of IL-8 and thioredoxin-positive cells with increasing H(2)O(2) dose. Cells with mitochondrial injury produced thioredoxin but not IL-8, and oxidant-stressed cells were more likely to produce thioredoxin than IL-8. Isolated human neutrophils were more likely to colocalize with thioredoxin-positive BEAS-2B S.6 cells than thioredoxin-negative cells. The H(2)O(2) injury did not induce significant apoptosis in the BEAS-2B S.6 cells as measured by caspase 3 activation. We conclude that oxidant-injured and stressed airway epithelial cells upregulate thioredoxin, but produce little IL-8, which may be important in airway epithelial cell-mediated multistep navigation of neutrophils to sites of oxidant injury.
...
PMID:Oxidant-injured airway epithelial cells upregulate thioredoxin but do not produce interleukin-8. 1509 27

Constitutive expression of the pro-molecule of IL-16 has been found in T cells, mast cells, eosinophils, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and dendritic cells. Here we show that IL-16 is also constitutively present in >98% of freshly isolated human CD14-positive peripheral blood monocytes when analyzed by flow cytometry. Because pro-IL-16 is cleaved to its bioactive mature form by caspase-3, and caspase-3 is also the pivotal effector of apoptosis in monocytes, we asked whether IL-16 release occurs in monocytes that undergo spontaneous apoptosis. As expected, freshly isolated, unstimulated monocytes underwent spontaneous caspase-3 activation. This apoptosis was paralleled by the loss of intracellular IL-16, as detected by flow cytometry, and the concurrent release of IL-16, as detected by ELISA. In contrast, stimulation with bacterial LPS inhibited caspase-3 activation and significantly inhibited the release of IL-16. As a specificity control, IL-1beta and IL-8 were not released during spontaneous monocyte apoptosis. In summary, our data demonstrate that monocytes contain IL-16 that is released during spontaneous apoptosis.
...
PMID:IL-16 is constitutively present in peripheral blood monocytes and spontaneously released during apoptosis. 1518 55

Activated protein C (APC) is a physiological serine protease that regulates blood clotting and inflammation. Keratinocytes are a major cell type of human skin and play a fundamental role in normal skin metabolism and cutaneous wound healing. In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of APC on the function of human primary cultured keratinocytes. In an in vitro wounding assay, APC accelerated wound closure which was due jointly to increased cell proliferation and migration. APC attenuated calcium-induced cell death via prevention of cell apoptosis, as indicated by a decrease in both active caspase-3 and morphologically apoptotic cells. APC dramatically enhanced the expression and activation of MMP-2 by keratinocytes, whilst having no effect on MMP-9. GM6001, a broad spectrum MMP inhibitor, abolished cell migration in a dose-dependent manner and delayed in vitro wound healing. APC also significantly increased the production of IL-6 and IL-8 and suppressed calcium- and LPS-stimulated NF-kappaB activity. These results demonstrate a central role for APC in promoting cell proliferation and migration, preventing apoptosis and increasing MMP-2 activity in cultured keratinocytes. This regulatory activity implicates APC as having potential to promote re-epithelialisation during wound healing.
...
PMID:Activated protein C stimulates proliferation, migration and wound closure, inhibits apoptosis and upregulates MMP-2 activity in cultured human keratinocytes. 1530 79

IL-1 is one of the key mediators involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is known to affect the level of gene expression in various settings. We investigated the effects of IL-1beta on the expression of 240 genes in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RSFs) using a cDNA microarray. Total RNAs were prepared from RSFs stimulated with IL-1beta and hybridized to the microarray. The fluorescence intensity of each gene was compared between the control and IL-1beta-treated cells. To confirm the data obtained from the microarray analysis, the level of gene expression was also examined by ELISA, Northern blot, or Western blot depending on the genes to be analyzed. The genes whose levels were significantly changed by IL-1beta in the microarray analysis could be divided into three categories; inflammatory mediators, matrix-modifying enzymes, and apoptosis-associated molecules. The increase in the mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and GRO-1 was confirmed by determining their protein levels from the cell culture supernatant using ELISA. The increase in the level of two matrix-degrading enzymes, MMP-1 and MMP-3, was reproducibly observed by an ELISA method, while the decrease in the level of TIMP-3, an inhibitor of MMPs, was confirmed by Northern blot analysis. The fluorescence intensity of two apoptosis-related genes, caspase-3 and Bcl-xL, was significantly lowered. The decreased protein level of caspase-3 was also found. Our data suggested that IL-1beta could provoke a series of responses in RSFs leading to the pathologic status of RA, including enhancement of inflammatory cytokines, imbalanced production of MMPs and TIMPs, and dysregulation of apoptosis.
...
PMID:Effects of IL-1beta on gene expression in human rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. 1546 74

The Jurkat T-cell line was used to study potential impact of deoxynivalenol (DON) and related 8-ketotrichothecenes on human immune function. DON (250-1000 ng/ml) readily induced caspase-3 and apoptosis in Jurkat cells. DON (62.5-500 ng/ml) also significantly upregulated IL-2 and IL-8 production following prestimulation with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin. DON markedly induced phosphorylation of p38, JNK 1/2, and ERK2. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, reduced DON-induced apoptosis. The MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 which blocks ERK activation had only a small inhibitory effect on DON-induced apoptosis while the JNK inhibitor SP600125 was without effect. Inhibition of p38 attenuated DON-induced upregulation of IL-2 while all three MAPK inhibitors suppressed IL-8 upregulation. When effects of DON were compared to other 8-ketotrichothecenes, the concentrations of DON, 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON), nivalenol (NIV) and fusarenon X (FX) causing 50% apoptosis were 0.6, 0.5, 0.5, 0.5 and 7.5 microg/ml, respectively. Relative to IL-2 upregulation, FX was suppressive whereas 3-ADON, 15-ADON and NIV had no effect at concentrations of 62.5-500 ng/ml. In contrast, 15-ADON at 62.5-500 ng/ml and 3-ADON at 625-5000 ng/ml upregulated IL-8 production but FX and NIV had no effect. Taken together, these data suggest that DON's effects on apoptosis and cytokine production were differentially regulated by MAPKs. Although DON shared its capacity to induce apoptosis and potentiate IL-8 production with other 8-ketotrichothecenes, it appeared to be unique in its capacity to upregulate IL-2.
...
PMID:Induction of apoptosis and cytokine production in the Jurkat human T cells by deoxynivalenol: role of mitogen-activated protein kinases and comparison to other 8-ketotrichothecenes. 1558 14

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs and the transcription factor NF-kappa B regulates the production of numerous inflammatory mediators that may have a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Hence, the signalling pathways leading to NF-kappa B activation are considered prime targets for novel anti-inflammatory therapies. The prevention of NF-kappa B activity in mice, through the knockout of IKK beta or p65, causes fatal liver degeneration in utero making it difficult to determine the full implications of inhibiting NF-kappaB activity in tissues physiologically relevant to human diseases. This study used adenovirus delivery of a dominant inhibitor of NF-kappaB (I kappa B alpha delta N) and dominant-negative IKK alpha (IKK alpha(KM)) and IKK beta (IKK beta(KA)) to investigate the role of the individual IKKs in NF-kappa B activation and inflammatory gene transcription by human pulmonary A549 cells. Overexpression of IKK beta(KA) or I kappa B alpha delta N prevented NF-kappa B-dependent transcription and DNA binding. IKK beta(KA) also prevented I kappa B alpha kinase activity. Similarly, IKK beta(KA) and I kappa B alpha delta N overexpression also inhibited IL-1beta- and TNF alpha-dependent increases in ICAM-1, IL-8 and GM-CSF in addition to IL-1beta-mediated increases in cyclooxygenase-2 expression, whereas IKK alpha(KM) overexpression had little effect on these outputs. IKK beta(KA) also reduced cell viability and induced caspase-3 and PARP cleavage regardless of the stimuli, indicating the induction of apoptosis. This effect seemed to be directly related to IKK beta kinase activity since I kappa B alpha delta N only induced PARP cleavage in TNF alpha-treated cells. These results demonstrate that inhibition of IKK beta and NF-kappa B suppresses inflammatory mediator production and reduces A549 cell viability. Thus, novel therapies that target IKK beta could have potent anti-inflammatory effects and may be beneficial in the treatment of certain cancers.
...
PMID:Validation of IKK beta as therapeutic target in airway inflammatory disease by adenoviral-mediated delivery of dominant-negative IKK beta to pulmonary epithelial cells. 1572 90

Helicobacter pylori has been known to provoke gastric inflammation, ulceration, and DNA damage, based on which WHO defined H. pylori as a class I carcinogen. Although ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been reported to possess antiadhesion or antimicrobial activity against H. pylori, in this study, we examined the protective effect of red ginseng extracts (RGE) against H. pylori-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage. RGE significantly attenuated both H. pylori-induced DNA damage assessed by comet assay and apoptosis measured by DNA fragmentation. Inactivation of ERK1/2 signaling and attenuation of caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage were revealed with RGE against H. pylori infection. RGE decreased H. pylori-stimulated IL-8 gene expression, which resulted from the transcriptional regression of NF-kappaB. In conclusion, RGE showed significant gastroprotective effects against H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal cell damage, suggesting that red ginseng could be used as a medicinal phytonutrient against H. pylori infection.
...
PMID:Rescue of Helicobacter pylori-induced cytotoxicity by red ginseng. 1604 63

<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>