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)

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

There is increasing evidence suggesting that chondrocyte death may contribute to the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). This study focused on the characterization of signaling cascade during NO-induced cell death in human OA chondrocytes. The NO generator, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), promoted chondrocyte death in association with DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation, and down-regulation of Bcl-2. Both caspase-3 inhibitor Z-Asp(OCH3)-Glu(OCH3)-Val-Asp(OCH3)-CH2F and caspase-9 inhibitor Z-Leu-Glu(OCH3)-His-Asp(OCH3)-CH2F prevented the chondrocyte death. Blocking the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2 inhibitor PD98059 or p38 kinase inhibitor SB202190 also inhibited the SNP-mediated cell death, suggesting possible requirements of both extracellular signal-related protein kinase 1/2 and p38 kinase for the NO-induced cell death. Furthermore, the selective inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 by NS-398 or the inhibition of COX-1/COX-2 by indomethacin blocked the SNP-induced cell death. The chondrocyte death induced by SNP was associated with an overexpression of COX-2 protein (as determined by Western blotting) and an increase in PGE2 release. PD98059 and SB202190, but neither Z-DEVD FMK nor Z-LEHD FMK completely inhibited the SNP-mediated PGE2 production. Analysis of interactions between PGE2 and the cell death showed that PGE2 enhanced the SNP-mediated cell death, whereas PGE2 alone did not induce the chondrocyte death. These data indicate that NO-induced chondrocyte death signaling includes PGE2 production via COX-2 induction and suggest that both extracellular signal-related protein kinase 1/2 and p38 kinase pathways are upstream signaling of the PGE2 production. The results also demonstrate that exogenous PGE2 may sensitize human OA chondrocytes to the cell death induced by NO.
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PMID:The induction of cell death in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes by nitric oxide is related to the production of prostaglandin E2 via the induction of cyclooxygenase-2. 1097 59

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis and prevent or revert the growth of premalignant colonic polyps. They inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) but recent data indicate that this is not the only or even the most important mechanism of inhibition in colorectal tumor cells. We have used colonic carcinoma and adenoma cell lines to study the effects of the NSAID sulindac sulfide, its COX-inactive metabolite, sulindac sulfone, and the isoenzyme-specific inhibitors SC58125, SC236 and SC58560 on tumor cell growth in relation to COX-2 expression and prostaglandin production. To establish the role of COX-2 in NSAID action, we constructed clones expressing different levels of COX-2 from SW480 cells. All five compounds inhibited DNA synthesis and/or induced apoptosis, each with a characteristic pattern. ID(50)s were very similar in all the cell lines and were independent of COX expression, except for the COX-1 inhibitor SC58560, which was least effective in HT29/HI1, the cell line expressing the highest level of COX-1 (ID(50) 70 microM; in other cells lines the ID(50) was 15 microM). For all other compounds ID(50) concentrations varied less than two-fold: 25-40, 40-90 and 150 microM for SC236, sulindac sulfide and sulindac sulfone, respectively. SC58125 was the weakest inhibitor, never causing >50% cell loss. All compounds modulated expression of Bcl-2 and Bak and activated caspase 3. Overexpression of COX-2 in SW480 cells protected them against induction of apoptosis by sulindac sulfide. The effect was restricted to clones producing high levels of prostaglandin E(2). In summary, our data indicate that both COX-dependent and COX-independent mechanisms are involved in NSAID-induced growth in colorectal tumor cells. The concentrations necessary to inhibit growth were higher than serum concentrations that can be obtained in vivo, indicating that the therapeutic effect of NSAIDs cannot be explained by a direct effect of NSAIDs on the epithelial cells alone. For therapeutic purposes, compounds using different targets could be used to minimize side effects while optimizing therapeutic effect.
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PMID:Growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in colorectal tumor cells by cyclooxygenase inhibitors. 1115 36

Recent evidence suggests that the degradation of cartilage in osteoarthritis is characterized by chondrocyte apoptosis, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved or potential protective measures. In the present study, we used an immortalized chondrocyte cell line to explore the mechanisms of apoptotic chondrocyte cell death. We found that staurosporine-mediated chondrocyte death depended on the concentration and time of incubation, and coincided with increased Bax:Bcl-X mRNA expression, cytochrome C release, and activation of caspase-3. Pre-treatment of the cultures with nimesulide, a preferential cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, or with ibuprofen, a non-selective COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor, protected the chondrocytes against the staurosporine-mediated nuclear damage and cell death in a concentration-dependent manner (10(-12) to 10(-6) M). Cell protection coincided with inhibition of the staurosporine-mediated induction of caspase-3 activation. Notably, the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 (10(-6) M, 24 hr pre-treatment) did not protect the cells against staurosporine-mediated apoptotic death. The data suggest that nimesulide and ibuprofen, in addition to their anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits, may also have a protective effect in osteoarthritis through the inhibition of apoptosis in chondrocytes.
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PMID:Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs protect against chondrocyte apoptotic death. 1129 47

Quinacrine (QU), a phospholipase-A2 (PLA-2) inhibitor has been used clinically as a chemotherapeutic adjuvant. To understand the mechanisms leading to its chemotherapeutic effect, we have investigated QU-induced apoptotic signaling pathways in human cervical squamous carcinoma HeLa cells. In this study, we found that QU induced cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic signaling. The release of pro-apoptotic cytochrome c was QU concentration- and time-dependent, and preceded activation of caspase-9 and -3. Flow cytometric FACScan analysis using fluorescence intensities of DiOC6 demonstrated that QU-induced cytochrome c release was independent of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), since the concentrations of QU that induced cytochrome c release did not alter mitochondrial membrane potential (delta pai(m)). Moreover, kinetic analysis of caspase activities showed that cytochrome c release led to the activation of caspase-9 and downstream death effector, caspase-3. Caspase-3 inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO) partially blocked QU-induced apoptosis, suggesting the importance of caspase-3 in this apoptotic signaling mechanism. Supplementation with arachidonic acid (AA) sustained caspase-3 activation induced by QU. Using inhibitors against cellular arachidonate metabolism of lipooxygenase (Nordihydroxyguaiaretic Acid, NDGA) and cyclooxygenase (5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic Acid, ETYA) demonstrated that QU-induced apoptotic signaling may be dependent on its role as a PLA-2 inhibitor. Interestingly, NDGA attenuated QU-induced cytochrome c release, caspase activity as well as apoptotic cell death. The blockade of cytochrome c release by NDGA was much more effective than that attained with cyclosporin A (CsA), a MPT inhibitor. ETYA was not effective in blocking cytochrome c release, except under very high concentrations. Caspase inhibitor z-VAD blocked the release of cytochrome c suggesting that this signaling event is caspase dependent, and caspase-8 activation may be upstream of the mitochondrial events. In summary, we report that QU induced cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic signaling cascade, which may be dependent on its role as a PLA-2 inhibitor. This apoptotic mechanism induced by QU may contribute to its known chemotherapeutic effects.
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PMID:Quinacrine induces cytochrome c-dependent apoptotic signaling in human cervical carcinoma cells. 1133 32

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well-established modulators of luteal cell apoptosis in the estrous cycle. The objective of this study was to clarify the molecular mechanisms of luteolysis by characterizing the levels and regions of mRNAs involved in ROS-induced luteal cell apoptosis. Stimulation of bovine luteal cells by H2O2 resulted in the induction of apoptotic nuclear condensation and Caspase-3 activation. In addition, a marker for oxidative stress-damaged DNA, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, was highly accumulated in the large luteal cells prepared from the late estrous stage. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analysis demonstrated that mRNAs of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, p53, and Bax were highly accumulated in the H2O2-treated cells. In situ hybridization revealed that these mRNAs were most abundantly expressed in the large luteal cells. These findings suggest that enhancement of ROS in the bovine corpus luteum induces expression of COX-2, p53, and Bax mRNAs, resulting in activation of the signaling pathway for luteal-cell apoptosis.
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PMID:Reactive oxygen species up-regulates cyclooxygenase-2, p53, and Bax mRNA expression in bovine luteal cells. 1137 91

We investigated whether and how could various modulators of arachidonic acid metabolism affect apoptosis induced by tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in human myeloid leukaemia HL-60 cells. These included arachinonyltrifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3; cytosolic phospholipase A2 inhibitor), indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor), MK-886 (3-[1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-t-butyl-thio-5-isopropylindol-2-yl]-2,2-dimethyl propanoic acid; 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein inhibitor), nordihydroguaiaretic acid (general lipoxygenase inhibitor), and arachidonic acid itself. Incubation of HL-60 cells with nordihydroguaiaretic acid resulted in apoptosis and it was characterised by mitochondria membrane depolarisation, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into cytosol and activation of caspase-3. Indomethacin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid synergistically potentiated TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis, while arachidonic acid, AACOCF3 and MK-886 did not modulate its effects. Furthermore, indomethacin potentiated apoptosis in cells treated with a differentiating agent, all-trans retinoic acid, which induces resistance to TNF-alpha. However, the observed effects were probably not associated either with the cyclooxygenase- or lipoxygenase-dependent activities of indomethacin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, respectively. Since indomethacin may reportedly activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), the effects of specific ligands of PPARs on apoptosis were studied as well. It was found that selective PPARs ligands had no effects on TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. The findings suggest that arachidonic acid metabolism does not play a key role in regulation of apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha in the present model. Nevertheless, our data raise the possibility that indomethacin could potentially be used to improve the treatment of human myeloid leukaemia.
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PMID:Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism potentiate tumour necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. 1147 Feb 54

The effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6; AA), on apoptotic cell death was evaluated based on DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity induced by serum starvation using Neuro-2A and PC-12 cells. The presence of 20:4n-6 in the medium during serum starvation decreased DNA fragmentation and this initial protective effect was diminished with prolonged serum starvation. The observed protective effect of 20:4n-6 was not affected by the inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase. Conversely, 22:6n-3 became protective only after the enrichment of cells with this fatty acid at least for 24 h prior to the serum deprivation. DNA fragmentation as well as caspase-3 activity was reduced in 22:6n-3 enriched cells with a concomitant decrease in protein and mRNA levels. During the enrichment period, 22:6n-3 steadily increased its incorporation into PS leading to a significant increase in the total PS content; the protective effect of 22:6n-3 paralleled the PS accumulation. Neither direct exposure of cells to nor enrichment with 18:1n-9 had any protective effect. In conclusion, it is proposed that 20:4n-6 prevents neuronal apoptosis primarily due to the action of nonesterified 20:4n-6 but 22:6n-3, at least in part, through PS accumulation.
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PMID:Inhibition of neuronal apoptosis by polyunsaturated fatty acids. 1147 77

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol with cancer chemopreventive properties. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. The compound inhibited cell growth and proliferation of Caco-2 cells in a dose-dependent manner (12.5-200 micromol/L) as assessed by crystal violet assay, [(3)H]thymidine and [(14)C]leucine incorporation. Furthermore, apoptosis was determined by measuring caspase-3 activity, which increased significantly after 24 and 48 h of treatment with 200 micromol/L resveratrol. Perturbed cell cycle progression from the S to G2 phase was observed for concentrations up to 50 micromol/L, whereas higher concentrations led to reversal of the S phase arrest. These effects were specific for resveratrol; they were not observed after incubation with the stilbene analogs stilbenemethanol and rhapontin. Levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 4 proteins were decreased, as revealed by immunoblotting. In addition, resveratrol enhanced the expression of cyclin E and cyclin A. The protein levels of cdk2, cdk6 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were unaffected. Similar results were obtained for the colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116, indicating that cell cycle inhibition by resveratrol is independent of cyclooxygenase inhibition. The phosphorylation state of the retinoblastoma protein in Caco-2 cells was shifted from hyperphosphorylated to hypophosphorylated at 200 micromol/L, which may account for reversal of the S phase block at concentrations exceeding 50 micromol/L. These findings suggest that resveratrol exerts chemopreventive effects on colonic cancer cells by inhibition of the cell cycle.
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PMID:Downregulation of the cyclin D1/Cdk4 complex occurs during resveratrol-induced cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cell lines. 1148 17

Prior studies have shown that cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, an enzyme involved in inflammatory mechanisms as well as neuronal activities, is up-regulated in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain and may represent a therapeutic target for anti-inflammatory treatments. We report the effect of neuronal overexpression of human (h)COX-2 in a murine model of AD neuropathology. Transgenic mice expressing both the human amyloid precursor protein mutation (APPswe) and the human presenilin (PS1-A246E) mutation, with resultant AD plaque pathology, were crossed with transgenic mice expressing human (h)COX-2 in neurons. At 12 months of age, the APPswe/PS1-A246E/hCOX-2 triple-transgenic mice showed an elevation in the number of phosphorylated retinoblastoma (pRb) tumor suppressor protein and active caspase-3 immunopositive neurons, compared to double APPswe/PS1-A246E or single hCOX-2 transgenic controls. No detectable influence of neuronal hCOX-2 on AD neuropathology was found in the brain of APPswe/PS1-A246E/hCOX-2 triple-transgenic mice, compared to double APPswe/PS1-A246E. In vitro studies revealed that hCOX-2 overexpression in primary cortico-hippocampal neurons derived from the hCOX-2 transgenics accelerates beta-amyloid (Abeta)(1-42)-mediated apoptotic damage which was prevented by the cell cycle dependent (CDK) inhibitor, flavoperidol. The data indicates that COX-2 overexpression causes alteration of neuronal cell cycle in a murine model of AD neuropathology, and provides a rational basis for targeting neuronal COX-2 in therapeutic research aimed at slowing the clinical progression of AD.
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PMID:Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and cell cycle activity in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. 1195 94


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