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)

We investigated whether the snake venom toxin (SVT) from Vipera lebetina turanica inhibits cell growth of human prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and also studied possible signaling pathways involved in this cell death. SVT inhibited growth of PC-3 and DU145 cells, androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, but not LNCaP cells, a human androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell. Cells were arrested in the G(2)-M phase by SVT with a concomitant decrease in the expression of the G(2)-M phase regulatory protein cyclin B1 and were also arrested in the G(1)-S phase with decreasing expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin D1 and cyclin E. In addition to the growth-inhibitory effect, SVT increased the induction of apoptotic cell death. Untreated PC-3 cells show high DNA binding activity of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), an antiapoptotic transcriptional factor, but this was inhibited by SVT and accompanied by a significant inhibition of p50 translocation into the nucleus, as well as phosphorylation of inhibitory kappaB. Consistent with the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of NF-kappaB, this toxin increased the expression of proapoptotic proteins such as p53, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9, but down-regulated antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. However, SVT did not show an inhibitory effect on cell growth and caspase-3 activity in cells carrying mutant p50 and inhibitory kappaB kinase plasmids. Confocal microscopy analysis showed that SVT is taken up into the nucleus of the cells. These findings suggest that a nanogram concentration range of SVT from V. lebetina turanica could inhibit hormone-refractory human prostate cancer cell growth, and the effect may be related to NF-kappaB signal-mediated induction of apoptosis.
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PMID:Inhibitory effect of snake venom toxin from Vipera lebetina turanica on hormone-refractory human prostate cancer cell growth: induction of apoptosis through inactivation of nuclear factor kappaB. 1730 63

Oxidative stress has been linked with apoptosis in germ cells and with male infertility. However, the molecular mechanism of oxidative-stress-mediated apoptosis in germ cells has not been clearly defined so far. Because of the involvement of CDC2 and cyclin B1 in cell cycle regulation and their plausible role in apoptosis, the present study aimed to investigate the possibility that selenium (Se)-induced oxidative-stress-mediated modulations of these cell cycle regulators cause DNA damage and apoptosis in germ cells. To create different Se status (deficient, adequate and excess), male Balb/c mice were fed yeast-based Se-deficient diet (Group I) and a deficient diet supplemented with Se as sodium selenite (0.2 and 1 ppm Se in Groups II and III, respectively) for a period of 8 weeks. After the completion of the diet feeding schedule, a significant decrease in Se levels and glutathione peroxidase activity was observed in the Se-deficient group (Group I), whereas the Se-excess group (Group III) demonstrated an increase in Se levels. Increased levels of lipid peroxidation were seen in both Groups I and III when compared to Group II, indicating oxidative stress. The mRNA and protein expressions of both CDC2 and cyclin B1 were found to be significantly decreased in Groups I and III. A decrease in the immunohistochemical localization of these proteins was also observed in spermatogenic cells. The mRNA expressions of apoptotic factors such as Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were found to be increased in Groups I and III. A decrease in CDC2 kinase activity was also seen in these groups. Increased apoptosis was observed in Group I and Group III animals by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling assay indicating oxidative-stress-mediated DNA damage. These findings suggest the effect of Se-induced oxidative stress on the cell cycle regulators and apoptotic activity of germ cells, thus providing new dimensions to molecular mechanisms underlying male infertility.
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PMID:Dietary selenium variation-induced oxidative stress modulates CDC2/cyclin B1 expression and apoptosis of germ cells in mice testis. 1732 Mar 65

Sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to induce phase 2 detoxication enzymes and inhibit the growth of chemically induced mammary tumors in rats, although the exact mechanisms of action of sulforaphane are not understood. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sulforaphane on cell growth and death in several human breast cancer cell lines and examined the hypothesis that sulforaphane acts as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor in these cell lines. Sulforaphane treatment inhibited cell growth, induced a G(2)-M cell cycle block, increased expression of cyclin B1, and induced oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation in the four human breast cancer cell lines examined, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7, and T47D cells. Activation of apoptosis by sulforaphane in MDA-MB-231 cells seemed to be initiated through induction of Fas ligand, which resulted in activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, whereas apoptosis in the other breast cancer cell lines was initiated by decreased Bcl-2 expression, release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, but not caspase-8, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Sulforaphane inhibited HDAC activity and decreased the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha, epidermal growth factor receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 in each cell line, although no change in the acetylation of H3 or H4 was seen. These data suggest that sulforaphane inhibits cell growth, activates apoptosis, inhibits HDAC activity, and decreases the expression of key proteins involved in breast cancer proliferation in human breast cancer cells. These results support testing sulforaphane in vivo and warrant future studies examining the clinical potential of sulforaphane in human breast cancer.
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PMID:Sulforaphane induces cell type-specific apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. 1733 67

Prostate carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors and has become a more common cancer in men. Previous studies demonstrated that evodiamine (EVO) exhibited anti-tumor activities on several cancers, but its effects on androgen-independent prostate cancer are unclear. In the present study, the action mechanisms of EVO on the growth of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells (DU145 and PC3 cells) were explored. EVO dramatically inhibited the growth and elevated cytotoxicity of DU145 and PC3 cells. The flow cytometric analysis of EVO-treated cells indicated a block of G2/M phase and an elevated level of DNA fragmentation. The G2/M arrest was accompanied by elevated Cdc2 kinase activity, an increase in expression of cyclin B1 and phosphorylated Cdc2 (Thr 161), and a decrease in expression of phosphorylated Cdc2 (Tyr 15), Myt-1, and interphase Cdc25C. TUNEL examination showed that EVO-induced apoptosis was observed at 72 h. EVO elevated the activities of caspase 3, 8, and 9 in DU145 cells, while in PC3 cells only the activities of caspase 3 and 9 were elevated. EVO also triggered the processing of caspase 3 and 9 in both DU145 and PC3 cells. We demonstrate that roscovitine treatment result in the reversion of G2/M arrest in response to EVO in both DU145 and PC3. However, inhibitory effect of roscovitine on EVO-induced apoptosis could only be observed in DU145 rather than PC3. In DU145, G2/M arrest might be a signal for initiation of EVO-triggered apoptosis. Whereas EVO-triggered PC3 apoptosis might be independent of G2/M arrest. These results suggested that EVO inhibited the growth of prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC3, through an accumulation at G2/M phase and an induction of apoptosis.
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PMID:Anti-proliferative effects of evodiamine on human prostate cancer cell lines DU145 and PC3. 1734 Jun 28

Cardiotoxin III (CTX III), a basic polypeptide with 60 amino acid residues isolated from Naja naja atra venom, may have a potentiality as a structural template for rational drug design in killing cancer cells. Treatment of K562 cells with 0.3 microM of CTX III resulted in G2/M phase cell cycle arrest that was associated with a marked decline in protein levels of G2/M regulatory proteins including cyclin A, cyclin B1, Cdk2 and Cdc25C. In contrast to no effect on the phosphorylation of ERK, p38 MAPK and Akt, an activation of JNK was noted when K562 cells were exposed to CTX III. CTX III-mediated G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis were reduced by treatment with the JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125, but not by ERK and p38MAPK inhibitors. Further investigation showed that the specific JNK inhibitor, SP600125, reduced the activation of caspase-3, caspase-9, and reversed the decline in the expression of cyclin B1. Taken together, our data show for the first time that JNK, but not ERK, p38MAPK or Akt signaling, plays an important role in CTX III-mediated G2/M arrest and apoptosis in K562 cancer cells.
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PMID:Involvement of c-jun N-terminal kinase in G2/M arrest and caspase-mediated apoptosis induced by cardiotoxin III (Naja naja atra) in K562 leukemia cells. 1736 2

Multiple genetic aberrations in human gliomas contribute to their highly infiltrative and rapid growth characteristics. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulates tumor migration and invasion. Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR), whose expression correlates with tumor grade, is involved in proliferation and survival. We hypothesized that inhibiting the phosphorylation of FAK and IGF-IR by NVP-TAE226 (hereafter called TAE226), a novel dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of FAK and IGF-IR, would suppress the growth and invasion of glioma cells. In culture, TAE226 inhibited extracellular matrix-induced autophosphorylation of FAK (Tyr(397)). TAE226 also inhibited IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of IGF-IR and activity of its downstream target genes such as MAPK and Akt. TAE226 retarded tumor cell growth as assessed by a cell viability assay and attenuated G(2)-M cell cycle progression associated with a decrease in cyclin B1 and phosphorylated cdc2 (Tyr(15)) protein expression. TAE226 treatment inhibited tumor cell invasion by at least 50% compared with the control in an in vitro Matrigel invasion assay. Interestingly, TAE226 treatment of tumor cells containing wild-type p53 mainly exhibited G(2)-M arrest, whereas tumor cells bearing mutant p53 underwent apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis by TAE226 was substantiated by detection of caspase-3/7 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and by an Annexin V apoptosis assay. More importantly, TAE226 treatment significantly increased the survival rate of animals in an intracranial glioma xenograft model. Collectively, these data show that blocking the signaling pathways of FAK and IGF-IR with TAE226 has the potential to be an efficacious treatment for human gliomas.
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PMID:Inhibition of both focal adhesion kinase and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor kinase suppresses glioma proliferation in vitro and in vivo. 1743 Nov 14

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) vary in their biologic behavior. Recurrence and tumor-related mortality may be attributable to molecular abnormalities in primary tumors. This study evaluated such immunophenotypes with regard to cell cycle regulation and proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, to determine their significance for patient outcome. Core biopsies from 219 patients with NSCLC were assembled on tissue microarrays, and the expressions of p16, p21, p27, cyclin B1, cyclin E, Ki-67, caspase-3, survivin, bcl-2, VEGF, and endostatin were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Despite previously described prognostic relevance of some of the investigated molecules, many of those markers were not directly associated with recurrence or survival. However, there was a trend for p16 immunoreactivity to be associated with a good prognosis (57% vs. 42% in 5-yr survival) (p=0.071). bcl-2 expression was strongly correlated with a better outcome (65% vs. 45% in 5-yr survival) (p=0.029), and the hazard of death for bcl-2 positive patients was 0.42 times of that for bcl-2 negative patients (p=0.047). A multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards model confirmed that the lymph node status (p=0.043) and stage (p=0.003) were other independent prognostic factors. Our results suggest that p16 and bcl-2 provide prognostic information independent of the TNM stage in NSCLC.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical analysis of non-small cell lung cancer: correlation with clinical parameters and prognosis. 1744 43

Few treatment options exist for metastatic prostate cancer (PC) that becomes hormone refractory (HRPC). In vitro, plant-derived MINA-05 caused dose-dependent decreases in cell numbers in HRPC cell lines LNCaP-C4-2B and PC-3, and in androgen-sensitive LNCaP-FGC, DuCaP, and LAPC-4, by WST-1 assay. MINA-05 pretreatment significantly decreased clonogenic survival in agar and on plastic at 1 x and 2 x IC50 for PC-3 (P < .05 and P < .001, respectively), and at 1/2 x, 1 x, and 2 x IC50 for LNCaP-FGC cells (P < .001). MINA-05 also induced G2M arrest of LNCaP-FGC and PC-3 cells (by flow cytometry) and caused some apoptosis in LNCaP-FGC (sub-G1 peak on flow, expression of activated caspase-3) but not in PC-3 cells. Western blotting indicated that these cell cycle changes were associated with decreased levels of regulatory proteins cyclin B1 and cdc25C. MINA-05 given daily by gavage for 39 days did not diminish primary orthotopic PC-3 growth in nude mice, but decreased the extent of lymph node invasion at higher doses. We conclude that MINA-05 induces G2M arrest, inhibits cell growth, reduces PC cell regrowth in vitro, and reduces lymph node invasion after orthotopic PC-3 cell implantation in vivo. It has potential as an adjuvant treatment for patients with PC.
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PMID:Plant-derived MINA-05 inhibits human prostate cancer proliferation in vitro and lymph node spread in vivo. 1746 Jul 76

To clarify the relationship between CDC2 kinase activity and radiation-induced apoptosis, we examined whether the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor purvalanol A enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis in gastric tumor cells. MKN45 cells exposed to 20 Gy of X rays increased the CDC2 kinase activity and the expression of regulatory proteins (phospho-CDC2 and cyclin B1) of the G2/M phase, followed by activation of the G2/M checkpoint, whereas the treatment of X-irradiated MKN45 cells with 20 microM purvalanol A suppressed the increase in the CDC2 kinase activity and expression of the G2/M-phase regulatory proteins and reduced the fraction of the cells in the G2/M phase in the cell cycle. Furthermore, this treatment resulted in not only a significant increase in radiation-induced apoptosis but also the loss of clonogenicity in both MKN45 (p53-wild) and MKN28 (p53-mutated) cells. The expression of anti-apoptosis proteins, inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family members (survivin and XIAP) and BCL2 family members (Bcl-X(L) and Bcl-2), in purvalanol A-treated cells with and without X rays was significantly lower than for cells exposed to X rays alone. These results suggest that the inhibition of radiation-induced CDC2 kinase activity by purvalanol A induces apoptosis through the enhancement of active fragments of caspase 3.
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PMID:Purvalanol A enhances cell killing by inhibiting up-regulation of CDC2 kinase activity in tumor cells irradiated with high doses of X rays. 1747 86

In search for innovative therapeutic agents for children neuroblastoma, the oxygen therapy could be considered an alternative anti-tumoral treatment. Given the physiochemical properties of O(2/3) gas mixture including fairly low aqueous solubility and spreading, and the interesting perspective of hyperoxia, we analyzed the inhibitory effect of O(2/3) treatment on two human neuroblastoma cell lines (SK-N-SH and SK-N-DZ). In this study, we demonstrated that O(2/3) treatment was able to induce cell growth inhibition and cell cycle perturbation in both cell lines. We observed an arrest at G(2) phase, accompanied by an alteration in the expression and localization of cyclin B1/cdk1 complex and a reduction in its activity in SK-N-SH cells. This reduction was consistent with the increase in both Wee1 and chk1 protein levels. On the contrary, O(2/3) induced apoptosis in SK-N-DZ cells via caspase 3 activation and Poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP) cleavage, associated with an increase in the pro-apoptotic Bax protein. Consequently, we considered the possibility of improving the responsiveness to chemotherapeutic agents such as Cisplatin, Etoposide, and Gemcitabine in combination with O(2/3) treatment. The combined treatments produced a stronger cell inhibitory effect than Cisplatin and Etoposide used alone in SK-N-SH cells. On the contrary, the combination data were not significantly different from O(2/3) treatment alone in SK-N-DZ cells, thus suggesting that the obtained changes in cell growth inhibition were due to the effect of O(2/3) alone.
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PMID:O(2/3) exposure inhibits cell progression affecting cyclin B1/cdk1 activity in SK-N-SH while induces apoptosis in SK-N-DZ neuroblastoma cells. 1747 75


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