Cleavage Of Procaspase-3 Research Articles

Activation of Type 4 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Attenuates Oxidative Stress-Induced Death of Neural Stem Cells with Inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK Signaling.

Promoting both endogenous and exogenous neural stem cells' (NSCs) survival in the hostile host environments is essential to cell replacement therapy for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Type 4 metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR4), one of the members of mGluRs, has been shown to protect neurons from acute and chronic excitotoxic insults in various brain damages. The present study investigated the preventive effects of mGluR4 on NSC injury induced by oxidative stress. Under challenge with H2O2, loss of cell viability was observed in cultured rat NSCs, and treatment with selective mGluR4 agonist VU0155041 conferred protective effects against the loss of cellular viability in a concentration-dependent manner, as shown by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Pretreatment of VU0155041 (30 μM) also inhibited the excessive NSC death induced by H2O2, and group III mGluRs antagonist (RS)-a-methylserine-O-phosphate (MSOP) or gene-targeted knockdown abolished the protective action of mGluR4, indicated by propidium iodide-Hoechst and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Western blot assay demonstrated that mGluR4 activation reversed the decreased procaspase-8/9/3and the destructed Bcl-2/Bax expressing balance, and likewise, MSOP and mGluR4 knockdown abrogated the action of mGluR4 activity. Furthermore, inhibition of JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) were observed after mGluR4 activation, and as paralleling control, JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 and p38-specific inhibitor SB203580 significantly rescued the H2O2-mediated NSC apoptosis and cleavage of procaspase-3. We suggest that activation of mGluR4 prevents oxidative stress-induced NSC death and apoptotic-associated protein activities with involvement of inhibiting the JNK and p38 pathways in cell culture. Our findings may help to develop strategies for enhancing the resided and transplanted NSC survival after oxidative stress insult of CNS.

Quercetin exerts preferential cytotoxic effects on malignant mesothelioma cells by inducing p53 expression, caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis

Quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has been heralded as a promising chemopreventive agent. This study was undertaken to probe the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer activity of quercetin in malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells. Quercetin at low doses elicited apoptotic cell death on MM MSTO-211H cells, as signified by pyknotic and fragmented nuclei, increased annexin V binding, and increased proportion of cells with hypodiploid DNA. Preceding these changes, quercetin induced up-regulation of p53 at both mRNA and protein levels without altering its ubiquitination, and increased caspase-3/7 activity with the resultant cleavages of procaspase-3 and PARP. Analyses of nuclear p53 level, p53 reporter gene, and RT-PCR toward p53-regulated genes demonstrated that induced p53 is transcriptionally active. The proportion of cells at sub-G0/G1 peak and G2/M phase increased in a quercetin concentration-dependent fashion, which were blocked by the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD. Additionally, quercetin and gemcitabine produced a significant synergistic effect on inhibiting MS-TO-211H cell growth. Given that quercetin induced preferential p53-upregulating, growth-inhibiting, and apoptosis-activating effects on MM cells, the use of quercetin may be a potential therapeutic strategy for enhancing anti-cancer efficacy of existing chemotherapy in MM.

MicroRNA-17-mediated down-regulation of apoptotic protease activating factor 1 attenuates apoptosome formation and subsequent apoptosis of cardiomyocytes

Heart diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI) can damage individual cardiomyocytes, leading to the activation of cell death programs. The most scrutinized type of cell death in the heart is apoptosis, and one of the key events during the propagation of apoptotic signaling is the formation of apoptosomes, which relay apoptotic signals by activating caspase-9. As one of the major components of apoptosomes, apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) facilitates the formation of apoptosomes containing cytochrome c (Cyto-c) and deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP). Thus, it may be possible to suppress the activation of the apoptotic program by down-regulating the expression of Apaf-1 using miRNAs. To validate this hypothesis, we selected a number of candidate miRNAs that were expected to target Apaf-1 based on miRNA target prediction databases. Among these candidate miRNAs, we empirically identified miR-17 as a novel Apaf-1-targeting miRNA. The delivery of exogenous miR-17 suppressed Apaf-1 expression and consequently attenuated formation of the apoptosome complex containing caspase-9, as demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, miR-17 suppressed the cleavage of procaspase-9 and the subsequent activation of caspase-3, which is downstream of activated caspase-9. Cell viability tests also indicated that miR-17 pretreatment significantly prevented the norepinephrine-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, suggesting that down-regulation of apoptosome formation may be an effective strategy to prevent cellular apoptosis. These results demonstrate the potential of miR-17 as an effective anti-apoptotic agent.

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) gene deficiency attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), a transcription factor for the expression of apoptosis-related genes, plays an important role in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related organ diseases, including diseases of the kidney. Here, we investigated the role of CHOP in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury using CHOP-knockout (CHOP−/−) and wild type (CHOP+/+) mice. Fifteen or thirty minutes of bilateral renal ischemia (I/R) insult resulted in necrotic and apoptotic tubular epithelial cell death, together with increases in plasma creatinine (PCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations. After I/R, BiP/GRP78 and CHOP expressions in the kidney gradually increased over time. CHOP expression was greater in the outer medulla than that in the cortex and localized intensely in the nucleus. I/R caused apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells in both CHOP−/− and CHOP+/+ mice. The number of apoptotic cells after I/R was lower in CHOP−/− mice than that in CHOP+/+ mice. Consistent with the degree of apoptosis, I/R-induced kidney morphological and functional damages were milder in CHOP−/− than that in CHOP+/+ mice. The cleavage of procaspase-3 and the induction of Bax protein after I/R were lower in CHOP−/− than that in CHOP+/+ mice. In contrast, the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cIAP2, Mcl-1, and XIAP were higher in CHOP−/− than that in CHOP+/+ mice. These results indicate that I/R induces ER stress, leading to the activation of CHOP-associated apoptosis signals, resulting in renal functional and histological damages.

26 sCD14 in macrophages from patients with cystic fibrosis: Origin and involvement in inflammatory functions

Objective Macrophages may play a significant role in the initiating stages leading to chronic inflammation/infection in cystic fibrosis (CF), via an inability to act as a suppressor cell. In a previous study demonstrating impaired function of CF macrophage, we have shown high production of soluble CD14 (sCD14). The aim of the present work is to determine origin and function of sCD14 in blood monocyte-derived macrophages from stable adult CF patients. Methods To study origin, sCD14 is measured by ELISA in supernatant of macrophages from healthy subjects (non-CF) treated with PI-PLC or cholesterol. The involvement of sCD14 in inflammation, was investigated by analysis of NF-kB and caspase 1 pathways in non-CF macrophages treated by sCD14. Measurement of gene expression was done by qPCR and proteins were quantified by ELISA and Western blot. Results Treatment with PI-PLC increased sCD14 level in the supernatant of non-CF macrophages whereas cholesterol did not modified it. Furthermore high secretion of sCD14 from CF macrophages was decreased by an inhibitor of PI-PLC. Treatment with sCD14 increased pro-IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α expression resulting from NF-kB activation through IkBa phosphorylation, this effect was inhibited by NF-kB inhibitors. Also, activation of caspase 1 by cleavage of pro-caspase 1 allowed the secretion of mature IL-1β, inhibited by an inhibitor of caspase 1. However, inflammasome complex involved in caspase 1 activation remains to be determined. Conclusion This data show that origin of sCD14 is partly due to the action of lipases cutting the GPI tail that serves as a membrane anchor to CD14. Furthermore sCD14 have a role in chronic inflammation in CF.

각질세포에서 자외선B가 유도한 세포 사멸, 산화적 스트레스 및 matrix metalloproteinase 1 발현에 대한 죽여추출물의 영향

자외선은 피부 광노화의 주요 요인이며, 효과적인 자외선 차단제가 피부의 건강과 아름다움을 위해 필요하다. 본 연구는 세포 실험을 통하여 자외선에 의해 유도된 세포 사멸, 산화적 스트레스, matrix metalloproteinase 1 발현에 미치는 죽여추출물의 영향을 알아보고자 수행하였다. HaCaT 인간 각질세포를 여러 농도의 죽여추출물 유무 조건에서 자외선을 조사하고 세포의 생존율과 생화학적 과정들의 변화를 분석하였다. 죽여추출물은 자외선을 조사한 세포의 생존율을 증진시켰고, procaspase 3가 활성화 형태로 절단되고, Bax/Bcl-2 비율이 증가하는 세포 자살 과정을 완화시켰다. 죽여추출물은 자외선에 노출된 세포에서 활성산소의 발생과 지질 과산화도 감소시켰다. 또한 죽여추출물은 자외선에 의해 자극된 matrix metalloproteinase 1의 발현과 c-Jun N-terminal kinase의 인산화를 억제하였다. 본 연구는 죽여추출물이 자외선에 의한 세포 사멸, 산화적 스트레스, 그리고 matrix metalloproteinase 1 발현을 억제함을 보여 주었으며, 이 추출물이 피부 광노화의 일부 현상을 억제하는 화장품 원료로 유용함을 시사하였다. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a major cause of skin photoaging, and effective UV protecting agents are needed for the skin health and beauty. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of Bambusae caulis in Taeniam extract (BCTE) on UVB-induced cell death, oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) expression in cell-based assays. HaCaT human keratinocytes were exposed to UVB in the presence of BCTE at different concentrations and resulting changes in cell viability and biochemical events were determined. The results showed that BCTE enhanced the viabilities of UVB-exposed cells, and attenuated apoptotic events such as cleavage of procaspase 3 to its active form, and the increase of Bax to Bcl-2 ratios. BCTE also attenuated the reactive oxygen generation and lipid peroxidation in cells exposed to UVB. Additionally, it attenuated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase stimulated by UVB. Conclusively, the present study demonstrated that BCTE pro tected skin cells from the UVB-induced cell death, oxidative stress and MMP1 expression, suggesting its potential use as a cosmetic ingredient mitigating some features of the skin photoaging.

Resveratrol and clofarabine induces a preferential apoptosis-activating effect on malignant mesothelioma cells by Mcl-1 down-regulation and caspase-3 activation.

We previously demonstrated that resveratrol and clofarabine elicited a marked cytotoxicity on malignant mesothelioma (MM) MSTO-211H cells but not on the corresponding normal mesothelial MeT-5A cells. Little is known of the possible molecules that could be used to predict preferential chemosensitivity on MSTO-211H cells. Resveratrol and clofarabine induced down-regulation of Mcl-1 protein level in MSTO-211H cells. Treatment of cells with cycloheximide in the presence of proteasome inhibitor MG132 suggested that Mcl-1 protein levels were regulated at the post-translational step. The siRNA-based knockdown of Mcl-1 in MSTO-211H cells triggered more growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing effects with the resultant cleavages of procaspase-3 and its substrate PARP, increased caspase-3/7 activity, and increased percentage of apoptotic propensities. However, the majority of the observed changes were not shown in MeT-5A cells. Collectively, these studies indicate that the preferential activation of caspase cascade in malignant cells might have important applications as a therapeutic target for MM. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(3): 166-171]

The anticancer effect of (1S,2S,3E,7E,11E)-3,7,11, 15-cembratetraen-17,2-olide(LS-1) through the activation of TGF-β signaling in SNU-C5/5-FU, fluorouracil-resistant human colon cancer cells.

The anticancer effect of (1S,2S,3E,7E,11E)-3,7,11,15-cembratetraen-17,2-olide (LS-1) from Lobophytum sp. has been already reported in HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells. In this study, we examined the effect of LS-1 on the apoptosis induction of SNU-C5/5-FU, fluorouracil-resistant human colon cancer cells. Furthermore, we investigated whether the apoptosis-induction effect of LS-1 could arise from the activation of the TGF-β pathway. In SNU-C5/5-FU treated with LS-1 of 7.1 μM (IC50), we could observe the various apoptotic characteristics, such as the increase of apoptotic bodies, the increase of the sub-G1 hypodiploid cell population, the decrease of the Bcl-2 level, the increase of procaspase-9 cleavage, the increase of procaspase-3 cleavage and the increase of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Interestingly, the apoptosis-induction effect of LS-1 was also accompanied by the increase of Smad-3 phosphorylation and the downregulation of c-Myc in SNU-C5/5-FU. LS-1 also increased the nuclear localization of phospho-Smad-3 and Smad-4. We examined whether LS-1 could downregulate the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a direct inhibitor of TGF-β signaling. LS-1 decreased the CEA level, as well as the direct interaction between CEA and TGF-βR1 in the apoptosis-induction condition of SNU-C5/5-FU. To examine whether LS-1 can induce apoptosis via the activation of TGF-β signaling, the SNU-C5/5-FU cells were treated with LS-1 in the presence or absence of SB525334, a TGF-βRI kinase inhibitor. SB525334 inhibited the effect of LS-1 on the apoptosis induction. These findings provide evidence demonstrating that the apoptosis-induction effect of LS-1 results from the activation of the TGF-β pathway via the downregulation of CEA in SNU-C5/5-FU.

Minocycline Rescues from Zinc-Induced Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration: Biochemical and Molecular Interventions.

Accumulation of zinc (Zn) in dopaminergic neurons is implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD), and microglial activation plays a critical role in toxin-induced Parkinsonism. Oxidative stress is accused in Zn-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration; however, its connection with microglial activation is still not known. This study was undertaken to elucidate the role and underlying mechanism of microglial activation in Zn-induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Male Wistar rats were treated intraperitoneally with/without zinc sulphate (20mg/kg) in the presence/absence of minocycline (30mg/kg), a microglial activation inhibitor, for 2-12 weeks. While neurobehavioral and biochemical indexes of PD and number of dopaminergic neurons were reduced, the number of microglial cells was increased in the substantia nigra of the Zn-exposed animals. Similarly, Zn elevated lipid peroxidation (LPO) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase; however, catalase activity was reduced. Besides, Zn increased an association of NADPH oxidase subunit p67(phox) with membrane, cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and cleavage of pro-caspase 3. Zn attenuated the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2) while augmented the expression of dopamine transporter (DAT) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Minocycline alleviated Zn-induced behavioural impairments, loss of TH-positive neurons, activated microglial cells and biochemical indexes and modulated the expression of studied genes/proteins towards normalcy. The results demonstrate that minocycline reduces the number of activated microglial cells and oxidative stress, which rescue from Zn-induced changes in the expression of monoamine transporter and nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

P5.10 - Bromelain and N-acetylcysteine inhibit proliferation and survival of gastrointestinal cancer cells: significance of combination therapy

ABSTRACT Bromelain and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) are two natural, sulfhydryl-containing compounds with good safety profiles which have been investigated for their benefits and application in health and disease. In the present study, the efficacy of bromelain and NAC in single agent and combination treatment of human gastrointestinal carcinoma cells was evaluated in vitro and underlying mechanisms of effect were explored. The growth-inhibitory effects of bromelain and NAC, on their own and in combination, on a panel of human gastrointestinal carcinoma cell lines, including MKN45, KATO-III, HT29-5F12 & -5M21 and LS174T, were assessed by SRB. Moreover, the influence of the treatment on the expression of a range of regulators of cell cycle and survival was investigated by Western blot. The presence of apoptosis was also examined by TUNEL assay. Bromelain and NAC significantly inhibited cell proliferation, more potently in combination therapy. Drug-drug interaction in combination therapy was predominantly synergistic or additive. Mechanistically, apoptotic bodies were detected in treated cells by TUNEL assay. Western blot analysis revealed diminution of cyclins A, B and D, the emergence of immunoreactive subunits of caspases 3, 7, 8 and cleaved PARP, withering or cleavage of procaspase-9, overexpression of cytochrome c, reduced expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-survival phospho-Akt, the emergence of the autophagosomal marker LC3-II and deregulation of other autophagy-related proteins, including Atg3, 5, 7, 12 and Beclin 1. These results were more prominent in combination therapy. We report for the first time growth-inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of bromelain and NAC, in particular in combination, on gastrointestinal cancer cell lines with different phenotypes and characteristics. These effects apparently resulted from cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy. Towards the development of novel strategies for the enhancement of microscopic cytoreduction, our results lay the basis for further evaluation of this formulation in locoregional approaches to peritoneal surface malignancies and carcinomatosis.

Cellular and Molecular Effects of NVP-BKM120 in Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

Background: PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling controls most hallmarks of cancer. Constitutive activation of PIK3 pathway in T cells acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) has been reported; in a mouse model, PI3K activation, together with MYC, cooperates in Burkitt lymphoma (BL) pathogenesis. NVP-BKM120 is an orally bioavailable 2,6-dimorpholine pyrimidine derivative, and considered a highly selective pan-class I PI3K inhibitor. In preclinical studies, it has shown efficacy in a variety of malignancies and is currently being investigated in phase I/II/III clinical testing, mainly for advanced solid tumors (clinicaltrials.gov).Aims: Here, we described the effects of the pan-PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BKM120 on T-ALL and BL cell lines.Methods: T-ALLcell lines, Jurkat and MOLT-4, and BL cell lines, NAMALWA and Daudi, were obtained from ATCC. NVP-BKM120 was kindly provided by Novartis, and was prepared as a 10mM stock solution in DMSO. Different concentrations of the drug were used as indicated, where cells treated only with DMSO served as control. Cell viability was measured by MTT. Colony formation was carried out in semisolid methyl cellulose medium. The induction of apoptosis was assessed by annexin-V-APC/PI and by caspase cleavage. The cell cycle was analyzed by a PI-staining method. Western blot analysis was performed by standard methods. Vital staining and flow cytometry analysis with acridine orange was performed for the detection and quantification of acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs). Comparisons between the two groups were performed by the t test. Pvalue <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Cell viability decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 range of 7-8 μM and the clonogenic growth was significantly decreased at the concentration of 1μM and at 10µM the colony formation was completely inhibited in all cells tested. After 6 hours of NVP-BKM120 treatment, we observed an increase in apoptotic cells, as well as an increase in the cleavage of procaspase 3, 8 and 9 in Jurkat, MOLT-4 and NAMALWA cells. Compared with DMSO control, NVP-BKM120 does not have any effect during apoptosis induction in the Daudi cell line. NVP-BKM120 treatment also resulted in G2/M arrest, associated with a decrease in the G1population and a decrease in Cyclin B1 protein levels. Immunoblotting analysis of cells treated with the drug revealed decreased phosphorylation, in a dose-dependent manner, of AKT, P70SK6 and 4EBP1, with stable total proteins levels. Additionally, we observed a dose-dependent decrease in BAD phosphorylation, followed by an increase in BAX:BCL2 ratio. Quantification of AVOs showed a dose-dependent increase of AVOs in all cells tested, after NVP-BKM120 treatment.Conclusions: NVP-BKM120 induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in Jurkat, MOLT-4 and NAMALWA cells, while effects of the drug in the Daudi cell line were mainly cytostatic. In those cells, the induction of apoptosis suggested that the death receptor and mitochondrial pathways were activated after drug treatment. In our study, we found that NVP-BKM120 decreased the phosphorylation levels of BAD, which is linked to a pro-apoptotic activity, and up-regulated the BAX:BCL2 ratio. These results are consistent with the activation of caspase-9 and 3, related to the mitochondrial apoptosis. The accumulation of leukemia cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle has been associated with enhanced apoptosis. Our results suggest that decreased Cyclin B1 protein expression might be the molecular mechanism through which NVP-BKM120 induces G2/M arrest. The effects of NVP-BKM120 on the PI3K pathway indicate that NVP-BKM120 treatment may overcome rapamycin-induced AKT activation. P70SK6 and 4EBP1 are the two best-characterized substrates of mTOR1. Hence, the decrease in the phosphorylation levels of P70SK6 and 4EBP1 results in impaired oncogenic protein synthesis. Moreover, P70SK6 is one of the kinases whose phosphorylation by mTOR1 results in opposing autophagy. Accordingly, NVP-BKM120 resulted in increased AVOs, which is a characteristic feature of cells engaged in autophagy. In summary, our present study establishes that NVP-BKM120 effectively presents an antitumor activity against T-ALL and BL cell lines. The reduction of proliferation is possibly by down-regulation of Cyclin B1 and the increased BAX:BCL2 ratio is one of the mechanisms involved in the induction of apoptosis. DisclosuresOff Label Use: NVP-BKM120 is an orally bioavailable 2,6-dimorpholino pyrimidine derivative, and considered a highly selective pan-class I PI3K inhibitor. .

Autophagy Inhibition Overcomes Resistance to Cytosine Arabinoside in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells through Inducing Autophagic Cell Death and Intrinsic Pathway Apoptosis

BackgroundA major obstacle to the successful treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the development of chemoresistance. Identifying the novel agents overcoming drug resistance is critical for improving AML outcomes. Autophagy is an indispensable lysosomal self-digestion process involved in the degradation of aggregated proteins and damaged organelles. Autophagy has recently been demonstrated as important for conferring resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is able to inhibit autophagy and therefore is being considered for cancer therapeutics. However, the effects of HCQ on chemoresistant myeloid leukemia cells have not been investigated.ObjectiveThe present study was designed to examine comparatively the effects of HCQ on the induction of cell death of the chemosensitive and chemoresistant acute myeloid leukemia cells, and elucidate its detailed mechanism.MethodAra-C (Cytosine arabinoside)-sensitive (U937, AML-2) and Ara-C-resistant (U937/AR, AML-2/AR) human myeloid leukemia cell lines were used to evaluate HCQ-induced cytotoxicity, autophagy, and apoptosis, as well as effects on cell death-related signaling pathways.ResultU937/AR cell line showed a significantly higher number of autophagic vesicles and higher level of autophagic proteins. We initially found that HCQ caused dose- and time-dependent cell death of myeloid leukemia cells evaluated. HCQ-induced cell death rate was significantly higher in the chemoresistant U937/AR, AML-2/AR compared to chemosensitive U937 and AML-2 cells, respectively. Particularly, in Ara-C-resistant cell lines, HCQ triggers the activation of autophagy based on the results of increased number of autophagosomes, conversion of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II, and formation of GFP-LC3-positive punta. However, p62/SQSTM1 level was increased, suggesting that HCQ blocks the degradation of p62/SQSTM1 and autophagy flux. Modest upregulation of beclin-1 and Atg7 (autophagy-related protein 7) was observed. With continued exposure to HCQ, LC3 conversion was followed by nuclear condensation, procaspase-3 and -9 activation, release of cytosolic cytochrome C, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating apoptosis via a mitochondria-dependent pathway. Pretreatment of leukemia cells with the autophagy blocker 3-methyladenine or siRNAs against beclin-1 or p62/SQSTM1, reduced HCQ-induced cell death, LC3 conversion, and procaspase-9 cleavage. The pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk and the caspase-9 inhibitor z-LEHD-fmk, but not the caspase-8 inhibitor z-IETD-fmk, reduced HCQ-mediated cell death and caspase activation. However, LC3 conversion was unaffected. Additionally, Ara-C and HCQ synergistically induced cell death in U937/AR cells.ConclusionTaken together, our data show that HCQ effectively induced cell death in Ara-C-resistant AML cells through activation of autophagy and subsequent intrinsic pathway apoptosis. Our findings suggest HCQ might improve the therapeutic outcome in chemoresistant AML. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Effect of LIV1 on the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to trichostatin A.

In a previous study, we used a functional gene screen approach to identify the key genes responsible for the tumor-selective action of trichostatin A (TSA), of which LIV1, a novel zinc transporter, was isolated by its marked ability to confer resistance against TSA-induced apoptosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of LIV1 expression on the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to TSA. We tested the induction of LIV1 in ovarian cancer cells and clinical samples after TSA treatment by real-time PCR and western blot analysis. We investigated the effect of LIV1 expression on the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to TSA by MTT assay, flow cytometry and colony forming assays. Finally, we analyzed the mechanism of LIV1 in ovarian cancer cells by western blot analysis. We found that the levels of LIV1 mRNA and protein were significantly upregulated after TSA treatment. The viability and colony forming rates of the ovarian cancer cells transfected with AS-LIV1 (pCEP4 carrying antisense LIV1 cDNA) were obviously higher than the rates of the control as detected by MTT and colony forming assays, which could be reversed by FL-LIV1 (pCEP4 carrying full-length LIV1 cDNA). The apoptotic rate of the AS-LIV1 cells was markedly lower than the rate of the control as determined FACS. Using western blot analysis, we demostrated that the inhibition of TSA-induced apoptosis by knockdown of LIV1 might be associated with decreased endogenous levels of Bcl-2, enhanced levels of Bax and cleavage of procaspase-3. The present study suggests that the drug resistance of ovarian cancer cells to TSA may be related to expression of the LIV1 gene, and targeting LIV1 could be exploited as a novel strategy to more effectively kill ovarian cancer cells.

Bromelain and N-acetylcysteine inhibit proliferation and survival of gastrointestinal cancer cells in vitro: significance of combination therapy.

BackgroundBromelain and N-acetylcysteine are two natural, sulfhydryl-containing compounds with good safety profiles which have been investigated for their benefits and application in health and disease for more than fifty years. As such, the potential values of these agents in cancer therapy have been variably reported in the literature. In the present study, the efficacy of bromelain and N-acetylcysteine in single agent and combination treatment of human gastrointestinal carcinoma cells was evaluated in vitro and the underlying mechanisms of effect were explored.MethodsThe growth-inhibitory effects of bromelain and N-acetylcysteine, on their own and in combination, on a panel of human gastrointestinal carcinoma cell lines, including MKN45, KATO-III, HT29-5F12, HT29-5M21 and LS174T, were assessed by sulforhodamine B assay. Moreover, the influence of the treatment on the expression of a range of proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle and survival was investigated by Western blot. The presence of apoptosis was also examined by TUNEL assay.ResultsBromelain and N-acetylcysteine significantly inhibited cell proliferation, more potently in combination therapy. Drug-drug interaction in combination therapy was found to be predominantly synergistic or additive. Mechanistically, apoptotic bodies were detected in treated cells by TUNEL assay. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed diminution of cyclins A, B and D, the emergence of immunoreactive subunits of caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-8 and cleaved PARP, withering or cleavage of procaspase-9, overexpression of cytochrome c, reduced expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-survival phospho-Akt, the emergence of the autophagosomal marker LC3-II and deregulation of other autophagy-related proteins, including Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg12 and Beclin 1. These results were more prominent in combination therapy.ConclusionWe report for the first time to our knowledge the growth-inhibitory and cytotoxic effects of bromelain and N-acetylcysteine, in particular in combination, on a panel of gastrointestinal cancer cell lines with different phenotypes and characteristics. These effects apparently resulted from cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy. Towards the development of novel strategies for the enhancement of microscopic cytoreduction, our results lay the basis for further evaluation of this formulation in locoregional approaches to peritoneal surface malignancies and carcinomatosis.

Canthin-6-one displays antiproliferative activity and causes accumulation of cancer cells in the G2/M phase.

Canthinones are natural substances with a wide range of biological activities, including antipyretic, antiparasitic, and antimicrobial. Antiproliferative and/or cytotoxic effects of canthinones on cancer cells have also been described, although their mechanism of action remains ill defined. To gain better insight into this mechanism, the antiproliferative effect of a commercially available canthin-6-one (1) was examined dose-dependently on six cancer cell lines (human prostate, PC-3; human colon, HT-29; human lymphocyte, Jurkat; human cervix, HeLa; rat glioma, C6; and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, NIH-3T3). Cytotoxic effects of 1 were investigated on the same cancer cell lines by procaspase-3 cleavage and on normal human skin fibroblasts. Strong antiproliferative effects of the compound were observed in all cell lines, whereas cytotoxic effects were very dependent on cell type. A better definition of the mechanism of action of 1 was obtained on PC-3 cells, by showing that it decreases BrdU incorporation into DNA by 60% to 80% and mitotic spindle formation by 70% and that it causes a 2-fold accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Together, the data suggest that the primary effect of canthin-6-one (1) is antiproliferative, possibly by interfering with the G2/M transition. Proapoptotic effects might result from this disturbance of the cell cycle.

551 Phase 1B study of CC-486 (oral azacitidine) in tumors associated with a viral etiology

Materials and Methods: The use of plant extracts to alleviate inflammatory diseases is centuries old and continues to this day, therefore we screened thirty-four methanolic plant extracts for inhibition of constitutive NF-uB activity by a NF-uB-luciferase reporter gene assay. There was strong inhibition of NF-uB activity by Nuphar lutea L. SM. (Nuphar), leaf and rhizome extracts. An active fraction containing a mixture of dimeric sesquiterpene thioalkaloids was purified by solvent extraction, pH adjustment silica gel chromatography and HPLC. Oneand twodimensional NMR spectroscopy indicated the presence of nupharidine, 6-hydroxythionuphlutine as a major component. Results: Nupharidine showed a dose dependent inhibition of NF-uB activity by luciferase reporter gene assay as well as reduction of nuclear NF-uB subunits expression as tested by western blots and immunohistochemistry. Diminution of DNA binding was demonstrated by Electro Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA). Nupharidine inhibited both inducible and constitutive NF-uB activation and affected the canonical and alternative pathways. Suppression of NF-uB was not cell type specific. Conclusions: Induction of apoptosis by Nupharidine was demonstrated by time and dose dependent cleavage of procaspase-9 and PARP. Synergistic cytotoxicity of nupharidine with cisplatin and etoposide was demonstrated, therefore suggesting its possible use as a ‘sensitizer’ in anticancer treatment.

TD-19, an erlotinib derivative, induces epidermal growth factor receptor wild-type nonsmall-cell lung cancer apoptosis through CIP2A-mediated pathway.

Some patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations still respond to gefitinib and erlotinib, suggesting that there may be a mechanism(s) other than the EGFR pathway that mediates the tumoricidal effects. In the current study, we tested the efficacy of TD-19, a novel compound chemically modified from erlotinib, which has more potent apoptotic effects than erlotinib in EGFR wild-type NSCLC cell lines. TD-19 induced significant cell death and apoptosis in H358, H441, H460, and A549 cells, as evidenced by increased caspase-3 activity and cleavage of procaspase-9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. The apoptotic effect of TD-19 in H460 cells, which were resistant to erlotinib, was associated with downregulation of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), increased protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, and decreased AKT phosphorylation, but minimal effects on EGFR phosphorylation. Overexpression of CIP2A partially protected the H460 cells from TD-19-induced apoptosis. Okadaic acid, a known PP2A inhibitor, significantly reduced TD-19-induced apoptosis, while forskolin, which increased PP2A activity, increased the apoptotic effect of TD-19. TD-19 inhibited the growth of H460 xenograft tumors by ∼80%. We conclude that TD-19 exerted tumoricidal effects on NSCLC cells. TD-19 provides proof that the CIP2A pathway may be a novel target for the treatment of EGFR wild-type NSCLC.

Proteinase 3-dependent caspase-3 cleavage modulates neutrophil death and inflammation.

Caspase-3-mediated spontaneous death in neutrophils is a prototype of programmed cell death and is critical for modulating physiopathological inflammatory responses; however, the underlying regulatory pathways remain ill defined. Here we determined that in aging neutrophils, the cleavage and activation of caspase-3 is independent of the canonical caspase-8- or caspase-9-mediated pathway. Instead, caspase-3 activation was mediated by serine protease proteinase 3 (PR3), which is present in the cytosol of aging neutrophils. Specifically, PR3 cleaved procaspase-3 at a site upstream of the canonical caspase-9 cleavage site. In mature neutrophils, PR3 was sequestered in granules and released during aging via lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), leading to procaspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis. Pharmacological inhibition or knockdown of PR3 delayed neutrophil death in vitro and consistently delayed neutrophil death and augmented neutrophil accumulation at sites of inflammation in a murine model of peritonitis. Adoptive transfer of both WT and PR3-deficient neutrophils revealed that the delayed death of neutrophils lacking PR3 is due to an altered intrinsic apoptosis/survival pathway, rather than the inflammatory microenvironment. The presence of the suicide protease inhibitor SERPINB1 counterbalanced the protease activity of PR3 in aging neutrophils, and deletion of Serpinb1 accelerated neutrophil death. Taken together, our results reveal that PR3-mediated caspase-3 activation controls neutrophil spontaneous death.

P11: Targeted modulation of hepatocellular stress pathways during biopreservation affects storage outcome

Primary hepatocytes are central to a number of in vitro applications including hepatotoxicity testing for drug development, potential uses in cell therapy, and as research tools for improving organ transplantation. Further, hepatocyte derivatives such as the human hepatoma cell line C3A serve important roles in other technologies such as bioartificial liver support systems. While it is well characterized that molecular stress pathways are activated in response to biopreservation associated stresses thereby resulting in cell death and system failure, it remains unclear whether the specific molecular pathways activated are universal or cell specific. We hypothesized that given the vastly different characteristics of hepatocyte cell systems, cell type specific stress pathways may be activated under different storage regimes. To this end, we compared the responses of two hepatic cell types following both hypothermic and hypoxic normothermic storage and examined storage related stress signaling. Normal hepatocytes (NHEP) and C3A were stored under either hypothermic (4 °C) conditions for 18hrs to 3d or hypoxic normothermic (37 °C) conditions for 1–14 d. Respective growth media, HBSS (Balanced Salt Solution), and ViaSpan (UW solution) were utilized as storage media with and without the addition of salubrinal or resveratrol to examine targeted molecular pathway modulation. Viability was assessed at 0, 24 and 48 h post-storage. Apoptotic and necrotic populations were assessed via flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy post-storage. Protein immunoblotting was performed to evaluate alterations in ER stress pathway proteins and apoptotic signaling proteins. Viability studies demonstrated a significant difference in modulation study outcomes for the two cell types. This was noted as salubrinal addition to HBSS stored C3A yielded significant improvement in viability (∼60%) while having no significant impact on NHEPs. Conversely, resveratrol addition to HBSS resulted in a significant decrease in C3A viability (∼80%) whereas it conferred a marked improvement on NHEP survival (∼25%). Interestingly, when the modulators were utilized under a hypoxic normothermic regime a differential response was observed as salubrinal negatively impacted C3A viability (∼50% decrease) while yielding improvement to NHEP survival (∼30% increase) and resveratrol yielded decreased viability in both cell types. Investigations into cell death populations demonstrated marked changes in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis and necrosis that was influenced by the use of these molecular modulators. Further, immunoblot analyses revealed alterations to protein levels associated with apoptotic activation (pro-caspase cleavage) as well as implications of ER stress induced cell death signaling (calnexin cleavage). These data demonstrate a differential response in hepatic cell systems that is dependent upon storage temperature, basal media and modulator addition. This is important for the processing and storage of biologics as it demonstrates that universal protocols may not be effective for all cell types and conditions and a more specific and directed approach may be necessary for optimal efficacy.

Pyrrolidinium fullerene induces apoptosis by activation of procaspase-9 via suppression of Akt in primary effusion lymphoma

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphoma and is an aggressive neoplasm caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in immunosuppressed patients. In general, PEL cells are derived from post-germinal center B-cells and are infected with KSHV. To evaluate potential novel anti-tumor compounds against KSHV-associated PEL, seven water-soluble fullerene derivatives were evaluated as potential drug candidates for the treatment of PEL. Herein, we discovered a pyrrolidinium fullerene derivative, 1,1,1′,1′-tetramethyl [60]fullerenodipyrrolidinium diiodide, which induced apoptosis of PEL cells via a novel mechanism, the caspase-9 activation by suppressing the caspase-9 phosphorylation, causing caspase-9 inactivation. Pyrrolidinium fullerene treatment reduced significantly the viability of PEL cells compared with KSHV-uninfected lymphoma cells, and induced the apoptosis of PEL cells by activating caspase-9 via procaspase-9 cleavage. Pyrrolidinium fullerene additionally reduced the Ser473 phosphorylation of Akt and Ser196 of procaspase-9. Ser473-phosphorylated Akt (i.e., activated Akt) phosphorylates Ser196 in procaspase-9, causing inactivation of procaspase-9. We also demonstrated that Akt inhibitors suppressed the proliferation of PEL cells compared with KSHV-uninfected cells. Our data therefore suggest that Akt activation is essential for cell survival in PEL and a pyrrolidinium fullerene derivative induced apoptosis by activating caspase-9 via suppression of Akt in PEL cells. In addition, we evaluated whether pyrrolidinium fullerene in combination with the HSP90 inhibitor (geldanamycin; GA) or valproate, potentiated the cytotoxic effects on PEL cells. Compared to treatment with pyrrolidinium fullerene alone, the addition of low-concentration GA or valproate enhanced the cytotoxic activity of pyrrolidinium fullerene. These results indicate that pyrrolidinium fullerene could be used as a novel therapy for the treatment of PEL.