Bcl-2 prevents loss of cell viability and caspase activation induced by 3-nitropropionic acid in GT1-7 cells.

In this study, we analyzed the effect of Bcl-2 overexpression, an important anti-apoptotic protein, by using two hypothalamic cell lines, GT1-7puro or GT1-7bcl-2. 3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NP) mediated a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability in GT1-7puro cells, as determined by following the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) reduction, which was significantly prevented in GT1-7bcl-2 cells. In addition, activation of caspases-2, -3, and -6 induced by 3-NP was prevented by Bcl-2 overexpression. The data suggest that irreversible inhibition of mitochondrial complex II induces apoptotic features of cell death in a process prevented by Bcl-2.