Hyperthermia and cisplatin combination therapy promotes caspase-8 accumulation and activation to enhance apoptosis and pyroptosis in cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Hyperthermia can play a synergistic role with chemotherapy in combination therapy. Although the association between caspase activation, apoptosis, and pyroptosis have been published for both cisplatin (CDDP) and hyperthermia therapies independently, the interactions between these molecular pathways in combination therapy are unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the possible interactions between caspase 8 activation, apoptosis, and pyroptosis in combination therapy. METHODS: Cells were treated with CDDP (15 µg/ml), followed by hyperthermia at optimized temperature (42.5 °C) in water-bath. After combination therapy, cell viability was analyzed by CCK-8, and cell death was analyzed by Annexin-V-FITC/PI and caspases activation. Immuno-staining and co-immuno-precipitation were used to examine the interaction between p62 and caspase-8. Pyroptosis was investigated by western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. E3 ligase Cullin 3 was knockdown by siRNA. In addition, caspase-8 activation was modulated by CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing or pharmacological inhibition. RESULTS: Combination therapy promoted K63-linked polyubiquitination of caspase-8 and cellular accumulation of caspase-8. In turn, polyubiquitinated caspase-8 interacted with p62 and led to the activation of caspase-3. Knockdown of the E3 ligase Cullin 3 by siRNA reduced caspase-8 polyubiquitination and activation. In addition, combination therapy induced release of the pore-forming N-terminus from gasdermins and promoted pyroptosis along with caspase-8 accumulation and activation. Knockdown of caspase-8 by CRISPR/Cas9 based gene editing reduced the sensitivity of tumor cells to apoptosis and pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study presented a novel mechanism in which hyperthermia synergized with chemotherapy in promoting apoptosis and pyroptosis in a caspase-8 dependent manner.

Medicarpin suppresses proliferation and triggeres apoptosis by upregulation of BID, BAX, CASP3, CASP8, and CYCS in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor and incurable. Medicarpin (MED), a flavonoid compound from the legume family, has multiple targets and anticancer properties. However, the role of MED in GBM remains unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of MED on the apoptosis of GBM and to explain the potential molecular mechanisms. We found that the IC50 values of U251 and U-87 MG cells treated with MED for 24 h were 271 µg/mL and 175 µg/mL, and the IC50 values for 48 h were 154 µg/mL and 161 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, the cell cycle of U251 and U-87 MG cells were arrested at the G2/M phase. Furthermore, the apoptosis rate of U251 and U-87 MG cells increased from 6.26% to 18.36% and 12.46% to 31.33% for 48 h, respectively. The migration rate of U251 and U-87 MG decreased from 20% to 5% and 25% to 15% for 12 h and these of U251 and U-87 MG decreased from 50% to 28% and 60% to 25% for 24 h. MED suppressed GBM tumorigenesis, and improved survival rate of tumor-bearing mice. Taken together, MED triggered GBM apoptosis through upregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (BID, BAX, CASP3, CASP8, and CYCS), showed strong inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and cell migration, and displayed anti-tumor activity in nude mice.

Progesterone induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 and calcitriol via activation of caspase-9 pathways in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells in vitro.

Previously we have shown inhibition of endometrial cancer cell growth with progesterone and calcitriol. However, the mechanisms by which the two agents attenuate proliferation have not been well characterized yet. Herein, we investigated how progesterone and calcitriol induce apoptosis in cancer cells. DNA fragmentation was upregulated by progesterone and calcitriol in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells. Time-dependent treatment of ovarian cancer cells, ES-2, and TOV-21G with progesterone enhanced caspase -8 activity after 12 h, whereas OV-90, TOV-112D, HEC-1A, and HEC-59 cells showed increased activity after 24 h. Caspase 9 activity was increased in all cell lines after 24 h treatment with calcitriol. Pretreatment of cancer cells with a caspase-8 inhibitor (z-IETD-fmk) or caspase-9 inhibitor (Z-LEHD-fmk) significantly attenuated progesterone and calcitriol induced caspase-8 and caspase-9 expression, respectively. The expression of FasL, Fas, FAD, and pro-caspase-8, which constitute the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), was upregulated in progesterone treated cancer cells. Knockdown of FAS or FADD with specific siRNAs significantly blocked progesterone-induced caspase-8. Cleavage of the BID was not affected by caspase-8 activation suggesting the absence of cross-talk between caspase-8 and caspase-9 pathways. Calcitriol treatment decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased the release of cancer cytochrome C. These findings indicate that progesterone induces apoptosis through activation of caspase-8 and calcitriol through caspase-9 activation in cancer cells. A combination of progesterone-calcitriol activates both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in cancer cells.

Tramadol: a Potential Neurotoxic Agent Affecting Prefrontal Cortices in Adult Male Rats and PC-12 Cell Line.

Tramadol is a synthetic analogue of codeine that is often prescribed for the treatment of mild to moderate pains. It has a number of side effects including emotional instability and anxiety. In this study, we focus on the structural and functional changes of prefrontal cortex under chronic exposure to tramadol. At the cellular level, the amounts of ROS and annexin V in PC12 cells were evidently increased upon exposure to tramadol (at a concentration of 600 µM for 48 h). To this end, the rats were daily treated with tramadol at doses of 50 mg/kg for 3 weeks. Our findings reveal that tramadol provokes atrophy and apoptosis by the induction of apoptotic markers such as Caspase 3 and 8, pro-inflammatory markers, and downregulation of GDNF. Moreover, it triggers microgliosis and astrogliosis along with neuronal death in the prefrontal cortex. Behavioral disturbance and cognitive impairment are other side effects of tramadol. Overall, our results indicate tramadol-induced neurodegeneration in the prefrontal cortex mainly through activation of neuroinflammatory response.

Liposomal Avicequinone-B formulations: Aqueous solubility, physicochemical properties and apoptotic effects on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Avicequinone-B (Naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione) is a furanonaphthoquinone derivative. It is a hydrophobic compound with poor aqueous solubility, which may restrict its potential pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. PURPOSE: We synthesized different liposomal formulations of Avicequinone-B, and measured their particle size, aqueous solubility, and physicochemical properties. In addition, we investigated the anticancer activity of liposomal Avicequinone-B in human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. METHODS: Liposomal Avicequinone-B formulations were synthesized using the thin-film hydration method. Drug yield, encapsulation efficiency and aqueous solubility were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Particle size and polydispersity index were measured by submicron particle size analyzer, and ultrastructural morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Thermal transitions were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Anti-skin cancer activity was determined in HSC-1 cells (human cutaneous SCC cell line) using the MTS cytotoxicity assay, apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3/7 activity assay, mitochondrial membrane potential was determined by JC-10 assay, and signal transduction pathways were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Liposomal Avicequinone-B formulations showed adequate yield and high encapsulation efficiency. These liposomal formulations produced small, uniformly sized nanoparticles, and greatly increased the aqueous solubility of Avicequinone-B. Differential scanning calorimetry showed loss of thermal phase transitions. In addition, liposomal Avicequinone-B showed significant cytotoxic effect on HSC-1 cells, through reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, increased cytosolic cytochrome-c level, increased cleaved caspase 8 level, and induction of apoptosis. This was mediated through activation of ERK, p38 and JNK signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Liposomal Avicequinone-B demonstrated improved aqueous solubility and physicochemical characteristics, and induced apoptosis in cutaneous SCC cells. Therefore, liposomal Avicequinone-B may have potential uses as a topical anti-skin cancer drug formulation in the future.

Necroptosis occurs in osteoblasts during tumor necrosis factor-α stimulation and caspase-8 inhibition

Necroptosis is a regulated cell death mechanism. However, it is unknown whether necroptosis is involved in the death of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-treated osteoblasts. Therefore, we conducted the study with TNF-α, Nec-1 (a specific inhibitor of necroptosis), and Z-IETD-FMK (a specific inhibitor of apoptosis) to determine whether necroptosis plays a role in the death of TNF-α-treated osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1. Cell viability, cell death, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were assayed to evaluate cytotoxicity. Specific marker proteins receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK3) and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (p-MLKL) for necroptosis, and cleaved caspase 3 for apoptosis were detected by western blot, and mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We found that TNF-α inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Nec-1 plus Z-IETD-FMK restored cell viability and significantly decreased LDH release. In addition, TNF-α alone increased the cell population of AV+PI−, while Z-IETD-FMK caused a shift in the cell population from AV+PI− to AV+PI+. Furthermore, TNF-α significantly increased protein cleaved caspase 3. TNF-α plus Z-IETD-FMK significantly increased the proteins RIPK3 and MLKL phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells, while the changes in mRNA levels of RIPK3, MLKL, and caspase 3 were not consistent with the changes in the corresponding protein expression levels. In conclusion, TNF-α induced preferentially apoptosis in osteoblast cell line and necroptosis played a decisive role when TNF-α-induced death was inhibited by the inhibitor of apoptosis. Combined treatment with Nec-1 and Z-IETD-FMK protected mouse osteoblasts from death induced by TNF-α.

Necroptosis occurs in osteoblasts during tumor necrosis factor-α stimulation and caspase-8 inhibition.

Necroptosis is a regulated cell death mechanism. However, it is unknown whether necroptosis is involved in the death of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-treated osteoblasts. Therefore, we conducted the study with TNF-α, Nec-1 (a specific inhibitor of necroptosis), and Z-IETD-FMK (a specific inhibitor of apoptosis) to determine whether necroptosis plays a role in the death of TNF-α-treated osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1. Cell viability, cell death, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were assayed to evaluate cytotoxicity. Specific marker proteins receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK3) and phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (p-MLKL) for necroptosis, and cleaved caspase 3 for apoptosis were detected by western blot, and mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We found that TNF-α inhibited cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Nec-1 plus Z-IETD-FMK restored cell viability and significantly decreased LDH release. In addition, TNF-α alone increased the cell population of AV+PI-, while Z-IETD-FMK caused a shift in the cell population from AV+PI- to AV+PI+. Furthermore, TNF-α significantly increased protein cleaved caspase 3. TNF-α plus Z-IETD-FMK significantly increased the proteins RIPK3 and MLKL phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells, while the changes in mRNA levels of RIPK3, MLKL, and caspase 3 were not consistent with the changes in the corresponding protein expression levels. In conclusion, TNF-α induced preferentially apoptosis in osteoblast cell line and necroptosis played a decisive role when TNF-α-induced death was inhibited by the inhibitor of apoptosis. Combined treatment with Nec-1 and Z-IETD-FMK protected mouse osteoblasts from death induced by TNF-α.

MSP-4, an Antimicrobial Peptide, Induces Apoptosis via Activation of Extrinsic Fas/FasL- and Intrinsic Mitochondria-Mediated Pathways in One Osteosarcoma Cell Line.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone cancer. The relatively high density of a person's bone structure means low permeability for drugs, and so finding drugs that can be more effective is important and should not be delayed. MSPs are marine antimicrobial peptides (AMP) and natural compounds extracted from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). MSP-4 is a part of the AMPs series, with the advantage of having a molecular weight of about 2.7-kDa and anticancer effects, although the responsible anticancer mechanism is not very clear. The goal of this study is to determine the workings of the mechanism associated with apoptosis resulting from MSP-4 in osteosarcoma MG63 cells. The study showed that MSP-4 significantly induced apoptosis in MG63 cells, with Western blot indicating that MSP-4 induced this apoptosis through an intrinsic pathway and an extrinsic pathway. Thus, a pretreatment system with a particular inhibitor of Z-IETD-FMK (caspase-8 inhibitor) and Z-LEHD-FMK (caspase-9 inhibitor) significantly attenuated the cleavage of caspase-3 and prevented apoptosis. These observations indicate that low concentrations of MSP-4 can help induce the apoptosis of MG63 through a Fas/FasL- and mitochondria-mediated pathway and suggest a potentially innovative alternative to the treatment of human osteosarcoma.

Artesunate induces apoptosis via inhibition of STAT3 in THP-1 cells.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to explore STAT3 expression in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), assess the anti-proliferative effects of artesunate (ART) on THP-1 cells in vivo and in vitro, and investigate the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we examined 30 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosed in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2016. The 20 control group patients had non-haematological diseases and were hospitalized for the same period. We extracted 2ml bone marrow, separated the mononuclear cells, obtained total proteins, and detected STAT3 protein levels with Western blot analyses. The THP-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of ART(0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200µM). Then, THP-1 cell viability was detected with CCK-8 assays, apoptosis was measured with flow cytometry, and the STAT3, caspase-3 and caspase-8 protein levels were assessed using Western blot analyses. THP-1 cells in logarithmic growth phase were subcutaneously injected into the necks of 5-week-old nude mice. The control group was subcutaneously injected with 0.1ml PBS. After the nude mouse tumours grew, the mice were divided into the control group and drug intervention groups (ART 100µM group, ART 200µM group). The mice in the intervention groups were intraperitoneally injected with ART, and the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline. Then, changes in the tumours were observed. After the drug intervention, the total protein was extracted, and STAT3 expression was detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the AML patients had significantly increased STAT3 protein levels (P<0.01). ART significantly inhibited the proliferation of THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. ART also increased THP-1cell apoptosis. After treatment with ART, STAT3 protein was significantly down-regulated, and apoptosis of the cells was induced by the activation of caspase-3 and caspse-8. CONCLUSION: AML patients had higher expression of STAT3 than that of the controls. ART induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells and inhibited the growth of xenografts in nude mice, and we also observed that ART down-regulated the expression of STAT3 and activated the caspase-3 and caspase-8. We speculated that the effect of ART on THP-1 cells may be related to inhibition of STAT3 and activation of caspase3 and caspase-8.

Chrysotile Causes Human Bronchial Epithelial Cell Apoptosis in Response to the Fas-Mediated Apoptosis Pathway.

AIMS: Asbestos is harmful to human health. However, the pathogenicity of chrysotile is a controversial matter. This study aimed to investigate the apoptosis of a human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) exposed to chrysotile that may function in part through the Fas death receptor pathway. METHODS: Cultured human BEAS-2B cells were treated with chrysotile and cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. The induction of cell apoptosis was evaluated by FACS analysis. mRNA expression levels of Fas, caspase-3, and caspase-8 were evaluated quantitatively by real-time PCR. The expression of Fas, caspase-3, and caspase-8 proteins were evaluated by Western blot. Meanwhile, cells were preincubated with various concentrations of anti-Fas antibody (CH11) and antagonistic anti-Fas antibody (ZB4). RESULTS: Chrysotile inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis, and upregulates the expression of Fas, caspase-3, and caspase-8. The role of Fas as a regulator of chrysotile-induced apoptosis in BEAS-2B cells was tested by the prominent increase in and partial blockade of the apoptotic rate with CH11 and ZB4. When CH11 was pretreated, a synergistic effect was apparent on chrysotile-induced apoptosis and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Fas and cleaved caspase-3. CONCLUSION: Chrysotile causes the apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells via the Fas death receptor pathway. The Fas-mediated apoptosis pathway plays an important role in chrysotile-induced apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells in vitro.

Patient-derived glioblastoma cells show significant heterogeneity in treatment responses to the inhibitor-of-apoptosis-protein antagonist birinapant.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to temozolomide (TMZ) greatly limits chemotherapeutic effectiveness in glioblastoma (GBM). Here we analysed the ability of the Inhibitor-of-apoptosis-protein (IAP) antagonist birinapant to enhance treatment responses to TMZ in both commercially available and patient-derived GBM cells. METHODS: Responses to TMZ and birinapant were analysed in a panel of commercial and patient-derived GBM cell lines using colorimetric viability assays, flow cytometry, morphological analysis and protein expression profiling of pro- and antiapoptotic proteins. Responses in vivo were analysed in an orthotopic xenograft GBM model. RESULTS: Single-agent treatment experiments categorised GBM cells into TMZ-sensitive cells, birinapant-sensitive cells, and cells that were insensitive to either treatment. Combination treatment allowed sensitisation to therapy in only a subset of resistant GBM cells. Cell death analysis identified three principal response patterns: Type A cells that readily activated caspase-8 and cell death in response to TMZ while addition of birinapant further sensitised the cells to TMZ-induced cell death; Type B cells that readily activated caspase-8 and cell death in response to birinapant but did not show further sensitisation with TMZ; and Type C cells that showed no significant cell death or moderately enhanced cell death in the combined treatment paradigm. Furthermore, in vivo, a Type C patient-derived cell line that was TMZ-insensitive in vitro and showed a strong sensitivity to TMZ and TMZ plus birinapant treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate remarkable differences in responses of patient-derived GBM cells to birinapant single and combination treatments, and suggest that therapeutic responses in vivo may be greatly affected by the tumour microenvironment.

An apoptosis-enhancing drug overcomes platinum resistance in a tumour-initiating subpopulation of ovarian cancer.

High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSCs) are deadly malignancies that relapse despite carboplatin chemotherapy. Here we show that 16 independent primary HGSC samples contain a CA125-negative population enriched for carboplatin-resistant cancer initiating cells. Transcriptome analysis reveals upregulation of homologous recombination DNA repair and anti-apoptotic signals in this population. While treatment with carboplatin enriches for CA125-negative cells, co-treatment with carboplatin and birinapant eliminates these cells in HGSCs expressing high levels of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein cIAP in the CA125-negative population. Birinapant sensitizes CA125-negative cells to carboplatin by mediating degradation of cIAP causing cleavage of caspase 8 and restoration of apoptosis. This co-therapy significantly improves disease-free survival in vivo compared with either therapy alone in tumour-bearing mice. These findings suggest that therapeutic strategies that target CA125-negative cells may be useful in the treatment of HGSC.

Trans-Resveratrol Induces Apoptosis through ROS-Triggered Mitochondria-Dependent Pathways in A549 Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Epithelial Cells.

Resveratrol has been shown to be a potential chemopreventive and anticancer agent, inducing apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of resveratrol on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide evaluation demonstrated that the exposure of cells to increasing concentrations of resveratrol (0-175 µM) for 24 h resulted in a decrease in cell viability (IC50 85.5 µM). Annexin V/propidium iodide double stain verified apoptosis in A549 cells, while negligible cell cytotoxity (≥ 0.5 %) was observed in all untreated incubations. Using colorimetric assay kits, induction of caspase-3, but not of caspase-8, activity was detected in response to resveratrol (> 130 µM). Confirmatory evidence of this finding was provided by Western blotting, indicating expression of cleaved caspase-3 levels in a concentration-dependent manner with a minimum resveratrol concentration of 65 µM required for activation of this protease, while that of caspase-8 remained unaffected. The apoptotic process was associated with reactive oxygen species production in a concentration-dependent manner, evidenced by microscopic examination and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis using the 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay. In the presence of the mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibitor rotenone, reactive oxygen species production and the concomitant apoptotic cell population were significantly reduced. This finding suggested that the resveratrol-induced apoptosis was mediated via a mitochondrial pathway alignment in human A549 cells. Although effective levels were observed at high concentrations, the outcome may well differ under in vivo conditions. Finally, experiments reaffirmed the chemical instability of trans-resveratrol, suggesting the need for protection of the solutions from extended exposure to light.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of intravitreal adalimumab administration in rabbit retinal cells.

PURPOSE: To assess the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of intravitreal adalimumab treatment in an animal experimental model using cytological and molecular techniques. METHODS: Eighteen rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: control, adalimumab treatment, and placebo. Cytotoxicity on retinal cells was evaluated using flow cytometry assays to determine the level of apoptosis and necrosis. Genotoxicity was evaluated by comet assays to assess DNA damage, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to evaluate expression of apoptosis-inducing caspases (8 and 3). RESULTS: No cytotoxicity or genotoxicity was observed in any of the two treatment groups (adalimumab and placebo) following intravitreal administration compared with the control group. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that more than 90% of the cells were viable, and only a low proportion of retinal cells presented apoptotic (~10%) or necrotic (<1%) activity across all groups. Molecular damage was also low with a maximum of 6.4% DNA degradation observed in the comet assays. In addition, no increase in gene expression of apoptosis-inducing caspases was observed on retinal cells by qPCR in both the adalimumab and placebo groups compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: The use of adalimumab resulted in no detectable cytotoxicity or genotoxicity on retinal cells for up to 60 days upon administration. These results therefore indicate that adalimumab may be a safe option for intravitreal application to treat ocular inflammatory diseases in which TNF-α is involved.

Vagotomy prevents the effect of probiotics on caspase activity in a model of postmyocardial infarction depression.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with apoptosis in the amygdala and, ultimately, with clinical signs of depression. Different treatments have proven to be beneficial in preventing depression, including combination of the probiotics Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum for prophylaxis. We have speculated previously that the benefit of these probiotics is due to their anti-inflammatory properties, and evidence suggests that an intact vagus nerve is important for this effect to occur. This study was designed to ascertain vagus nerve involvement in the beneficial influence of probiotics on caspase activities in our post-MI animal model of depression. METHODS: Probiotics and/or vehicle were administered daily to male adult rats, 14 days before MI and until euthanasia. Vagotomy was performed in subgroups of rats 40 min before MI. They were sacrificed after 3 days of reperfusion, and MI size was assessed along with caspase-3 and -8 activities in the amygdala. KEY RESULTS: Probiotics had no effect on infarct size but vagotomy increased it. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities in the amygdala were higher in MI than in sham-operated rats, and this outcome was reversed by probiotics. The beneficial influence of probiotics was abolished by vagotomy. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Our data indicate that the effect of probiotics on caspase activities in the amygdala after MI depends on an intact vagus nerve.

Epigenetic marks responsible for cadmium-induced melanoma cell overgrowth.

Cadmium (Cd) is a human carcinogen that likely acts via epigenetic mechanisms. However, the precise role of Cd in melanoma remains to be defined. The goals of this study are to: (i) examine the effect of Cd on the proliferation rate of cutaneous and uveal melanoma cells; (ii) identify the genes affected by Cd exposure; (iii) understand whether epigenetic changes are involved in the response to Cd. The cell growth capacity increased at 48 h after Cd treatment at doses ranging from 0.5 to 10 µM. The research on the key genes regulating proliferation has shown that aberrant methylation is responsible for silencing of p16(INK4A) and caspase 8 in uveal and cutaneous melanoma cells, respectively. The methylation and expression patterns of p14(ARF), death receptors 4/5, and E-cadherin remained unmodified after Cd treatment in all the cell lines analyzed. Ectopic expression of p16(INK4A) abolished the overgrowth of uveal melanoma cells in response to Cd and the overexpression of caspase 8 drastically increased the apoptotic rate of Cd-treated cutaneous melanoma cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that hypermethylation of p16(INK4A) and caspase 8 represents the most common event linked to Cd-induced stimulation of cell growth and inhibition of cell death pathway in melanoma.

Lantana camara Induces Apoptosis by Bcl-2 Family and Caspases Activation.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and the second most fatal cancer in women after lung cancer. Because there are instances of cancer resistance to existing therapies, studies focused on the identification of novel therapeutic drugs are very important. In this study, we identified a natural anticancer agent from Lantana camara, a flowering plant species of the genus Verbena. The extract obtained from the L. camara exhibited cell death properties in the human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. We found that the apoptosis induced by treatment with the L. camara extract was regulated by the Bcl-2 family. Bid and Bax was increased and Bcl-2 was decreased by L. camara extract. L. camara extract modulated cleavage of caspase-8, and caspase-9, as well as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Our results support the potential use of the L. camara extract as an anti-breast cancer drug.

Autocrine secretion of 15d-PGJ2 mediates simvastatin-induced apoptotic burst in human metastatic melanoma cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite new therapeutic approaches, metastatic melanomas still have a poor prognosis. Statins reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and exert anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative actions. We have recently shown that simvastatin triggers an apoptotic burst in human metastatic melanoma cells by the synthesis of an autocrine factor. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The current in vitro study was performed in human metastatic melanoma cell lines (A375, 518a2) and primary human melanocytes and melanoma cells. The secretome of simvastatin-stressed cells was analysed with two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and MS. The signalling pathways involved were analysed at the protein and mRNA level using pharmacological approaches and siRNA technology. KEY RESULTS: Simvastatin was shown to activate a stress cascade, leading to the synthesis of 15-deoxy-12,14-PGJ2 (15d-PGJ2 ), in a p38- and COX-2-dependent manner. Significant concentrations of 15d-PGJ2 were reached in the medium of melanoma cells, which were sufficient to activate caspase 8 and the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Inhibition of lipocalin-type PGD synthase, a key enzyme for 15d-PGJ2 synthesis, abolished the apoptotic effect of simvastatin. Moreover, 15d-PGJ2 was shown to bind to the fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5), which was up-regulated and predominantly detected in the secretome of simvastatin-stressed cells. Knockdown of FABP5 abolished simvastatin-induced activation of PPAR-γ and amplified the apoptotic response. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: We characterized simvastatin-induced activation of the 15d-PGJ2 /FABP5 signalling cascades, which triggered an apoptotic burst in melanoma cells but did not affect primary human melanocytes. These data support the rationale for the pharmacological targeting of 15d-PGJ2 in metastatic melanoma.

Complex changes in the apoptotic and cell differentiation programs during initiation of the hair follicle response to chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy has severe side effects in normal rapidly proliferating organs, such as hair follicles, and causes massive apoptosis in hair matrix keratinocytes followed by hair loss. To define the molecular signature of hair follicle response to chemotherapy, human scalp hair follicles cultured ex vivo were treated with doxorubicin (DXR), and global microarray analysis was performed 3 hours after treatment. Microarray data revealed changes in expression of 504 genes in DXR-treated hair follicles versus controls. Among these genes, upregulations of several tumor necrosis factor family of apoptotic receptors (FAS, TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) receptors 1/2), as well as of a large number of keratin-associated protein genes, were seen after DXR treatment. Hair follicle apoptosis induced by DXR was significantly inhibited by either TRAIL-neutralizing antibody or caspase-8 inhibitor, thus suggesting a previously unreported role for TRAIL receptor signaling in mediating DXR-induced hair loss. These data demonstrate that the early phase of the hair follicle response to DXR includes upregulation of apoptosis-associated markers, as well as substantial reorganization of the terminal differentiation programs in hair follicle keratinocytes. These data provide an important platform for further studies toward the design of effective approaches for the management of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

Phloroglucinol induces apoptosis via apoptotic signaling pathways in HT-29 colon cancer cells.

Phloroglucinol is a polyphenolic compound that is used to treat and prevent several human diseases, as it exerts beneficial biological activities, including anti-oxidant, anti­inflammatory and anticancer properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of phloroglucinol on apoptotic signaling pathways in HT-29 colon cancer cells. The results indicated that phloroglucinol suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Phloroglucinol treatment of HT-29 cells resulted in characteristic apoptosis-related changes: altered Bcl-2 family proteins, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8. This study also showed that proteins involved in apoptosis were stimulated by treatment with phloroglucinol. These findings demonstrated that phloroglucinol exerts anticancer activity in HT-29 colon cancer cells through induction of apoptosis.