Quercetin enhancement of arsenic-induced apoptosis via stimulating ROS-dependent p53 protein ubiquitination in human HaCaT keratinocytes.

In this study, QUE, but not the structurally related chemical, rutin, enhanced the cytotoxicity of arsenic trioxide (As(+3)) against the viability of normal human HaCaT keratinocytes via induction of apoptosis. QUE enhancement of As(+3)-mediated apoptosis was accompanied by increased intracellular peroxide production according to a DCFH-DA analysis, and DNA ladders induced by QUE/As(+3) were inhibited by adding the antioxidative compound, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). A loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential by QUE/As(+3) was observed according to DiOC(6) staining in concert with increased Bax protein and cytosolic cytochrome (Cyt) c protein expression in HaCaT cells, which was prevented by the addition of NAC. A decrease in the p53 protein with increased protein ubiquitination was detected in QUE/As(+3)-treated HaCaT cells, and this was prevented by the addition of NAC. The decrease in the p53 protein by QUE/As(+3) was reversed by adding the proteasome inhibitor, MG132. L-Buthionine sulphoximine (BSO) enhanced the cytotoxicity of As(+3) against the viability of HaCaT cells with reduced p53 protein through inducing protein ubiquitination and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential in HaCaT cells. Additionally, QUE and BSO enhanced the cytotoxic effects of monomethylarsonous acid (MMA(+3)) but not other arsenic compounds in accordance with increased p53 protein ubiquitination in HaCaT cells. QUE plus As(+3) stimulation of apoptosis in human HaCaT keratinocytes via activating ROS-dependent p53 protein ubiquitination may offer a rationale for the use of QUE to improve the clinical efficacy of arsenics in treating psoriasis.

Wogonin and fisetin induce apoptosis in human promyeloleukemic cells, accompanied by a decrease of reactive oxygen species, and activation of caspase 3 and Ca(2+)-dependent endonuclease.

Seven structurally related flavonoids including luteolin, nobiletin, wogonin, baicalein, apigenin, myricetin and fisetin were used to study their biological activities on the human leukemia cell line, HL-60. On MTT assay, wogonin, baicalein, apigenin, myricetin and fisetin showed obvious cytotoxic effects on HL-60 cells, with wogonin and fisetin being the most-potent apoptotic inducers among them. The cytotoxic effects of wogonin and fisetin were accompanied by the dose- and time-dependent appearance of characteristics of apoptosis including DNA fragmentation, apoptotic bodies and the sub-G1 ratio. Treatment with an apoptosis-inducing concentration of wogonin or fisetin causes rapid and transient induction of caspase 3/CPP32 activity, but not caspase 1 activity. Further, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and decrease of pro-caspase 3 protein were detected in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells. An increase in the pro-apoptotic protein, bax, and a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein, Mcl-1, were detected in fisetin- and wogonin-treated HL-60 cells. However, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bad all remained unchanged in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells. In vitro chromatin digestion revealed that endonuclease activity was profoundly enhanced in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells, and the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) into the reaction blocked endonuclease activation and at an optimum pH of 7.5. The caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, but not the caspase 1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CHO, attenuated wogonin- and fisetin-induced DNA ladders, PARP cleavage, and endonuclease activation. Pretreatment of HL-60 cells with N-acetyl-cysteine or catalase efficiently inhibited H(2)O(2) (200 microM)-induced apoptosis, but showed no inhibitory effect on wogonin- and fisetin-induced DNA ladders, caspase 3 activation, or bax protein induction. Decrease in endogenous ROS production was detected in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells by DCHF-DA assay. In conclusion, our experiments indicate that a decrease in intracellular peroxide level was involved in wogonin- and fisetin-induced apoptosis; activation of caspase 3 and endonuclease, induction of bax protein and suppression of Mcl-1 protein were detected in the process.

Propionibacterium acnes-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expression via ROS-dependent NF-κB and AP-1 activation in macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, plays a critical role in the development of inflammatory lesion as a result of cytokines production by keratinocytes and macrophages activation. However, effect of P. acnes on iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production in macrophages is still uninvestigated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at determining the reactive oxygen species (ROS), inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS)/nitric oxide (NO), and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2/prostaglandin (PG)E2 produced by macrophages upon P. acnes infection, and dissecting the mechanism of P. acnes-stimulated multiplicity of infection (MOI)-dependent increases in iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions in accordance with the elevation of NO and PGE2 production by RAW264.7 macrophages. METHODS: Using an in vitro cell culture system, the effects of P. acnes on iNOS/NO, COX-2/PGE2, ROS production, ERK/JNK, and AP-1/NF-κB activation were examined via Western blotting, a flow cytometric analysis, and luciferase assay. In pharmacological studies, the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), the NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenylene iodide (DPI), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors (U0126 and SP600125) were applied to investigate the mechanism. RESULTS: We found that P. acnes exposures increased iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 expression in RAW264.7, J774A.1, and peritoneal macrophages via a MOI-dependent manner. Increased ROS production, ERK/JNK protein phosphorylation, and elevated AP-1/NF-κB luciferase activity are identified in P. acnes-induced iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production. Additionally, hispolon but not its analogs, hispolon methylether or dehydroxyhispolon, showed significant inhibition of P. acnes-induced iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production, indicating an important role of OH at C5 for hispolon's inhibition of P. acnes-induced inflammatory events in macrophages. CONCLUSION: ROS-dependent stimulation of ERK, JNK, NF-κB, and AP-1 activation contributes to P. acnes-induced iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 in macrophages, and chemicals such as hispolon possessing ability to block iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production reserve potential to be further developed for treatment of the early phase of inflammation elicited by P. acnes.

Imatinib mesylate induction of ROS-dependent apoptosis in melanoma B16F0 cells.

BACKGROUND: Imatinib mesylate (STI571), a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was shown to reduce the viability of several cancer cell lines via apoptosis induction; however, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in STI571-induced melanoma cell apoptosis is still undefined. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the contribution of ROS to STI571-induced apoptosis in melanoma B16F0 cells, and the apoptotic mechanism elicited by STI571 was illustrated. METHODS: Using an in vitro cell culture system, the effects of STI571 on ROS production, cell cycle progression, caspase activation, and mitochondrial functions were examined via Western blotting, a flow cytometric analysis, an enzyme activity assay, and a DNA integrity assay. In pharmacological studies, the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), the NADPH oxidase inhibitor, dipheylene iodide (DPI), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors (PD98059, SP600125, and SB203580) were applied to investigate the mechanism. RESULTS: STI571 reduced the viability of melanoma cells B16F0, but not human skin fibroblasts WS1, via apoptosis induction. Besides, apoptosis induced by STI571 was inhibited by the addition of NAC and DPI, and an increase in the intracellular peroxide level by STI571 was identified in melanoma B16F0 cells. Activation of caspases 3 and 9 enzyme activities accompanied by disrupting the mitochondria membrane potential in according with stimulating JNK and p38 protein phosphorylation was identified in STI571-treated B16F0 cells. STI571-mediated a ROS-dependent apoptosis potentiated by JNK inhibitor SP600125 was first identified in melanoma B16F0 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results support the idea that ROS-dependent apoptosis in STI571-treated melanoma cells B16F0. The combination of a JNK inhibitor with STI571 for treating melanomas is suggested for further in vivo studies.

Differential apoptosis-inducing effect of quercetin and its glycosides in human promyeloleukemic HL-60 cells by alternative activation of the caspase 3 cascade.

Flavonoids were demonstrated to possess several biological effects including antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities in our previous studies. However, the effect of glycosylation on their biological functions is still undefined. In the present study, the apoptosis-inducing activities of three structure-related flavonoids including aglycone quercetin (QUE), and glycone rutin (RUT; QUE-3-O-rutinoside), and glycone quercitrin (QUI; QUE-3-O-rhamnoside) were studied. Both RUT and QUI are QUE glycosides, and possess rutinose and rhamnose at the C3 position of QUE, respectively. Results of the MTT assay showed that QUE, but not RUT and QUI, exhibits significant cytotoxic effect on HL-60 cells, accompanied by the dose- and time-dependent appearance of characteristics of apoptosis including an increase in DNA ladder intensity, morphological changes, apoptotic bodies, and an increase in hypodiploid cells by flow cytometry analysis. QUE, but not RUT or QUI, caused rapid and transient induction of caspase 3/CPP32 activity, but not caspase 1 activity, according to cleavage of caspase 3 substrates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and D4-GDI proteins, and the appearance of cleaved caspase 3 fragments being detected in QUE- but not RUT- or QUI-treated HL-60 cells. A decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein, Mcl-1, was detected in QUE-treated HL-60 cells, whereas other Bcl-2 family proteins including Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bag remained unchanged. The caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-FMK, but not the caspase 1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-FMK, attenuated QUE-induced cell death. Results of DCHF-DA assay indicate that no significant increase in intracellular peroxide level was found in QUE-treated cells, and QUE inhibited the H(2)O(2)-induced intracellular peroxide level. Free radical scavengers N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and catalase showed no prevention of QUE-induced apoptosis. In addition, QUE did not induce apoptosis in an mature monocytic cell line THP-1, as characterized by a lack of DNA ladders, caspase 3 activation, PARP cleavage, and an Mcl-1 decrease, compared with those in HL-60 cells. Our experiments provide evidence to indicate that the addition of rutinose or rhamnose attenuates the apoptosis-inducing activity of QUE, and that the caspase 3 cascade but not free radical production is involved.

Wogonin and fisetin induction of apoptosis through activation of caspase 3 cascade and alternative expression of p21 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma cells SK-HEP-1.

Wogonin and fisetin are flavonoids, which are widely distributed in plants. Our recent study demonstrated that, among seven structurally related flavonoids, wogonin and fisetin showed the most potent apoptosis-inducing activities in human promyeloleukemic cells HL-60. In the present investigation, we performed molecular studies to assess the apoptotic effects of wogonin and fisetin on hepatocellular carcinoma cells SK-HEP-1. Both wogonin and fisetin showed dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on SK-HEP-1 cells, accompanied by DNA fragmentation. Microscopic observation under Giemsa staining showed that wogonin and fisetin, at the dose of 80 microM, induced cellular swelling and the appearance of apoptotic bodies, characteristics of apoptosis, in SK-HEP-1 cells. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed an increase of hypodiploid cells in wogonin- and fisetin-treated SK-HEP-1 cells. These data demonstrated that wogonin and fisetin were effective inducers of apoptosis in SK-HEP-1 cells. Treatment with an apoptosis-inducing concentration of wogonin or fisetin caused induction of caspase 3/CPP32 activity, but not of caspase 1 activity. In addition, a caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, but not the caspase 1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CHO, reversed the cytotoxic effects of wogonin and fisetin on SK-HEP-1 cells. Further, cleavage of caspase 3 substrates including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and D4-GDI protein, and decrease of pro-caspase 3 protein were detected in wogonin- and fisetin-treated SK-HEP-1 cells. Increase of p53 protein was associated with wogonin- and fisetin-induced apoptosis; however, a p53-controlled gene, p21(Waf/Cip-1), was only induced in wogonin- (not fisetin-) treated SK-HEP-1 cells. Serum starvation elevated p21(Waf/Cip-1) protein expression, and enhanced the apoptotic induction activity of wogonin (not fiseitn) in SK-HEP-1 cells. Our study has provided molecular evidence to demonstrate that wogonin and fisetin had effective cytotoxic effects through apoptosis induction in hepatocellular carcinoma cells SK-HEP-1; activation of caspase 3 cascade, induction of p53 protein and alternative expression of p21(Waf/Cip-1) protein were involved.