Nicotinamide-Induced Apoptosis Can Be Enhanced by Melatonin in Mouse Myeloma Cells

Introduction Apoptosis is a genetically controlled cell death process which is indispensable to embryogenesis, organ devel- opment, homeostasis, and pathological processes in the life cycle of living things. Apoptosis is characterized by a series of typic…     

NIH3T3细胞与其癌变细胞的PARP酶被抑制后DNA损伤修复的差异研究

PARP酶 (聚ADP核糖基聚合酶Poly ADP ribosepolymerase ,PARP)对于DNA损伤修复具有重要功能 ,正常细胞及其癌变细胞的该酶对抑制剂的敏感程度可能会有差异 .为此 ,通过姐妹染色体交换频率 ,带报告基因的质粒转化频率 ,以及彗星测定等方法 ,对DNA的损伤修复进行初步的检测 .实验结果表明 ,正常细胞和癌变细胞PARP酶在抑制剂作用下酶活性都会降低 ,但是癌变细胞的PARP酶对抑制剂更为敏感 .     

聚ADP核糖基聚合酶的抑制剂苯甲酰胺在肺癌细胞PG凋亡中的作用

研究了聚ADP核糖基聚合酶（PARP）抑制剂苯甲酰胺（BA）在DNA损伤所造成的肺癌细胞（PG）凋亡过程中的作用,分别用MNNG（N－甲基－N－亚硝基氮亚硝基胍）和BA,以及同时用MNNG和BA处理PG细胞,然后用非放射性细胞增殖测定试剂盒和流式细胞仪测定PG细胞的增殖活性和细胞凋亡的变化,并用免疫组化法检测细胞中Bcl-2蛋白表达的变化,结果表明,在MNNG的作用下细胞的增殖活性受到明显抑制,细胞凋亡显著,Bcl-2蛋白低表达,单独用BA处理PG细胞时,细胞的增殖活性,细胞凋亡数及Bcl-2的表达与空白对照组相似,用BA和MNNG共同处理PG细胞时,细胞的增殖活性,细胞凋亡数及Bcl-2的表达,与对照细胞和BA单独处理的细胞相比均无明显差异,这说明PARP对诱导细胞凋亡起重要作用,而且这种作用可被PARP抑制剂BA所抑制。     

KLF4沉默与阿霉素诱导的DNA损伤协同抑制肝癌HepG2细胞的生长

探究KLF4沉默与经不同作用浓度阿霉素处理诱导的DNA损伤对肝癌HepG2细胞增殖凋亡的影响及其作用机制.应用RNA干扰技术,采用siRNA转染HepG2细胞以沉默KLF4基因.采用MTT法检测KLF4沉默前后对HepG2细胞增殖的影响,使用流式细胞术检测KLF4沉默前后对HepG2细胞周期变化影响,应用Western blot法检测转染前后HepG2细胞中KLF4蛋白及细胞周期相关蛋白表达变化.Western blot检测到高浓度的阿霉素促进KLF4的表达,并且低浓度的阿霉素可使得细胞停滞在G2/M期,高浓度的阿霉素则使部分细胞凋亡(19.31%).将KLF4沉默后,发现细胞生长变缓,低浓度的阿霉素处理后,细胞随时间增加而出现更多的细胞凋亡;高浓度的阿霉素处理后,细胞数明显减少,更多的细胞发生凋亡(28.89%),且在KLF4沉默前后均发现低浓度阿霉素促进p53与p21表达,高浓度阿霉素抑制其表达.阿霉素诱导的DNA损伤可提高KLF4的表达,KLF4依赖于DNA损伤激活的p53促进p21的表达,进而引起G1/S期细胞周期阻滞.沉默KLF4与阿霉素诱导的DNA损伤可协同抑制肝癌细胞的增殖、促进凋亡,其在肝癌细胞 HepG2中扮演十分重要的角色.     

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases: a new inhibitor of apoptosis in HepG2 cells

Objective: To explore how arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) is related to cell apoptosis. Methods: NAT activity in apoptotic HepG2 cells was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells acted upon by an NAT inhibitor was measured using flow cytometry. Results: NAT activity was lowered in apoptotic HepG2 cells; apoptosis rate induced by camptothecin (CAM) increased after inhibition of NAT activity in HepG2 cells. Conclusion: NAT can inhibit apoptosis in HepG2 cells.     

The changes in telomerase activity and telomere length in HeLa cells undergoing apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate

The changes in telomerase activity and telomere length during apoptosis in HeLa cells as induced by sodium butyrate (SB) have been studied. After a 48 h SB treatment, HeLa cells demonstrated characteristic apoptotic hallmarks including chromatin condensation, formation of apoptotic bodies and DNA Laddering which were caused by the cleavage and degradation of DNA between nucleosomes. There were no significant changes in telomerase activity of apoptotic cells, while the telomere length shortened markedly. In the meanwhile, cells became more susceptible to apoptotic stimuli and telomere became more vulnerable to degradation after telomerase activity was inhibited. All the results suggest that the apoptosis induced by SB is closely related to telomere shortening, while telomerase enhances resistance of HeLa cells to apoptotic stimuli by protecting telomere.     

PI3K-Akt和JNK信号通路抑制剂对杆状病毒诱导昆虫细胞凋亡影响的初步研究

为了探讨杆状病毒诱导昆虫细胞凋亡通路与细胞内PI3K-Akt和JNK信号通路的关系,应用PI3K的特异性抑制剂Wortmannin和JNK的特异性抑制剂SP600125处理芹菜夜蛾核型多角体病毒(AfMNPV)感染的斜纹夜蛾SL-1细胞,研究了这些抑制剂对杆状病毒诱导昆虫细胞凋亡的影响.分别使用浓度梯度2.5,25,50μmol的SP600125和0.3,3,30μmol的Wortmannin处理感染了SfaMNPV的SL-1细胞,24h后进光镜观察、DAPI荧光染色,流式细胞术分析显示,抑制PI3K-Akt和JNK信号通路后杆状病毒诱导的细胞凋亡受到明显影响,细胞凋亡水平明显降低.研究结果提示AfMNPV诱导斜纹夜蛾SL-1细胞凋亡过程可能涉及细胞PI3K-Akt和JNK信号通路.     

阿霉素诱导肝癌QGY-7701细胞凋亡的研究

观察阿霉素对人肝癌细胞株QGY-7701的凋亡诱导作用。实验用阿霉素处理QGY-7701细胞后,用台盼蓝拒染法检测细胞增殖活性;光镜、荧光显微镜、透射电镜观察细胞凋亡形态;DNA琼脂糖凝胶电泳技术观察分析细胞凋亡情况;流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率的变化。结果显示,阿霉素处理QGY-7701细胞后,出现了明显的凋亡现象,而且随着药物浓度的增加,细胞凋亡的趋势越明显。分析结果可知,阿霉素作用QGY-7701细胞48 h的IC50值为4.9μg/mL。流式细胞仪检测出阿霉素处理QGY-7701细胞的凋亡率逐渐上升。综上所述,阿霉素可以诱导QGY-7701细胞出现凋亡的现象。     

Phytophthora elicitor PB90 induced apoptosis in suspension cultures of tobacco

The protein elicitor PB90 secreted by Phytophthora boehmeriae is an efficient elicitor inducing the hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance in tobacco plants. Here, we observed cell death in suspension-cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 with PB90 treatment using Trypan blue staining method. And this cell death could be suppressed by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of proteins synthesis, which implies that PB90-induced celldeath was an active cell death process requiring new protein synthesis. DAPI staining revealed that PB90 induce rapid chromatin condensation, margination, apoptotic bodies‘ formation and DNA laddering, further TUNEL assay also observed the specific breakage of 3 ‘-OH ends. All of the above common morphological characteristics indicated that PB90 induced apoptosis in suspension cultures of tobacco, suggesting that hypersensitive response induced by PB90 is an apoptotic process.     

Assaying poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity in plants by polarographic method

A new method has been developed to assay poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity in plant tissues through determining the content of nicotinamide (NIC) produced by enzymatic reaction by linear sweeping polarographic method. The detection limit of NIC was 0.03μmol/L, the calibration graph was linear up to 5 Mmol/L ( r = 0.999). The recoveries were approximately in the range of 92% to 98% and the relative standard deviations were less than 6.6% . Moreover, NAD+ and other interference existing in the mixture after enzymatic reaction had been removed by simple pretreatment, thus PARP assays were not interfered. A rapid, simple, sensitive and reliable nonisotopic method is reported to assay PARP activity in plant tissues . The results show that the KmNAD+ value of PARP in maize ( Zea mays L.) seedlings is 59 and the optimum pH for PARP activity is 8.5. Moreover, physiological conditions affect PARP activity in plant tissues, which has not been reported previously. When tobacco ( Nico-tiana tobacum) suspension cells were stressed by NaCI at low concentrations (100, 200 mmol/ L), the PARP activity increased significantly; when the cells were stressed at high concentrations (400, 1 000 mmol/L), it decreased to or even below the control level. PARP activity in etiolated maize seedlings was higher than that in light-grown seedlings.     

Endonuclease G is an apoptotic DNase when released from mitochondria.

Nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA is a hallmark of apoptosis (programmed cell death), and results from the activation of nucleases in cells undergoing apoptosis. One such nuclease, DNA fragmentation factor (DFF, a caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (CAD) and its inhibitor (ICAD)), is capable of inducing DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation after cleavage by caspase-3 (refs 2,3,4). However, although transgenic mice lacking DFF45 or its caspase cleavage site have significantly reduced DNA fragmentation, these mice still show residual DNA fragmentation and are phenotypically normal. Here we report the identification and characterization of another nuclease that is specifically activated by apoptotic stimuli and is able to induce nucleosomal fragmentation of DNA in fibroblast cells from embryonic mice lacking DFF. This nuclease is endonuclease G (endoG), a mitochondrion-specific nuclease that translocates to the nucleus during apoptosis. Once released from mitochondria, endoG cleaves chromatin DNA into nucleosomal fragments independently of caspases. Therefore, endoG represents a caspase-independent apoptotic pathway initiated from the mitochondria.     

血管内皮细胞凋亡过程中几种癌基因表达的研究

为了研究细胞凋亡的分子调控机制 ,用光学显微技术、DNA凝胶电泳和Northernblot方法 ,研究了去除生长因子 (FGF和血清 )和蛇毒诱导的两个血管内皮细胞凋亡系统中 p53、c H ras、c myc和bcl 2基因的表达 .发现去除生长因子诱导的细胞凋亡过程中 ,p53基因表达显著增加 ,c H ras和c myc基因表达无变化 ;蛇毒诱导细胞凋亡过程中 ,p53基因表达显著增加 ,c H ras和c myc基因表达无变化 .在正常生长和凋亡细胞中均未检测到bcl 2基因的明显表达 .实验结果表明 :p53基因参与上述两种细胞凋亡诱导系统的分子调控 ;c H ras基因只参与去除生长因子诱导的细胞凋亡过程 ,而不参与蛇毒诱导的细胞凋亡过程 ;这两种细胞凋亡诱导系统均与c myc基因表达无关 ;未见bcl 2基因明显参与血管内皮细胞的凋亡过程 .     

Specific killing of BRCA2-deficient tumours with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) facilitates DNA repair by binding to DNA breaks and attracting DNA repair proteins to the site of damage. Nevertheless, PARP1-/- mice are viable, fertile and do not develop early onset tumours. Here, we show that PARP inhibitors trigger gamma-H2AX and RAD51 foci formation. We propose that, in the absence of PARP1, spontaneous single-strand breaks collapse replication forks and trigger homologous recombination for repair. Furthermore, we show that BRCA2-deficient cells, as a result of their deficiency in homologous recombination, are acutely sensitive to PARP inhibitors, presumably because resultant collapsed replication forks are no longer repaired. Thus, PARP1 activity is essential in homologous recombination-deficient BRCA2 mutant cells. We exploit this requirement in order to kill BRCA2-deficient tumours by PARP inhibition alone. Treatment with PARP inhibitors is likely to be highly tumour specific, because only the tumours (which are BRCA2-/-) in BRCA2+/- patients are defective in homologous recombination. The use of an inhibitor of a DNA repair enzyme alone to selectively kill a tumour, in the absence of an exogenous DNA-damaging agent, represents a new concept in cancer treatment.     

The molecular mechanism of different sensitivity of breast cancer cell lines to TRAIL

Although Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis of various cancer cells, some caner cell lines are resistant to TRAIL-induced cell death. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying TRAIL-resistance, two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 (resistant to TRAIL) and MDA-MB-231 (sensitive to TRAIL), were used as a model system to analyze the different sensitivities to TRAIL cytotoxicity. PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin, but not MEK and ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 nor PI3K inhibitor LY294002, was shown to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells significantly, suggesting that PKCδ might play an important role in the resistance of MCF-7 cells to TRAIL. In contrast, rottlerin, U0126, and Ly294002 had no effect on MDA-MB-231 apoptosis induced by TRAIL under the same conditions. Further experiment showed that the combination of rottlerin and TRAIL cleaved PARP in the MCF-7 cells synergistically, but not in the MDA-MB-231 cells. The role of PKCδ in TRAIL-resistant MCF-7 cells was confirmed by knocking down the endogenous PKCδ expression using RNAi technology. Furthermore, caspase-3 reconstitution in MCF-7 cells was unable to alter PKCδ expression, suggesting that innate caspase-3 deficient in the cells does not cause PKCδ high expression. These data provide evidence for the first time that PKCδ plays a critical role in breast cancer cell lines to TRAIL cytotoxicity.     

Sojucktang induces apoptosis via loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspase-3 activation in KLE human endometrial cancer cells

Sojucktang （SJT） has long been used for the treatment of endometrial diseases in Korea. However, the mechanisms responsible for the SJT-induced apoptosis in endometrial cancer cells remain unclear. In the present study, SJT was demonstrated to show cytotoxic effect and induce apoptotic cell death via mitochondrial regulation in KLE endometrial cancer cells. Linderae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Zedoariae Rhizoma, Trogopterorum Faeces and Agelicae Gigantis Radix were found to be the potent constituent herbs of SJT to significantly decrease the viability of KLE cells by a tetra zolium salt （XTT） assay. Apoptotic bodies were observed in SJT-treated KLE cells by 4′-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole （DAPI） and TdT-mediated-dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） assay. SJT also increased sub-G1 DNA contents of the cell cycle undergoing apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was observed that SJT activated caspase-3 and cleaved poly （ADP-ribose） polymerase （PARP）, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, this study shows that SJT exerts anti-tumor activity against KLE endometrial cancer cells via mitochondrial dependent apoptosis induction.     

Effect of thrombin on the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in vitro

Hippocampal neurons were treated by thrombin and thrombin receptor activating peptides (TRAP). Cell survival rate was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by MTT assay. The numbers of apoptotic cell and apoptotic rate of hippocampal neurons treated by different concentrations of thrombin were increased in a dose-dependent manner by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and Flow Cytometry. When the concentration of thrombin is 40 U/mL, TUNEL positive cells and apoptotic rate of hippocampal neurons reached peak value, were 27.3±4.0 and (29.333±4.633)%, respectively. Immunocytochemistry assay show that Bcl-2 protein expression was down-regulated and Bax protein expression was up-regulated with the concentration of thrombin increased. TRAP can mimic the effect of thrombin to induce apoptosis on hippocampal neurons. These data demonstrated that thrombin induced hippocampal neuron apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner through activating protease-activated protein-1 (PAR-1). The change in expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was related with the effect of high concentration thrombin induced apoptosis on hippocampal neurons. Foundation item: Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province (N30215) Biography: YANG Wen-qiong (1968-), female, Ph.D. candidate, research direction: cerebrovascular disease.     

Apoptosis of carrot nuclei inin vitro system induced by cytochrome c

The apoptosis of carrot nuclei induced in cytosol of carrot cells by cytochrome c is reported. This kind of cell-free apoptosis system of plant, CS-100, is an efficient In vitro inducing system. Several typical characteristics of apoptosis including chromatin condensation, margina-tion and apoptotic bodies could be detected, and the degradation of genome in carrot nuclei into nucleosomal fragments could be detected. TUNEL assay shows the specific breakage of 3'-OH ends of DNA strand. The results indicate that CS-100 is an efficient and easily-operated in vitro system to study the apoptotic mechanism in plant and the apoptosis in plant cells may share similar pathways to apoptosis in animal cells.     

利多卡因对人角膜上皮细胞的毒性作用及其机理研究

利用不同浓度利多卡因（ｌｉｄｏｃａｉｎｅ）处理体外培养的人角膜上皮（ＨＣＥＰ）细胞系细胞,利用光镜观察、ＭＴＴ、荧光染色、ＤＮＡ电泳、ＴＵＮＥＬ、流式细胞仪和透射电镜方法研究了利多卡因对 ＨＣＥＰ细胞的毒性作用及其机理。光镜观察和 ＭＴＴ检测结果显示,质量浓度 １２５～１０００ｇ／Ｌ的利多卡因对 ＨＣＥＰ细胞具有显著的毒性作用,并具有浓度和时间依赖性;ＡＯ／ＥＢ荧光双染色结果显示,质量浓度 ０６２５～１００００ｇ／Ｌ的利多卡因可引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞的质膜通透性显著提高,细胞凋亡率也具有浓度和时间依赖性;ＤＮＡ电泳和 ＴＵＮＥＬ检测结果显示,利多卡因能引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞发生 ＤＮＡ断片化;ＴＥＭ观察结果显示,利多卡因能引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞的超微结构出现了凋亡细胞的形态结构特征,如胞质空泡化、染色质浓缩、线粒体膨胀且嵴的结构紊乱、出现凋亡小体等;ＡｎｎｅｘｉｎＶ／ＰＩ染色的流式细胞仪检测结果显示,利多卡因能引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞质膜中的磷脂酰丝氨酸（ＰＳ）发生外翻变化;ＥＬＩＳＡ检测结果显示,利多卡因还能引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞中胱冬肽酶3、8、9、10表达量的增加,表明利多卡因确能引起 ＨＣＥＰ细胞发生细胞凋亡,而不是细胞坏死。由此可见,利多卡因在质量浓度大于 0.625ｇ／Ｌ时对 ＨＣＥＰ细胞具有显著的细胞毒性,并具有浓度和时间依赖性,且其毒性作用的发挥是通过诱导细胞凋亡实现的,在眼科临床应用中具有很大的毒副作用,应谨慎使用。     

Induction of Apoptosis in Purified Nuclei from Tobacco-Suspension Cells by Cytochrome b6／f Complex

An apoptotic cell-free system containing cytosol and nuclei from normally cultured tobacco suspension cells was used to show that a spinach chloroplast preparation can induce apoptosis in nuclei, evidenced by DNA electrophoresis and fluorescence microscopy observations, Further study showed that the chloroplast preparation or its pellet (thylakoid membrane) after hypoosmotic or supersonic treatment still exhibited the apoptosis-inducing activity, but the supernatant had no effect, which indicates that the apoptosisinducing effector in the chloroplast preparation is water-insoluble. The induction of apoptosis by chloroplast preparation could be attenuated by Ac-DEVD-CHO, the specific inhibitor of Caspase-3, implying involvement of a Caspase-3-1ike protease during the process. Furthermore, extensive apoptosis in nuclei was induced by cytochrome b6/f on the thylakoid membrane, indicating that this important cytochrome complex may have an important role in the chloroplast-related apoptotic pathway.     

溶酶体蛋白酶cathepsin B参与介导前列腺癌PC-3细胞凋亡

细胞凋亡是多细胞生物清除多余、损伤或有潜在危险细胞的一种主要生理机制.蛋白水解酶是细胞凋亡研究的重要对象,其中大部分工作都集中在探索caspases的功能和调控上.近年来,越来越多的证据显示一些非caspases蛋白酶如位于溶酶体中的cathepsins特别是cathepsin B(CTSB)参与细胞凋亡过程.溶酶体cathepsins既可以与caspases协同作用,也可以不依赖于caspases独立执行凋亡功能.选取人前列腺癌PC-3细胞株作为研究对象,通过检测PC-3细胞对TNFα、D-sphingosine两种凋亡诱导剂和caspases、cathepsins抑制剂的应答反应,以及细胞凋亡过程中溶酶体、线粒体的结构变化,证实了D-sphingosine引起PC-3细胞死亡的效应主要通过释放溶酶体中蛋白酶CTSB实现,CTSB和caspases均参与介导TNFα诱导的PC-3细胞凋亡过程,并且很可能在不同的凋亡信号通路中发挥作用.