Molecular therapy for peritoneal dissemination of xenotransplanted human MKN-45 gastric cancer cells with adenovirus mediated Bax gene transfer

BACKGROUND: Gene therapy is an innovative therapeutic approach for cancer. An adenoviral vector expressing the tumour suppressor p53 gene (Ad/p53) is currently under clinical evaluation for various cancers. We recently developed a binary adenoviral vector system that can express the strong proapoptotic gene Bax (Ad/PGK-GV16+Ad/GT-Bax: Ad/Bax). AIMS: To evaluate the potential of Bax gene therapy for gastric cancer, we assessed its antitumour effect in comparison with that of p53. METHODS: The human gastric cancer cell lines MKN-1, MKN-7, MKN-28, and MKN-45 were treated with Ad/Bax or Ad/p53, and cell viability, transgene expression, and caspase activation were assessed in vitro. To compare the antitumour effects of Ad/Bax and Ad/p53 treatment in vivo, subcutaneous tumours and peritoneal dissemination of MKN-45 cells were generated in nude mice. Each mouse underwent intratumoral or intraperitoneal administration of viruses and the growth of implanted tumours was observed after treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with Ad/Bax and Ad/p53 resulted in marked Bax and p53 protein expression and effective apoptosis induction in MKN-1, MKN-7, and MKN-28 cells in vitro. In contrast, MKN-45 cells showed resistance to Ad/p53 and only treatment with Ad/Bax resulted in activation of caspase 3 expression and massive apoptosis. Ad/Bax treatment was more effective in suppressing both subcutaneous and peritoneally disseminated MKN-45 tumours compared with Ad/p53 treatment. CONCLUSION: Ad/Bax treatment significantly inhibited the growth of even p53 resistant gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, adenovirus mediated Bax gene transfer may be useful in gene therapy for gastric cancers.     

The Birc6 (Bruce) gene regulates p53 and the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis and is essential for mouse embryonic development

Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing (Birc)6 gene/BIRC6 (Bruce/APOLLON) encodes an inhibitor of apoptosis and a chimeric E2/E3 ubiquitin ligase in mammals. The physiological role of Bruce in antiapoptosis is unknown. Here, we show that deletion of the C-terminal half of Bruce, including the UBC domain, causes activation of caspases and apoptosis in the placenta and yolk sac, leading to embryonic lethality. This apoptosis is associated with up-regulation and nuclear localization of the tumor suppressor p53 and activation of mitochondrial apoptosis, which includes up-regulation of Bax, Bak, and Pidd, translocation of Bax and caspase-2 onto mitochondria, release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor, and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Mutant mouse embryonic fibroblasts are sensitive to multiple mitochondrial death stimuli but resistant to TNF. In addition, eliminating p53 by RNA interference rescues cell viability induced by Bruce ablation in human cell line H460. This viability preservation results from reduced expression of proapoptotic factors Bax, Bak, and Pidd and from prevention of activation of caspase-2, -9, and -3. The amount of second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspase and Omi does not change. We conclude that p53 is a downstream effector of Bruce, and, in response to loss of Bruce function, p53 activates Pidd/caspase-2 and Bax/Bak, leading to mitochondrial apoptosis.     

Involvement of P53 and Bax/Bad triggering apoptosis in thioacetamide-induced hepatic epithelial cells

AIM: Thioacetamide (TAA) has been used in studying liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, however, the mechanisms of TAA-induced apoptosis in liver are still unclear. The hepatic epithelial cell line clone 9 was cultured and treated with TAA to investigate the causes of cell death. METHODS: The cell viability of TAA-induced clone 9 cells was determined using MTT assay. Total cellular GSH in TAA-induced clone 9 cells was measured using a slight modification of the Tietze assay. The activity of caspase 3 in TAA-induced clone 9 cells was monitored by the cleavage of DEVD-p-nitroanaline. TUNEL assay and flow cytometry were applied for the determination of DNA fragmentation and the proportion of apoptosis in TAA-induced clone 9 cells, respectively. The alterations of caspase 3, Bad, Bax and Phospho-P53 contents in TAA-induced clone 9 cells were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: The experimental data indicated that TAA caused rat hepatic epithelial cell line clone 9 cell death in a dose-and time-dependent manner; 60% of the cells died (MTT assay) within 24 h after 100 mg/L TAA was applied. Apoptotic cell percentage (TUNEL assay) and caspase 3 activities were highest after 100 mg/L TAA was added for 8 h. The release of GSH and the elevation in caspase content after TAA treatment resulted in clone 9 cell apoptosis via oxidative stress and a caspase-dependent mechanism. The phospho-p53, Bax and Bad protein expressions in clone 9 cells were increased after TAA treatment. CONCLUSION: These results reveal that TAA activates p53, increases caspase 3, Bax and Bad protein contents, perhaps causing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the disintegration of membranes, leading to apoptosis of cells.     

错配修复基因MLH1激活p53和线粒体凋亡通路参与雌激素诱导的结肠癌细胞凋亡

临床和流行病学研究显示雌激素替代治疗可降低绝经后妇女的结直肠癌发生风险。前期研究发现雌激素能上调结肠癌细胞的错配修复(MMR)基因MLH1表达,在MLH1基因缺失的结肠癌细胞中再表达MLH1能明显增强雌激素诱导的细胞凋亡。目的:探讨MLH1参与雌激素诱导结肠癌细胞凋亡所涉及的信号通路以及p53及其相关基因在此凋亡通路中的作用。方法:以含人野生型MLH1(hMLH1)全长cDNA的质粒转染MLH1基因缺失的人结肠癌细胞株HCT116。以转染空质粒的HCT1 16细胞作为对照,在有或无雌激素作用的条件下,采用电泳法检测凋亡DNA Ladder,蛋白质印迹法检测p53等凋亡相关蛋白表达。结果:转染hMLH1后,10~(-8)mol/L雌二醇(E_2)能明显诱导HCT116细胞凋亡。转染hMLH1并经E_2处理的HCT116细胞(D组)与经E_2处理但未转染hMLH1的HCT116细胞(B组)相比,其caspase-3、caspase-9、p53、Bax、胞质细胞色素C蛋白表达均显著增强,D组上述蛋白表达亦均高于转染hMLH1但未经E_2处理的HCT116细胞(C组)。结论:MMR基因MLH1主要通过激活p53和线粒体凋亡通路参与雌激素诱导的人结肠癌细胞株HCT116凋亡。     

Lovastatin-induced apoptosis in thyroid cells: involvement of cytochrome c and lamin B.

OBJECTIVE: The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, lovastatin, induces apoptosis in the thyroid cell line TAD-2 and in proliferating normal human thyroid cells in culture, through a p53-independent mechanism involving caspase-3-like proteases. The combination of lovastatin with other anti-neoplastic drugs potentiates chemotherapy of tumors. This drug has been suggested for the chemotherapy of tumors and is potentially useful in the treatment of thyroid proliferative diseases. Based on this premise, we analyzed in more detail the role of some molecular effectors and the role of the caspase family proteases in the lovastatin-induced apoptotic pathway in TAD-2 cells. METHODS: TAD-2 cells were treated with lovastatin to induce apoptosis, and expression of p53, Bc1-2, Bcl-XL and Bax was analyzed by Western blot. Caspase activation was evaluated by the assay of enzymatic activity with chromogenic peptides and Western blot. Nuclear, cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions were prepared by differential centrifugation and the presence of cytochrome c and lamin B was evaluated by Western blot. RESULTS: p53, Bc1-2, Bcl-XL and Bax protein expression were unchanged during apoptosis. Cytochrome c was released from mitochondria into the cytosol, a pivotal event in the activation of caspase-3. Caspase-3 and -6 but not caspase-2 were activated, and proteolysis of PARP and lamin B, a caspase-6 substrate located in the inner nuclear membrane, was demonstrated by Western blot. The nuclear localization of lamin B was also inhibited by lovastatin. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that, in TAD-2 thyroid cells, lovastatin induces lamin B proteolysis and inhibits its nuclear localization and induces cytochrome c release from mitochondria into the cytosol.     

Parvovirus B19 infection induces apoptosis of erythroid cells in vitro and in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: intrauterine parvovirus B19 infection is related to non-immune hydrops fetalis, the pathogenesis of which is based on the strict tropism of B19 for erythroid precursor cells and the massive destruction of the infected erythroid cells, although the mechanism of beta19-induced cytotoxicity has not been studied in detail. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence that beta19 induces apoptosis of erythroid cells both in vitro and ill vivo. METHODS: we analysed culture cells infected in vitro by B19 and tissues of nine cases of hydrops fetalis caused by B19 intrauterine infection by histological and biological methods. RESULTS: cells infected iil vitro by B19 showed nuclear changes characteristic of apoptosis by light microscopic examination and DNA extracted from the infected cells was fragmented. Electron microscopic examination showed the nuclei of infected cells contained crescent-shaped clumps of heterochromatin with increased density and double staining with anti-B1 9 antibody and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-digoxigenin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) confirmed apoptosis of individual cells. Tissues of cases of hydrops fetalis caused by B19 contained erythroid cells with nuclear inclusions and characteristic nuclear changes of apoptosis by light microscopy. The double-staining confirmed apoptosis of erythroid cells in the tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis with antibodies against cellular factors involved in apoptosis showed that caspase3, p53 and p21 were positive in infected cells.     

Contributions of p53 and PMA to g-irradiation induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells

Several mutations prevent the expression of p53 in the human lymphoblastoid T cell line Jurkat. Restoration of p53 in Jurkat cells had no effect on the cell growth but markedly increased the amount of apoptosis induced by g-irradiation. Inhibition of RNA synthesis using 5,6-dichlorobenimidizole riboside had little effect on apoptosis induced by irradiation in the presence of p53 and did not affect the p53-independent apoptotic pathway. Expression of p53 also had no effect on the expression levels of proteins such as Fas, GADD45, Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-x_L or p53 induced proteins (PIGS) in resting cells or after irradiation. Activation of protein kinase C by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate produced an almost complete inhibition of p53-independent apoptosis following irradiation, whereas no significant effect was observed on the rate of p53-induced apoptosis. Although phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate strongly induced p21 and stabilised p53 in the resting transfected Jurkat cells, neither apoptosis nor cell arrest was observed. In summary, this work shows that p53 enhances the radiosensitivity of Jurkat cells through an apoptotic process that is triggered by irradiation and is largely independent of RNA synthesis and protein kinase C activation. Apoptosis in p53- negative Jurkat cells is strongly inhibited by PMA indicating that the pathway triggered by p53 may be distinct from apoptotic pathways used in its absence.     

Haploinsufficiency for ribosomal protein genes causes selective activation of p53 in human erythroid progenitor cells

Haploinsufficiency for ribosomal protein genes has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) and the 5q-syndrome, a subtype of myelodysplastic syndrome. The p53 pathway is activated by ribosome dysfunction, but the molecular basis for selective impairment of the erythroid lineage in disorders of ribosome function has not been determined. We found that p53 accumulates selectively in the erythroid lineage in primary human hematopoietic progenitor cells after expression of shRNAs targeting RPS14, the ribosomal protein gene deleted in the 5q-syndrome, or RPS19, the most commonly mutated gene in DBA. Induction of p53 led to lineage-specific accumulation of p21 and consequent cell cycle arrest in erythroid progenitor cells. Pharmacologic inhibition of p53 rescued the erythroid defect, whereas nutlin-3, a compound that activates p53 through inhibition of HDM2, selectively impaired erythropoiesis. In bone marrow biopsies from patients with DBA or del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome, we found an accumulation of nuclear p53 staining in erythroid progenitor cells that was not present in control samples. Our findings indicate that the erythroid lineage has a low threshold for the induction of p53, providing a basis for the failure of erythropoiesis in the 5q-syndrome, DBA, and perhaps other bone marrow failure syndromes.     

siRNA沉默STAT3基因对人肝癌细胞的抑制及对相关生长调控基因的调节

目的: 探讨RNA干扰技术沉默STAT3基因表达对人肝癌细胞的抑制作用及对相关生长调控基因的调节.方法:构建pSilencer 3.0-H1-siRNA-STAT3重组质粒, 转染人肝癌细胞株SMMC 7721, 采用MTT法观察重组质粒对肝癌细胞的生长抑制, RT-PCR和Western blot及免疫组化法分别观察STAT3基因和蛋白水平的变化, 同时检测 survivin, c-myc, VEGF, p53, caspase3生长调控基因的mRNA, 并用流式细胞技术(FCM)及AO/EB染色方法观察细胞凋亡.结果: pSilencer 3.0-H1-siRNA-STAT3重组质粒对肝癌细胞的生长有抑制作用, 实验组48 h和72 h抑制率分别为59.32%, 76.49%, 与空白组及阴性组细胞相比有显著性差异(P<0.01);在重组质粒组, STAT3基因mRNA及蛋白水平表达降低, surviving, VEGF的mRNA表达下调, p53, caspase3的mRNA表达上调(P<0.01), c-myc的mRNA表达却无明显改变;重组质粒可诱导SMMC 7721细胞凋亡, 凋亡率达21.6%(P<0.01), 细胞周期分析显示细胞阻滞于G2期.结论:pSilencer 3.0-H1-STAT3-siRNA可能通过下调基因survivin和VEGF mRNA表达, 上调p53和caspase3 mRNA表达来抑制STAT3基因在人肝癌细胞中的表达.     

Activation of apoptosis pathways in peripheral blood lymphocytes by in vivo chemotherapy.

In addition to myelosuppression, anticancer drugs cause rapid and persistent depletion of lymphocytes, possibly by direct apoptosis induction in mature T and B cells. Induction of apoptosis regulators was analyzed in peripheral blood lymphocytes from pediatric patients undergoing first-cycle chemotherapy for solid tumors. In vivo chemotherapy induced a significant increase in lymphocyte apoptosis ex vivo. The activation of initiator caspase-8 and effector caspase-3 and the cleavage of caspase substrates was detected 12 to 48 hours after the onset of therapy. Caspase inhibition by Z-VAD-fmk did not reduce ex vivo lymphocyte apoptosis in all patients, indicating the additional involvement of caspase-independent cell death. No evidence for the involvement of activation-induced cell death was found in the acute phase of lymphocyte depletion as analyzed by activation marker expression and sensitivity for CD95 signaling. Lymphocyte apoptosis in vivo appeared to be predominantly mediated by the mitochondrial pathway because a marked decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(M)) was detected after 24 to 72 hours of treatment, preceded by the increased expression of Bax. Interestingly, despite the use of DNA-damaging agents, p53 remained completely undetectable throughout treatment. In contrast, in vitro treatment with cytarabine and etoposide induced p53 protein, CD95 receptor expression, CD95 sensitivity, and CD95 receptor-ligand interaction in stimulated cycling lymphocytes, but no such induction was seen in resting cells. These data suggest that chemotherapy-induced lymphocyte depletion involves distinct mechanisms of apoptosis induction, such as direct mitochondrial and caspase-dependent pathways in resting cells and p53-dependent pathways in cycling lymphocytes.     

MDM2 antagonist can inhibit tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma with different types of p53 in vitro

Background and Aims: Nutlin‐3, a selective small‐molecule inhibitor of the p53‐MDM2 interaction, has been shown to have antitumor activities in various tumors with wild‐type p53. However, its effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different types of p53 remains unclear. This study is designed to determine nutlin‐3′s antitumor efficacy and underlying mechanisms of action in human HCC cells. Methods: Cell viability assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, western blot, co‐ immunoprecipitation and siRNA experiments were analyzed in three human HCC cells. Anti‐tumoral effects of nutlin‐3 targeting the p53 and p73 pathways were evaluated in HCC cell lines. Results: Nutlin‐3 exerted the greatest anti‐tumoral effect to three human HCC cells with wild‐type p53, mutant p53 and p53‐null. Nutlin‐3 not only upregulated p53 in HepG2 cells, but also p73 in Huh7 and Hep3B cells, and disrupted p53‐MDM2 and p73‐MDM2 complexes in HCC cells. The compound inhibited cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 phase arrest, decreased the levels of CyclinD1, CyclinE, CDK2, CDK4, PCNA and E2F‐1, and increased the levels of p21 and p27. It also induced apoptosis, increased the Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio, then activated caspase‐9 and caspase‐3. Conclusions: Nutlin‐3 has significant anticancer effects against human HCC cells, regardless of p53 status, indicating that it is a promising therapy for human hepatocellular carcinoma.     

弓形虫ROP16蛋白对人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞增殖、周期和凋亡的影响

目的 探讨弓形虫Ⅰ型(RH)ROP16蛋白在人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞增殖、周期及凋亡方面的作用。方法 以空载体(MCF-7-HBLV)和过表达ROP16蛋白的慢病毒(HBLV-RH ROP16)分别感染MCF-7细胞,嘌呤霉素筛选出稳定表达ROP16的细胞株,Real time PCR、Western blot法检测MCF-7细胞中ROP16 mRNA和蛋白表达水平。CCK-8和流式细胞术检测细胞增殖、周期和凋亡。Western blot法检测细胞周期及凋亡相关蛋白表达。结果 相比MCF-7-HBLV(空载体组)和MCF-7细胞组(对照组),MCF-7-RH ROP16细胞组中ROP16 mRNA和蛋白表达升高;细胞增殖率降低(P<0.01);S期细胞比例、细胞凋亡率升高(P<0.01)。促凋亡因子Bax、P53、Caspase-9、Caspase-3及细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶抑制因子P21表达增高(P<0.01);抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2及细胞周期蛋白A1(CyclinA1)、周期蛋白依赖性激酶2(CDK2)的表达均下降(P<0.01)。结论 弓形虫Ⅰ型(RH)ROP1...     

miR-200c-3p靶向XIAP调控缺氧复氧诱导的心肌细胞凋亡

目的探讨miR-200c-3p对缺氧复氧心肌细胞凋亡的影响及作用机制。方法构建缺氧复氧(H/R)H9c2细胞。运用实时荧光定量反转录聚合酶链反应(qRT-PCR)法检测细胞中miR-200c-3p、X连锁凋亡抑制蛋白(XIAP)信使核糖核酸(mRNA)的表达。将H9c2细胞分为H/R+anti-miR-NC组(转染anti-miR-NC)、H/R+anti-miR-200c-3p组(转染anti-miR-200c-3p)、H/R+pcDNA组(转染pcDNA)、H/R+pcDNA-XIAP组(转染pcDNA-XIAP)、H/R+anti-miR-200c-3p+si-NC组(共转染anti-miR-200c-3p和si-NC)、H/R+anti-miR-200c-3p+si-XIAP组(共转染anti-miR-200c-3p和si-XIAP),用脂质体法转染至H9c2细胞,再进行缺氧复氧处理。免疫印迹(Western blot)、噻唑蓝(MTT)、流式细胞术检测细胞中XIAP、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶(Caspase-3)、裂解的半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶(cleaved Caspase-3)、B细胞淋巴瘤/白血病2 X蛋白(Bax)、B细胞淋巴瘤/白血病2(Bcl-2)的表达、细胞增殖、细胞凋亡;双荧光素酶报告基因检测实验检测细胞中miR-200c-3p与XIAP的结合力。结果成功构建缺氧复氧H9c2细胞;与正常培养的H9c2细胞比较,H/R组H9c2细胞中miR-200c-3p表达明显上调,XIAP表达明显下调;抑制miR-200c-3p、过表达XIAP均可抑制H/R H9c2细胞的凋亡,下调cleaved Caspase-3、Bax,上调Bcl-2;miR-200c-3p可显著抑制XIAP 3′UTR野生型报告基因活性,并负向调控XIAP的表达;敲减XIAP可逆转抑制miR-200c-3p对H/R H9c2细胞的凋亡抑制作用。结论 miR-200c-3p可诱导缺氧复氧心肌细胞的凋亡,其机制与靶向XIAP有关,可为心血管疾病的治疗提供新靶点。     

Differential expression profiles of apoptosis-affecting genes in HIV-infected cell lines and patient T cells

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the molecular mechanisms of HIV-induced apoptosis. DESIGN: The assessment of expression patterns for genes affecting the interrelated cell cycle and apoptosis processes in HIV-1LAI-infected T lymph oblastoid (CEM) cells, as well as CD4 and CD8 cells from HIV-infected individuals and controls. METHODS: The kinetics of HIV infection in CEM cells were defined by flow cytometry of green fluorescent protein expression from a reporter vector. Apoptosis of CEM cells was measured by propidium iodine staining and flow cytometry. Gene expression levels were determined by a multiprobe RNase protection assay. RESULTS: The infection and apoptosis of CEM cells were associated with enhanced expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and caspase 1 (ICE). There was increased expression of Bcl-2 and caspase 1 and decreased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP1 in CD4 cells of HIV-infected individuals compared with uninfected controls. The CD8 cells of HIV-infected individuals exhibited increased expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), Bax and caspase 1 but, in contrast to the CD4 subset, they showed elevated expression of p21CIP1 and p16INK4a compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: The Bax increase in CEM cells appears to be a direct effect associated with a high frequency of infection and apoptosis, because it was not found in the CD4 cells of patients. In contrast, the increase of Bax in the CD8 cells of patients seems to be an indirect effect. Increases in Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and caspase 1 in HIV-infected CEM cells may be caused by both direct and indirect mechanisms, because they also occurred in CD4 and CD8 cells of HIV-infected individuals. In addition, the low expression of p21CIP1 in the CD4 subset of HIV-infected individuals could promote apoptosis, whereas the high expression of p21CIP1 and p16INK4a in the CD8 subset may lead to a state of anergy, akin to replicative senescence.     

p53 expression in K562 cells is associated with caspase-mediated cleavage of c-ABL and BCR-ABL protein kinases

The chimaeric BCR-ABL oncoprotein is the molecular hallmark of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Expression of Bcr-Abl has been associated with arrested differentiation as well as resistance to apoptosis. The downstream pathway involved in apoptosis resistance has been extensively studied, whereas the role of Bcr-Abl in cell differentiation is largely unclear. A recent report has shown that Bcr-Abl expression alone is sufficient to increase the number of multipotent and myeloid lineage-committed progenitors in a dose-dependent manner while suppressing the development of committed erythroid progenitors. In accordance with this model, downregulation of c-Abl and Bcr-Abl has been observed during differentiation in different systems, although the mechanism is still largely unknown. To investigate the relationship between erythroid differentiation and c-Abl and Bcr-Abl levels, we induced differentiation in K562 cells using a temperature-inducible p53 mutant (p53Val1335). It was found that p53-induced erythroid differentiation in K562 cells required caspase activity. During this process, caspase-dependent cleavage of c-Abl and Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinases was observed, suggesting a new mechanism for the downregulation of the kinases during erythroid differentiation.     

RNA expression bcl-w,a new related protein Bcl-2 family,and caspase-3 in isolated sertoli cells from pre-pubertal rat testes

Apoptosis has a major role in molding the embryo, in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, and in the defense against pathogens, while its disgregulation is strongly implicated in cancer as well as in autoimmune and degenerative diseases. The opposite action of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 family) and pro-apoptotic proteins (p53, Bax, Bak) regulates the activation of caspases that are the effectors proteases of the cell suicide. Bcl-W is a pro-survival protein, recently discovered, related to the Bcl-2 family. The presence of Bcl-W is fundamental for spermatogenesis in rats. Caspases are cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific proteases, and their over-expression can result in apoptotic cell death. Normally, caspases exist in cells as inactive pro-enzymes and can be activated by 2 distinct mechanisms: the FADD/caspase 8 cascade, and the Apaf-1/caspase 9 cascade. These 2 mechanisms are used extensively by cells for the activation of the effectors caspases: caspase 3, caspase 6, and/or caspase 7. Bcl-W and caspases might have a pivotal role in maintenance of Sertoli cells integrity. In this study, we demonstrate that both Bcl-W mRNA and caspase 3 mRNA are expressed in isolated Sertoli cells of pre-puberal rat testes. This finding might be crucial in clarifying whether Sertoli cells die by an apoptotic mechanism. Further studies are required to understand whether the expression of Bcl-W and caspases is different before and after puberty in rat testis and/or in pathological conditions, that lead to an increased cell apoptosis.