Beauvericin-induced cytotoxicity via ROS production and mitochondrial damage in Caco-2 cells

The cytotoxicity of beauvericin (BEA) on human colon adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells was studied as a function of time. Moreover, the oxidative damage and cell death endpoints were monitored after 24, 48 and 72 h. After BEA exposure, the IC₅₀ values ranged from 1.9 ± 0.7 to 20.6 ± 6.9 μM. A decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH; 31%) levels, as well as an increase in oxidized glutathione (GSSG, 20%) was observed. In the presence of BEA, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was highly increased at an early stage with the highest production of 2.0-fold higher than the control that was observed at 120 min. BEA induced cell death by mitochondria-dependent apoptotic process with loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm; 9% compared to the control), increase in LPO level (from 120% to 207% compared to the control) and reduced G0/G1 phase, with an arrest in G2/M, in a dose and time-dependent manner. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and ΔΨm determined, were in a dose- time-dependent manner. Moreover, DNA damage was observed after 12.0 μM concentration. This study demonstrated that oxidative stress is one of the mechanism involved in BEA toxicity, moreover apoptosis induction and loss of ΔΨm contribute to its cytotoxicity in Caco-2 cells.     

Induction of HepG2 cell apoptosis by Irgarol 1051 through mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stresses

In this study, HepG2 cells were exposed to 0.04–40 mg/L Irgarol 1051. Results show that Irgarol 1051 can damage cell morphology and cause a significant decrease in cell viability. Positive staining by Annexin V, caspase-3 activity enhancement, and the damage in cell ultrastructure indicated an apoptotic mode of cell death for 4.0 mg/L Irgarol 1051 treatment. At the same time, caspase-9 was also significantly induced by 0.4 and 4.0 mg/L Irgarol 1051 at 72 h, which suggests that the intrinsic mitochondria pathway was involved in the apoptosis. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased significantly after the HepG2 cells were exposed to Irgarol 1051 for 6 and 72 h. Especially, the translocation of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol was recorded, supporting the idea that the mitochondrial pathway was involved in the apoptosis signal pathways induced by Irgarol 1051. The significantly increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an immediate ROS burst were also recorded. The results here may imply that Irgarol 1051 induces HepG2 cell apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stresses. Although it is possible that this chemical has no detrimental effects on human health at the environmentally relevant concentration, it may cause problems to top coastal predators due to bio-accumulation through the food chain.     

大黄素诱导人肝癌HepG2细胞线粒体凋亡作用研究

目的 研究大黄素对人肝癌HepG2细胞线粒体凋亡的影响。方法 培养人肝癌HepG2细胞,与5、10、20、40、60、80、100 μmol/L的大黄素作用24、48 h,MTS法检测细胞增殖;40、80、160 μmol/L大黄素作用HepG2细胞24 h,AO/EB双荧光染色法观察细胞凋亡的形态学改变;Annexin V/PI染色经流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡;分光光度法检测caspase 3活性;ATP试剂盒检测细胞ATP含量,不同荧光探针加载后流式细胞仪测定大黄素对HepG2细胞内活性氧（ROS）含量、Ca²⁺浓度、线粒体膜电位（MMP）变化的影响。结果 大黄素抑制HepG2细胞生长,且呈时间、浓度相关性,半数抑制浓度（IC₅₀）为（77.42±1.25）μmol/L;随着大黄素浓度升高,AO/EB双染观察到细胞核浓缩、碎裂、凋亡小体等凋亡形态;与对照组比较,大黄素40、80、160 μmol/L作用于HepG2细胞24 h后细胞凋亡率显著增加,caspase 3活性显著增强,ROS水平、Ca²⁺浓度明显增加（P<0.05、0.01、0.001）,80、160 μmol/L组线粒体膜电位明显降低,ATP含量显著下降（P<0.05、0.01、0.001）。结论 大黄素造成HepG2细胞内ROS堆积,ATP合成功能障碍,线粒体膜电位明显下降,进而诱导线粒体通透转运孔开放,导致钙离子和细胞色素C外流,活化caspase蛋白家族,导致细胞凋亡。     

Olaquindox induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in HepG2 cells

Olaquindox is used in China as feed additive for growth promotion in pigs. Recently, we have demonstrated that olaquindox induced genome DNA damage and oxidative stress in HepG2 cells. The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanism of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by olaquindox in HepG2 cells. In the present study olaquindox induced cell cycle arrest to the S phase and dose-dependent apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells, indicated by accumulation of sub-G1 cell population, nuclear condenstion, DNA fragmentation, caspases activation and PARP cleavage. Meanwhile, the data showed that olaquindox triggered ROS-mediated apoptosis in HepG2 cells correlated with both the mitochondrial DNA damage and nuclear DNA damage, collapse of Δψ_m, opening of mPTP, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax. Furthermore, we also found that olaquindox increased the expression of p53 protein and induced the release of cytochrome C from mitochondria to cytosol. In conclusion, olaquindox induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells through a caspase-9 and -3 dependent mitochondrial pathway, involving p53, Bcl-2 family protein expression, Δψ_m disruption and mPTP opening.     

Atorvastatin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis in HepG2 cells via inhibition of the Nrf2 pathway

Atorvastatin (ATO) is a 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA reductase inhibitor widely used to treat hypercholesterolemia. However, clinical application is limited by potential hepatotoxicity. Nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a master regulator of cellular antioxidants, and oxidative stress is implicated in statin‐induced liver injury. This study investigated mechanisms of ATO‐induced hepatotoxicity and potential mitigation by Nrf2 signaling. ATO reduced Nrf2 and antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase‐2 (SOD2) expression in human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells. ATO also induced concentration‐dependent HepG2 cell toxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction as evidenced by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Further, ATO induced mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis as indicated by increased Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio, cleaved caspase‐3, mitochondrial cytochrome c release and Annexin V‐fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining. Tert‐butylhydroquinone enhanced Nrf2 and SOD2 expression, and partially reversed ATO‐induced cytotoxicity, ROS accumulation, MMP reduction, ATP depletion and mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that ATO induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis in HepG2 cells, at least in part, via inhibition of the Nrf2 pathway. Nrf2 pathway activation is a potential prevention for ATO‐induced liver injury.     

Ethyl acetate fraction of Garcina epunctata induces apoptosis in human promyelocytic cells (HL-60) through the ROS generation and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest: A bioassay-guided approach

Number of deaths due to cancer diseases is increasing in the world. There is an urgent need to develop alternative therapeutic measures against the disease. Our study reports the cytotoxicity activity of Garcina epunctata (gutifferae) in human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) and prostate cancer cells (PC-3) was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and morphological changes associated with apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry and Hoescht staining respectively. The results of in vitro antiproliferative screening of fractions and extract from G. epunctata indicated that three fractions inhibited the viability of PC-3 cells with IC₅₀ varied from 50 to 88 μ/ml while two fractions inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells with IC₅₀ range between 47.5 and 12 μg/ml. Among the entire fraction tested, Hex-EtOAc (75:25) showed cytotoxic effects on the two cell lines and EtOAc fraction was most active only HL-60 cells (12 μg/ml). Treatment of HL-60 cells with G. epunctata (20, 50, 100 μg/ml) for 24 h led to a significant dose-dependent increase in the percentage of cells in sub-G1 phase by analysis of the content of DNA in cells, and a number of apoptotic bodies containing nuclear fragments were observed in cells treated with 100 μg/ml. The EtOAc fraction of G. epunctata treatment significantly arrested HL-60 cells at the G0/G1 phase (p < 0.05) and ROS was significantly elevated as well as the loss of membrane mitochondrial potential in a concentration dependant manner. The results demonstrated that the EtOAc fraction of G. epunctata inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death, which was confirmed to occur through the mitochondrial pathway.     

Piperazine designer drugs induce toxicity in cardiomyoblast h9c2 cells through mitochondrial impairment

Abuse of synthetic drugs is widespread among young people worldwide. In this context, piperazine derived drugs recently appeared in the recreational drug market. Clinical studies and case-reports describe sympathomimetic effects including hypertension, tachycardia, and increased heart rate. Our aim was to investigate the cytotoxicity of N-benzylpiperazine (BZP), 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl) piperazine (TFMPP), 1-(4-methoxyphenyl) piperazine (MeOPP), and 1-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyl) piperazine (MDBP) in the H9c2 rat cardiac cell line. Complete cytotoxicity curves were obtained at a 0–20 mM concentration range after 24 h incubations with each drug. The EC₅₀ values (μM) were 343.9, 59.6, 570.1, and 702.5 for BZP, TFMPP, MeOPP, and MDBP, respectively. There was no change in oxidative stress markers. However, a decrease in total GSH content was noted for MDBP, probably due to metabolic conjugation reactions. All drugs caused significant decreases in intracellular ATP, accompanied by increased intracellular calcium levels and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential that seems to involve the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. The cell death mode revealed early apoptotic cells and high number of cells undergoing secondary necrosis. Among the tested drugs, TFMPP seems to be the most potent cytotoxic compound. Overall, piperazine designer drugs are potentially cardiotoxic and support concerns on risks associated with the intake of these drugs.     

Glycoborinine induces apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway in HepG2 cells

Glycoborinine (GB), a natural carbazole alkaloid isolated from Glycosmis pentaphylla, has been shown to be a potential molecule against cancer cells. In this study, the cell-signaling pathway of its anti-tumor activity was investigated. MTT assay result showed that GB inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and 50% inhibiting concentration (IC₅₀) of GB-induced cell death was 39.7 μM for a period of 48 h. GB-induced HepG2 apoptosis was confirmed by Hochest 33258 staining and PI staining. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured with H₂DCF-DA staining and the change of mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψ^m) was analyzed with tetrechloro-tetraethylbenzimidazolcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) probe. Results showed that GB at 12.5, 25, and 50 μM promoted ROS production. GB induced HepG2 apoptosis through a mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, which was demonstrated by GB-induced increase in the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, cytochrome C release, the ratio of cleaved caspase-3/procaspase-3, and the ratio of cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase (cleaved PARP)/poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). To summarize, this study demonstrated that GB could induce HepG2 apoptosis through the mitochondrial-dependent pathway, which might provide a promising approach to cure liver cancer with GB.     

血根碱通过诱导活性氧促进HepG2细胞凋亡的机制研究

目的研究血根碱对Hep G2细胞中活性氧(ROS)调控细胞凋亡途径的影响。方法采用血根碱干预Hep G2细胞,MTT法检测血根碱对细胞活性的影响;DCFH-DA和DHE染色观察血根碱作用Hep G2细胞12 h后细胞内ROS的变化;Hoechst 33342和Annexin V/PI染色检测细胞凋亡;Rho123染色检测细胞线粒体膜电位;Western blot检测凋亡相关蛋白的表达。结果随着血根碱药物浓度的增加,Hep G2细胞活力明显被抑制;血根碱可以明显提高Hep G2细胞内的ROS含量,并且降低线粒体膜电位,促进细胞凋亡;Western blot检测发现血根碱促进Bax、cleaved-caspase-3和细胞质Cyt-C的表达,抑制Bcl-2蛋白的表达。结论血根碱通过升高细胞内ROS的含量,激活线粒体凋亡途径,进而促进Hep G2细胞发生凋亡。     

Nrf2/ARE信号通路及其调控的抗氧化蛋白

机体在应对活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)损害时形成了一套复杂的氧化应激应答系统,当暴露于ROS时,机体自身能诱导出一系列保护性蛋白,以缓解细胞所受的损害。这一协调反应是由这些保护性基因上游调节区的抗氧化反应元件(antioxidant responsive element,ARE)来调控的。而近年来的研究发现,核因子NF-E2相关因子(nuclear fac-tor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是ARE的激活因子。Nrf2是外源性有毒物质和氧化应激的感受器,在参与细胞抗氧化应激和外源性有毒物质诱导的主要防御机制中发挥重要的作用。Nrf2-ARE通路是迄今为止发现的最为重要的内源性抗氧化应激通路。     

辛伐他汀通过线粒体途径诱导K562细胞凋亡

目的观察辛伐他汀诱导K562细胞凋亡不同时间的膜电位(Δψm),caspase-3、9和细胞色素C的改变,以推测其凋亡通路。方法采用浓度为20μmol.L-1的辛伐他汀处理K562细胞24、48、72 h,采用流式细胞技术检测细胞凋亡率和线粒体膜电位,分光光度法检测caspase-3、9蛋白活性,免疫组织化学法检测细胞色素C蛋白。结果浓度为20μmol.L-1辛伐他汀作用K562细胞24、48、72 h后,凋亡率分别为(6.1±0.35)%、(14.15±0.42)%(、30.70±0.65)%,随着凋亡率增加线粒体膜电位降低分别为(39.6±4.80)%,(24.4±2.45)%,(6.0±1.62)%;caspase-3、9蛋白活性与对照组相比上调,细胞浆内细胞色素C升高。结论辛伐他汀诱导K562细胞凋亡时线粒体膜电位下降,caspase-3、9活性增高和细胞色素C释放,推测辛伐他汀诱导K562细胞的凋亡可能经过线粒体凋亡途径。     

Caffeine-induced neurotoxicity mediated by Nrf2 pathway in PC12 cells and zebrafish larvae

Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychostimulants in the world and possesses central excitative, anti-depressive, and neuroprotective properties. However, excessive ingestion or abuse of caffeine can lead to intoxication. Many toxic effects are attributed to oxidative damage, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a critical intracellular regulator of the oxidative stress response. Here, we investigated the neurotoxicity of caffeine in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and zebrafish larvae. It was found that caffeine inhibited the viability of PC12 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, it induced PC12 cell apoptosis and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting revealed that caffeine also inhibited the expression levels of Nrf2 mRNA and protein and its target genes (e.g., NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 [NQO1]). Furthermore, Nrf2 silencing attenuated the toxic effects of caffeine. In addition, zebrafish larvae were treated with different doses of caffeine. Behavioral experiments showed that a low dose of caffeine (0.05 to 0.3 mM) increased the average distance of movement and promoted excitation. Survivorship curves showed that caffeine (0.2 to 1.5 mM) caused lethality. Finally, qPCR revealed that a higher dose of caffeine inhibited mRNA levels in the Nrf2 pathway. Based on these results, this study identified for the first time that overuse of caffeine can induce neurotoxicity by inhibiting the Nrf2 pathway. These results will provide a new perspective for studies on caffeine toxicity.     

Euphorbia factor L2 induces apoptosis in A549 cells through the mitochondrial pathway

Euphorbia factor L2, a lathyrane diterpenoid isolated from caper euphorbia seed (the seeds of Euphorbia lathyris L.), has been traditionally applied to treat cancer. This article focuses on the cytotoxic activity of Euphorbia factor L2 against lung carcinoma A549 cells and the mechanism by which apoptosis is induced. We analyzed the cytotoxicity and related mechanism of Euphorbia factor L2 with an MTT assay, an annexin V-FITC/PI test, a colorimetric assay, and immunoblotting. Euphorbia factor L2 showed potent cytotoxicity to A549 cells. Euphorbia factor L2 led to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, a loss of mitochondrial electrochemical potential, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, suggesting that Euphorbia factor L2 induced apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway. The cytotoxic activity of Euphorbia factor L2 in A549 cells and the related mechanisms of apoptotic induction provide support for the further investigation of caper euphorbia seeds.     

Curcumin induced HepG2 cell apoptosis-associated mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular free Ca concentration

Curcumin is a phytochemicals which is able to inhibit carcinogenesis in a variety of cell lines. However little is known about its effect on the cell-surface and the interaction between cell-surface and the reacting drug. In this study, we found that curcumin could inhibit the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2), change the cell-surface morphology and trigger the pro-apoptotic factor to promote cell apoptosis. Cell counting kit results indicated that the cell viability had a dose-dependent relationship with the curcumin concentration in 24 h. The 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) was 17.5 ± 3.2 μM. It was clear that curcumin could lead to apoptosis, and the apoptosis increased as the reacting concentration goes up. Moreover, curcumin could also affect the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and the disturbance of intracellular free Ca²⁺ concentration. All these alterations changed the cell morphology and cell-surface ultrastructure with atomic force microscopy (AFM) detecting at nanoscale level. AFM results indicated that cells in control group clearly revealed a typical long spindle-shaped morphology. Cell tails was wide and unrolled. The ultrastructure showed that cell membrane was made up of many nanoparticles. After being treated with curcumin, cell tail was narrowed. The size of membrane nanoparticles became small. These results can improve our understanding of curcumin which can be potentially developed as a new agent for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma since it has been reported to have a low cytotoxic effect on healthy cell. AFM can be used as a powerful tool for detecting ultrastructures.     

黄芩素对胆汁外排转运体MRP2和BSEP的影响

<正>多药耐药相关蛋白2(MRP2/ABCC2)属于ABC转运蛋白超家族,肝脏细胞所表达的MRP2,能介导一些有机阴离子的转运,例如葡萄糖醛酸盐结合物等物质的转运[1]。胆汁酸盐输出泵转运蛋白(BSEP)是肝脏中参与胆汁外排转运的另一重要的转运体,主要介导单价胆汁酸、硫酸盐胆酸等转运过程。在肝细胞中MRP2和BSEP相互协调,可以介导胆汁的排泄,这两种转运体的表达均可以在转录和转录后两个     

二氯醋酸钠激活C6细胞线粒体代谢途径的体外作用(英文)

肿瘤细胞线粒体代谢途径己成为抗肿瘤的关注点。二氯醋酸钠(DCA)是作用于线粒体的小分子物质,显示出一定的抗肿瘤作用。因此,本文考察DCA对C6脑胶质瘤细胞线粒体代谢途径的影响。实验结果显示,DCA可显著增加C6细胞丙酮酸脱氢酶(FDH)的活性、诱导C6细胞氧活性物质(ROS)的生成,显著降低C6细胞线粒体膜电位(MMP)。上述结果表明,DCA可通过激活C6细胞线粒体代谢途径产生抗肿瘤作用。线粒体代谢途径将成为抗肿瘤治疗的新靶点。     

Collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspases activation are early events in okadaic acid-treated Caco-2 cells.

Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) results from the consumption of shellfish contaminated with okadaic acid (OA) or one of the dinophysistoxins (DTX). It has been reported that this toxin induces apoptosis in several cell models, but the molecular events involved in this process have not been clarified. In this report we studied intracellular signals induced by OA in Caco-2 cells: mitochondrial membrane potential, F-actin depolymerization, caspases activation, cell proliferation and cell membrane integrity. Results indicate that caspases-8 and -9 increased their activity after 30 min of OA treatment according to their role as initiator caspases. In contrast, activation of the downstream caspase-3 is a later event in the execution phase of apoptosis. Mitochondrial membrane potential changes are detected at 30 min of OA exposure indicating that this is an early response in the apoptotic cascade. F-actin depolymerization occurs after 24h of incubation with OA and this effect is significant at low doses of the toxin. LDH is released into the culture medium, although there is not PI uptake, indicative of a significant cell death in addition to apoptosis. Moreover, OA led to a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cellular proliferation.     

Ethanol hyperpolarizes mitochondrial membrane potential and increases mitochondrial fraction in cultured mouse myocardial cells

Cultured mouse heart-derived myocardial and non-muscle cells were exposed to ethanol, stained with cell-permeant fluorescent vital probes, JC-1 (5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl-carbocyanine iodide) and oxidation-sensitive dihydrorhodamine 123, and analyzed by flow cytometry to elucidate ethanol-induced time-wise alterations in the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ethanol (50 and 200 mM) not only hyperpolarized ΔΨm of both types of cells but also dose-dependently increased ROS production at 24 h, although a 200-mM dose reduced the production until 3 h. These cell pathophysiological reactions suggest the depression of mitochondrial ATPase and mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, differences between these cells appeared after a 24-h exposure to 200 mM ethanol: the increase in ROS production was approximately twice as large for myocardial cells as for non-muscle cells; and the side-scatter parameter of light scattering significantly increased for myocardial cells, but not for non-muscle cells. All these myocyte-specific alterations indicate an increase in the mitochondrial fraction in a cell. This reaction might be a countermeasure against ethanol-induced dysfunction of mitochondrial respiration that is needed to meet the energy requirements of spontaneous myocardial contractions.