Cigarette smoke extract induces DNA damage but not apoptosis in human bronchial epithelial cells

Whether DNA damage caused by cigarette smoke leads to repair or apoptosis has not been fully elucidated. The current study demonstrates that cigarette smoke induces single-strand DNA damage in human bronchial epithelial cells. Cigarette smoke also stimulated caspase 3 precursors as well as intact poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) production, but did not activate caspase 3 or cleave PARP, while the alkaloid camptothecin did so. Neither apoptosis nor necrosis was induced by cigarette smoke when the insult was removed within a designated time period. In contrast, DNA damage following cigarette smoke exposure was repaired as evidenced by decreasing terminal dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling positivity. The PARP inhibitor, 3-aminobenzamide blocked this repair. Furthermore, cells subjected to DNA damage were able to survive and proliferate clonogenically when changed to smoke-free conditions. These results suggest that cigarette smoke-induced DNA damage in bronchial epithelial cells is not necessarily lethal, and that PARP functions in the repair process. Our data also suggest that the potency of cigarettes as a carcinogen may result from their ability to induce DNA damage while failing to trigger the apoptotic progression permitting survival of cells harboring potentially oncogenic mutations.     

Knockdown of WWP1 inhibits growth and invasion,but induces apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells

Recent studies have shown that WW domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (WWP1) is frequently amplified in various cancers. However, the role of WWP1 in osteosarcoma has not yet been studied. Here, we analyzed the mRNA levels of WWP1 in 25 pairs of osteosarcoma and adjacent non-tumorous samples. We found that WWP1 were higher in 88% osteosarcoma tissues as compared with their matched normal bone tissues. Knockdown of WWP1 using small interfering RNA further showed that deficiency of WWP1 blocked cell growth and cell invasion, and caused G1-phase arrest and cell apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells (MG63 and HOS). Furthermore, knocking down WWP1 affected the protein levels of apoptosis (Bcl2 and Bax) and invasion related factor (MMP2, MMP9, β-catenin and E-cadherin). These results suggest that WWP1 might be an oncogene and shed lights on targeted therapy of osteosarcoma.     

吴茱萸碱抑制人骨肉瘤HOS细胞的增殖并促进其凋亡

目的探讨吴茱萸碱对骨肉瘤HOS细胞株增殖凋亡的影响及其可能的机制。方法通过利用0、1、2、4、8μmol/L浓度吴茱萸碱处理HOS细胞24、48 h后,利用CCK-8法检测HOS细胞活性。用3μmol/L的吴茱萸碱处理HOS细0、24、48 h后,利用细胞凋亡-Hoechst染色试剂盒染色观察HOS细胞细胞核染色质的形态。用3μmol/L吴茱萸碱处理0、24、48 h后,利用流式细胞仪检测HOS细胞的凋亡率。3μmol/L吴茱萸碱处理0、24、48 h后,Westernblot检测HOS细胞内Caspase 3、Bcl-2蛋白的表达变化情况。结果 2~8μmol/L的吴茱萸碱可抑制HOS细胞的细胞活性,抑制其增殖,呈剂量-时间依赖性。8μmol/L处理48 h后细胞存活率为0.453±0.071,与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。Hoechst-33258染色观察可见凋亡细胞染色质颜色发白,呈固缩状或者碎裂状染色质,染色质着色不均匀,核形态各异。流式细胞仪检测3μmol/L吴茱萸碱处理HOS细胞0、24、48 h后的凋亡率分别为(5.32±1.62)%、(10.85±1.49)%和(12.47±0.59)%,与对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。吴茱萸碱可上调HOS细胞内的Caspase 3蛋白的表达,同时下调Bcl-2蛋白的表达,与对照组相比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论吴茱萸碱可降低人骨肉瘤HOS细胞的细胞活性,抑制其体外增殖,诱导其发生凋亡,其机制可能与其上调Caspase 3蛋白的表达,下调Bcl-2蛋白的表达有关。     

槲皮素抑制人胃癌MGC-803细胞增殖并诱导其凋亡的研究

目的:研究槲皮素抑制人胃癌MGC803细胞增殖和诱导凋亡的作用。方法:采用MTT比色法检测不同终浓度的槲皮素对MGC803细胞增殖的影响及其细胞毒活性。应用TUNEL(TdTmediateddUTPnickendlabeling)染色法检测槲皮素诱导MGC803细胞凋亡的作用。用免疫组化法测定P16、P53和Cmyc的表达率。结果:在40～100μmol/L范围内,槲皮素可显著抑制MGC803细胞增殖(P<0.01),且呈剂量、时间依赖性。TUNEL染色显示,槲皮素诱导48h后,MGC803细胞的凋亡率明显高于对照组(P<0.01)。免疫组化检测表明,用药组P53及Cmyc蛋白的表达下降,P16蛋白的表达率增强,与对照组相比较均有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论:槲皮素可抑制人胃癌MGC803细胞增殖,并能诱导其凋亡,其作用机制可能与下调P53及Cmyc蛋白的表达、上调P16蛋白的表达有关。     

Staphylococcus aureus, but not Staphylococcus epidermidis, modulates the oxidative response and induces apoptosis in human neutrophils

S. epidermidis is the most common isolate in foreign body infections. The aim of this study was to understand why S. epidermidis causes silent biomaterial infections. In view of the divergent inflammatory responses S. epidermidis and S. aureus cause in patients, we analyzed how they differ when interacting with human neutrophils. Neutrophils interacting with S. epidermidis strains isolated either from granulation tissue covering infected hip prostheses or from normal skin flora were tested by measuring the oxidative response as chemiluminescence and apoptosis as annexin V binding. Different S. aureus strains were tested in parallel. All S. epidermidis tested were unable to modulate the oxidative reaction in response to formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) and did not provoke, but rather inhibited, apoptosis. In contrast, some S. aureus strains enhanced the oxidative reaction, and this priming capacity was linked to p38-mitogen-activated-protein-kinase (p38-MAPK) activation and induction of apoptosis. Our results may explain why S. epidermidis is a weak inducer of inflammation compared to S. aureus, and therefore responsible for the indolent and chronic course of S. epidermidis biomaterial infections.     

Prostaglandin D(2), its metabolite 15-d-PGJ(2), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma agonists induce apoptosis in transformed, but not normal, human T lineage cells

Prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2)) is abundantly produced by mast cells, platelets, and alveolar macrophages and has been proposed as a key immunoregulatory lipid mediator. 15-Deoxy-Delta(12,14)-PGJ(2) (15-d-PGJ(2)), a key PGD(2) metabolite, is under intense study as a potential anti-inflammatory mediator. Little is known about PGD(2) or the role of 15-d-PGJ(2), if any, in regulating the activities of human T lineage cells. In this report we demonstrate that both PGD(2) and 15-d-PGJ(2) have potent antiproliferative effects, and in fact kill human T lymphocyte lines derived from malignant cells by an apoptotic mechanism. Interestingly, normal human T cells were not similarly affected. Although the T lymphocyte lines express mRNA for the PGD(2) receptor (DP-R), a potent DP receptor agonist, BW245C, did not inhibit the proliferation or viability of the cells, suggesting an alternative mechanism of action. PGD(2) and 15-d-PGJ(2) can bind to the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) which is implicated in lipid metabolism and apoptosis. Exposure to synthetic PPAR-gamma ligands (e.g. ciglitazone, troglitazone) mimicked the inhibitory responses of PGD(2) and 15-d-PGJ(2), and induced apoptosis in the transformed T cells consistent with a PPAR-gamma-dependent mechanism. These observations suggest that PPAR-gamma ligands (which may include PGD2) provide strong apoptotic signals to transformed, but not normal T lymphocytes. Thus, the efficacy of utilizing PPAR-gamma and its ligands as therapeutics for human T cell cancers needs to be further evaluated.     

Transgenic overexpression of human Bcl-2 in islet beta cells inhibits apoptosis but does not prevent autoimmune destruction

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus results when > 90% ofthe insulin-producing ß cells in the pancreatic isletsare killed as a result of autoimmune attack by T cells. Duringthe progression to diabetes, islet ß cells die as a resultof different insults from the immune system. Agents such asperforin and granzymes, CD95 ligand and tumor necrosis factor-,or cytokines and free-radicals have all been shown to causeß cell apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, mightprotect against some of these stimuli. We have therefore generatedtransgenic mice expressing human Bcl-2 in their islet ßcells. Although Bcl-2 was able to prevent apoptosis inducedby cytotoxic agents against ß cells in vitro, Bcl-2 alonecould not prevent or ameliorate cytotoxic or autoimmune ßcell damage in vivo.     

Human cytomegalovirus induces apoptosis in promonocyte THP-1 cells but not in promyeloid HL-60 cells

The effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection on the viability of the cells in the monocyte/myeloid lineage was investigated. Two cell lines at different stages in the differentiation pathway, the less differentiated promyeloid HL-60 and the more differentiated promonocyte THP-1 cells, were used in this study. While the viability of THP-1 cells was significantly impaired by HCMV infection, the viability of HL-60 cells was not affected. The decrease in the viability of THP-1 cells appears to result from the increase in apoptosis following HCMV infection. Interestingly, HL-60 cells were more sensitive than THP-1 cells to the apoptotic effect of other apoptogenic agents such as ultraviolet irradiation and hydrogen peroxide. When HL-60 cells were induced to differentiate by treating cells with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), HCMV infection induced an increase in apoptosis of the differentiated HL-60 cells by TPA. Therefore, HCMV-induced apoptosis in the cells of the myeloid/monocyte lineage appears to depend on the degree of cell differentiation.     

Oleandrin induces apoptosis in human, but not in murine cells: dephosphorylation of Akt, expression of FasL, and alteration of membrane fluidity

Common practice to evaluate the efficacy of any compound as drug is done in cell-based in vitro system followed by in vivo murine model prior to clinical trial in human. Cardiac glycosides are very effective to kill human cells, but not murine cells. In this report, we describe the comparative molecular mechanism of oleandrin, a cardiac glycoside action in human and murine cells. Treatment with oleandrin facilitated nuclear translocation of FKHR in human, but not murine cells by dephosphorylating Akt. It activated MAPK and JNK in human, but not in murine cells and also induced expression of FasL leads to apoptosis in human cells as detected by assaying caspases activation, PARP cleavage, nuclear fragmentation, and annexin staining. Oleandrin interacted with human plasma membrane as evaluated by HPLC, altered its fluidity as detected by DPH binding, inhibited Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and increased intracellular free Ca2+ level followed by calcineurin activity only in human, but not in murine cells. Results suggest that human plasma membrane might be different than murine, which interact with oleandrin that disturb Na+/K+-ATPase pump resulting in the calcification followed by induction of Ca2+-dependent cellular responses such as apoptosis.     

西格列汀抑制膀胱癌细胞增殖和诱导细胞凋亡

目的观察西格列汀对膀胱癌细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。方法西格列汀处理膀胱癌细胞T24及5637后,MTS检测细胞的增殖活性;Western blot检测细胞内组织蛋白酶B以及凋亡相关蛋白的表达变化。结果西格列汀显著抑制了膀胱癌细胞的增殖,经西格列汀处理后,T24及5637细胞内组织蛋白酶B的蛋白表达水平明显下降,凋亡相关蛋白PARP的剪切体表达水平升高。结论西格列汀抑制膀胱癌细胞增殖和诱导癌细胞凋亡,同时降低细胞内组织蛋白酶B的蛋白表达。     

Somatic hypermutation in normal and transformed human B cells

Summary: In the human, most IgM⁺IgD⁺ as well as CD5* peripheral blood B cells express unmutated V genes and thus can be assigned to a pre-germinal centre (GC) stage of development. The memory B-cell compartment generated in die GC reaction and characterized by cells bearing somatically mutated V-region genes consists not only of class-switched cells, but also of lgM-only B cells and perhaps a subset of IgM⁺IgD⁺ B cells expressing the CD27 antigen. Comparison of the rearranged V-region genes of human B-cell lymphomas with those of the normal B-cell subsets allows the identification of the progenitor cells of these tumours in terms of their stage of maturation. On this basis, most B-cell on-Hodgkin lymphomas, and in addition Hodgkin and Reed-Stern berg (HRS) cells in Hodgkin's disease (HD). are derived from B cells ac a GC or post-GC stage of development. The mutation pattern indicates that the precursors of the tumour clones have been stringently selected for expression of a functional antigen receptor with one notable exception: HRS cells in classical (but: not lymphocyte-predominant) HD appear to be derived from "crippled" GC B cells. Sequence analysis of rearranged V genes amplified from single tonsillar GC B cells revealed that the somatic hypermutation process introduces deletions and/or insertions into V-region genes more frequently that indicated by previous investigations. Presumably, this feature of the hypermutation mechanism is often responsible for the generation of heavy chain disease, and also several types of chromosomal translocations of oncogenes into immunoglobulin loci in human B-cell lymphomas.     

替米沙坦抑制U937细胞增殖及诱导凋亡

目的:探讨替米沙坦对U937细胞株的生长抑制及凋亡诱导作用。方法:分别以不同浓度的替米沙坦处理人类急性髓系白血病细胞U937;以CCK-8法检测不同浓度替米沙坦对U937细胞的生长抑制作用;以集落形成实验观察不同浓度替米沙坦对U937细胞集落形成能力的影响;以Annexin V-PI双染法及Hoechst 33342染色法检测不同浓度替米沙坦作用前后U937细胞凋亡程度的变化;以流式细胞术检测U937细胞表面抗原CD11b的阳性表达率,瑞氏染色后倒置显微镜进行细胞形态学观察,了解U937细胞的分化情况;以Western blot法检测不同浓度替米沙坦作用U937细胞后凋亡相关蛋白表达量的改变。结果:CCK-8实验结果证实替米沙坦呈时间和剂量依赖性抑制U937细胞的生长;集落形成实验显示低剂量替米沙坦可以完全抑制U937细胞的集落形成能力;Annexin V-PI双染法及Hoechst 33342法结果证实替米沙坦可以诱导U937细胞凋亡;细胞表面抗原流式检测术及瑞氏染色结果证实替米沙坦可以促进部分U937细胞分化;Western blot实验结果证实替米沙坦作用于U937细胞72 h后,促凋亡相关蛋白cleaved PARP及cleaved caspase-3蛋白的水平明显增高。结论:替米沙坦可以抑制细胞增殖以及诱导U937细胞部分分化,并通过caspase依赖的凋亡途径触发U937细胞凋亡。     

A humanized anti-human Fas antibody, R-125224, induces apoptosis in type I activated lymphocytes but not in type II cells

Fas-mediated apoptosis plays an important role in the immune system, including the elimination of autoreactive lymphoid cells. The Fas-mediated signaling pathway is classified into two types, type I and type II, in human lymphoid cell lines. We investigated whether a humanized anti-human Fas mAb, R-125224, has cell selectivity in induction of apoptosis. R-125224 induced apoptosis in H9 cells, SKW6.4 cells and activated human lymphocytes when cross-linked with anti-human IgG. On the other hand, R-125224 did not induce apoptosis in HPB-ALL cells, Jurkat cells or human hepatocytes. By analysis of death-inducing signaling complex formation, it was demonstrated that R-125224 induced apoptosis selectively in type I cells but not in type II cells. Type I cells also expressed more Fas and had more Fas-clustering activity than type II cells. Moreover, co-localization of these clusters and GM1, which is an sphingoglycolipid associated with lipid rafts, was detected. It was also shown that R-125224 treatment could reduce the number of activated human CD3+Fas+ cells in a SCID mouse model in vivo. Thus, we demonstrated that R-125224 induces apoptosis specifically in type I cells in vitro and in vivo.     

Inhibition of proteasome activity in Gleditsia sinensis fruit extract-mediated apoptosis on human carcinoma cells

The anomalous fruit extract of Gleditsia sinensis (GSE) was shown to possess anticancer potential on various solid tumour and leukaemia cell lines in vitro. We have recently demonstrated that the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway including mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, changes in the level of reactive oxygen species and activation of caspase 3 were recruited in GSE-induced apoptosis. Whether receptor-dependent APO-1/Fas apoptotic pathway is also involved remains uncertain. Using two solid tumour cell lines, the HepG2 hepatoblastoma carcinoma cells and MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells, we demonstrated that the Fas ligand and Fas receptor protein levels did not have significant variation after GSE incubation. Caspase 8 activity increased only weakly when compared with that of caspase 3. The chrymotrypsin-like activity of proteasome was partially inhibited up to 30-40% when compared with the untreated control. Taken together, we believe that GSE- mediated apoptosis on HepG2 and MDA-MB231 carcinoma cells is mainly dictated by the mitochondrial-dependent pathway while inhibition of proteasome activity may also be involved in GSE-induced apoptosis.     

JNK,but not MAPK,activation is associated with Fas-mediated apoptosis in human T cells

Fas is a cell surface molecule that is expressed on a wide array of cell types and triggers apoptosis. While in most situations Fas ligation activates programmed cell death, on resting T lymphocytes it can co-stimulate proliferation with the T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 complex. This incongruity suggests that Fas may elicit signaling events that overlap with those used by proliferation cues. We observe that in the human T cell line Jurkat and in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, Fas stimulation does not signal by the Ras/Raf-1/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway or by increased intracellular calcium. Rather, Fas ligation strongly activates Jun kinase (JNK). This activity, as well as Fas-induced apoptosis, is blocked by increased levels of cAMP. The balance between proliferation and apoptosis by Fas triggering of T lymphocytes may therefore reflect a signaling ratio between TCR activation of the Ras/Raf-1/MAPK pathway versus JNK activation by Fas.     

Curcumin induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells and inhibits tumor growth in vitro and in vivo

Curcumin has shown therapeutic and/or adjuvant therapeutic effects on the treatment of some patients with breast cancer. However, its mechanisms of action are largely unknown. This study was designed to investigate its antitumor effect and underlying mechanisms in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. The MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability, and flow cytometry, acridine orange staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect apoptosis for cultured cells. The protein expression in cells was evaluated by western blot analysis. Breast tumors were established by subcutaneous injection of MDA-MB-231 cells in nude BALB/c mice, and curcumin was administered to the mice. The size of tumors was monitored and the weight of tumors was examined. The exposure of breast cancer cells to curcumin resulted in growth inhibition and the induction of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased and the expression of Bax protein increased which lead to an increase of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. In mice bearing MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors, administration of curcumin showed a significant decrease of tumor volumes and tumor weight compared with the control. Our results showed that curcumin exhibited antitumor effects in breast cancer cells with an induction of apoptosis.     

Helicobacter pylori induces apoptosis of human monocytes but not monocyte-derived dendritic cells: role of the cag pathogenicity island

Monocytes are circulating precursors of the dendritic cell subset, professional antigen-presenting cells with a unique ability to initiate the innate and adaptive immune response. In this study, we have investigated the effects of wild-type Helicobacter pylori strains and their isogenic mutants with mutations in known bacterial virulence factors on monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells. We show that H. pylori strains induce apoptosis of human monocytes by a mechanism that is dependent on the expression of a functional cag pathogenicity island. This effect requires an intact injection organelle for direct contact between monocytes and the bacteria but also requires a still-unidentified effector that is different from VacA or CagA. The exposure of in vitro-generated monocyte-derived dendritic cells to H. pylori stimulates the release of inflammatory cytokines by a similar mechanism. Of note is that dendritic cells are resistant to H. pylori-induced apoptosis. These phenomena may play a critical role in the evasion of the immune response by H. pylori, contributing to the persistence of the infection.     

Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) activates RhoGTPases, induces actin polymerization and inhibits migration of human dendritic cells, but does not influence macropinocytosis

Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered as one of the principal initiators of immune responses. In their immature state, they migrate into peripheral tissue in order to uptake antigen and to patrol for danger signals. Upon maturation, they acquire the ability to migrate to the lymph nodes and present the captured antigens to T cells in order to direct the development of specific immune responses. There is evidence that microbial compounds interfere with proper functions of DCs in order to block innate and specific immunity. Here we characterized the influence of Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) on monocyte-derived DCs. Using pull-down assays with recombinant rhotekin or p21-activated kinase, we demonstrated the activation of RhoGTPases by PMT in DCs. Moreover, PMT induced changes in DC morphology and actin polymerization, impaired chemotaxin-induced actin re-organization and inhibited their migration response. However, macropinocytosis was not influenced by PMT. In summary, these data indicate that PMT inhibits proper function of the motility machinery in DCs, which might limit the development of adaptive immune surveillance during infection with Pasteurella multocida.     

Role of thyroid hormones in regulation of genetic activity of normal and transformed human cells

Thyroid hormones labeled with¹²⁵I are localized on structures of the interphase nucleus and metaphase chromosomes of fibroblasts from 8–10-week human embryos in culture. Meanwhile, although labeled thyroid hormones are present in interphase nuclei of HeLa cells, by contrast with normal cells they are not accepted by their metaphase chromosomes. It is suggested on the basis of the results that the acceptor region of the genome of HeLa cells during transformation have lost their ability to bind their own receptor complexes with thyroid hormones.Laboratory of Cytochemistry and Electron Microscopy, Institute of Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Byullenten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 7, pp. 81–83, July, 1979.