• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.36 no.8
• /
• pp.828-833
• /
• 2003

Dially disulfide (DADS), a component of garlic (Allium sativum), has been known to exert potent chemopreventive activity against various cancers. In this study, the synergistic effect of DADS and daunorubicin on the cytotoxicity of HL-60 cells, a human leukemia cell line, was investigated. DADS at 25 M greatly potentiated daunorubicin-induced cell death, decreasing cell viabilityto50%ofthe control. Daunorubicin-induced apoptosis was accompanied by the activation of caspase-3, the degradation of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and D4-GDI, and DNA fragmentation, which were blocked by pre-treatment with acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp- dialdehyde (Ac-DEVD-CHO). Treatment that combined 25 M DADS and 100 nM daunorubicin caused a similar degree of caspase-3 activation, PARP and D4-GDI degradation, and DNA fragmentation to that caused by treatment with 250 nM daunorubicin alone. These results indicate that combined therapy using daunorubicin with DADS, a component of food, and garlic can effectively decrease the therapeutic dose of daunorubicin, preventing the severe side effects of daunorubicin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.19 no.9
• /
• pp.946-950
• /
• 2009

In the course of screening for apoptotic substances that induce apoptosis in human leukemia U937 cells, a fungal strain, F000487, which exhibits potent inducible activity, was selected. The active compound was purified from an ethyl acetate extract of the microorganism by Sep-pak $C_{18}$ column chromatography and HPLC, and was identified as atromentin by spectroscopic methods. This compound induced caspase-3 processing in human leukemia U937 cells. The caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were induced by atromentin in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation was also induced by this compound in a dose-dependent manner. These results show that atromentin potently induces apoptosis in U937 cells and that atromentin-induced apoptosis is related to the selective activation of caspases.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.313.3-314
• /
• 2002

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme expressed in response to a variety of cytokines and other proinflammatory stimuli. It has been known that aberrant up-regulation of COX-2 is associated with resistance to apoptosis. Contrary to the above notion. treatment of MCF10A-ras cells with the anti-tumor agent ET -18-O-$CH_3$ caused increased expression of COX-2 and its mRNA transcript. while inducing apoptosis as revealed by proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. caspase-3 activation, and positive TUNEL staining. (omitted)

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.259-265
• /
• 2002

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in grapes, berries, and peanuts, is one of the most promising agents for cancer prevention. Recent studies show that the antitumor activity of resveratrol occurs through p53-mediated apoptosis. This study demonstrated the mechanism that resveratrol induced apoptosis in human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells lacking p53. Treatment of osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells with resveratrol resulted in decrease of cell viability, which was revealed as apoptosis characterized by activation of caspase-3 protease as well as cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) with change of mitochondrial membrane potential transition. These results suggest that resveratrol may be potentially useful to treat osteosarcoma via activation of caspase protease and mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.275-283
• /
• 2002

Fungal metabolite, gliotoxin is an epipolythiodioxopiperazin (ETP) class and has various roles including immunomodulatory and apoptotic effects. This study was designed to evaluate the mechanism by which gliotoxin exerts the apoptosis on human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells. Herein, we demonstrated that the gliotoxin decreased the cell viability in a time-dependent manner Gliotoxin-induced cell death was confirmed us apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation and ladder-pattern fragmentation of genomic DNA. Gliotoxin increased the catalytic activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Activation of caspase-3 was further confirmed by degradation of procaspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by gliotoxin in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, gliotoxin induced the changes of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP). Antioxidants, including GSH and NAC, markedly inhibited apoptosis with conistent suppression of enzymatic activity of caspase-3, caspase-9, and MTP loss in gliotoxin-treated cells. Taken together, we suggest that gliotoxin function as an oxidant and ploys proapoptotic roles in HL-60 cells via activation of intrinsic caspase cascades as well as mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.29 no.12
• /
• pp.1140-1146
• /
• 2006

Ceramide analogs are potential chemotherapeutic agents. We report that a ceramide analog induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. The ceramide analog induced cell death through an apoptotic mechanism, which was demonstrated by DNA fragmentation, the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), and a loss of membrane asymmetry. Treating the cells with ceramide analog resulted in the release of various proapoptotic mitochondrial proteins including cytochrome c and Smac/DIBLO into the cytosol, and a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, the ceramide analog decreased the phospho-Akt and phospho-Bad levels. The expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 decreased slightly with increasing Bax to Bcl-2 ratio. These results suggest that the ceramide analog induces apoptosis by regulating multiple signaling pathways that involve the mitochondrial pathway.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2002.05a
• /
• pp.80-80
• /
• 2002

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme expressed in response to a variety of cytokines. The presence of oncogenic ras has been associated with sustained induction of COX-2, which confers resistance to apoptosis. Contrary to the above notion, we found that MCF10A-ras cells treated with an anti-tumor agent, ET-18-O-$CH_3$, underwent apoptosis as revealed by proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, pro-caspase 3 activity, and TUNEL staining, while the same treatment caused an increased expression of COX-2 as well as the elevated production of prostaglandin E$_2$(PGE$_2$).(omitted)

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.62-67
• /
• 2012

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising agent for management of cancer because of its selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells. However, some cancer cells have resistance to TRAIL. Accordingly, novel treatment strategies are required to overcome TRAIL resistance. Here, we examined the synergistic apoptotic effect of apigenin in combination with TRAIL in Huh-7 cells. We found that combined treatment of TRAIL and apigenin markedly inhibited Huh-7 cell growth compared to either agent alone by inducing apoptosis. Combined treatment with apigenin and TRAIL induced chromatin condensation and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). In addition, enhanced apoptosis by TRAIL/apigenin combination was quantified by annexin V/PI flow cytometry analysis. Western blot analysis suggested that apigenin sensitizes cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by activating both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway-related caspases. The augmented apoptotic effect by TRAIL/apigenin combination was accompanied by triggering mitochondria-dependent signaling pathway, as indicated by Bax/Bcl-2 ratio up-regulation. Our results demonstrate that combination of TRAIL and apigenin facilitates apoptosis in Huh-7 cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.1253-1257
• /
• 2004

6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine (6ME), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from the methanol extracts of Hylomecon hylomeconoides, showed a dose-dependent effect at 1-10 ${\mu}M$ on causing apoptotic cell death in HT29 colon carcinoma cells $(IC_{50} = 5.0{\pm}0.2 {\mu}M)$. Treatment of HT-29 cells with 6ME resulted in the formation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Treatment of the cells with 6ME caused activation of caspase-3, -8 and 9 protease and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. 6ME increased the expression of p53 and Bax and decreased the expression of Bid. These results indicate that p53 and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins might participate in the antiproliferative activity of 6ME in HT29 cells.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
• /
• 2004.06a
• /
• pp.297-301
• /
• 2004

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of MCS-C2, a novel analogue of toyocamycin and sangivamycin, in human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells. When treated with MCS-C2, inhibited proliferation associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptotic induction was found in the HL-60 cells in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. This apoptotic induction was associated with the cleavage of Bid and a release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol, followed by the activation of caspase-3 and inactivation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). However, there was no significant change in any other mitochondrial membrane proteins, such as Bcl-2 and Bax. Consequently, the current findings suggest that the mitochondrial pathway was primarily involved in the MCS-C2-induced apoptosis in the human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells.