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DNA methylation at CpG rich regions often occurs at tumor suppressor gene promoters, resulting in reduced gene expression and final carcinogenesis. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes, including DAPK-1 and RASSF-1α genes, have been found in patients with bladder carcinoma (BC) in some western countries. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was reported to play a causative role in gene hypermethylation. In this study, we detected the methylation status and expression of DAPK1 and RASSF-1α genes in tissue samples from Chinese BC patients, using methylation-specific PCR, reverse transcription PCR and western blotting. Further, we examined the ability of dioscin, a natural antioxidant, to regulate methylation status and expression of DAPK-1 and RASSF-1α genes in BC cell lines. In our results, DAPK-1 and RASSF-1α genes showed higher methylation level and lower express level in BC tissues than matched normal tissues. Treatment with dioscin decreased viability of BC 5637 and T24 cells, but not non-cancer bladder epithelial cell, SV-HUC-1. Dioscin triggered demethylation of DAPK1 and RASSF-1α genes in T24 cells and increased the gene and protein expression in 5637 and T24 cells. Both dioscin and substituted antioxidants (N-acetyl cysteine and Vitamin E) decreased intracellular ROS, but the effect of dioscin was abolished by adding H2O2. Similar to dioscin, the substituted antioxidants also induced the gene demethylation and T24 cell apoptosis. Co-treatment with dioscin and H2O2 had no such effects. Collectively, dioscin induces demethylation of DAPK-1 and RASSF-1α genes via the antioxidant capacity, resulting in apoptosis of bladder cancer T24 cells or inhibitory cell viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPPT) is extracted and separated from citrus-related plants, including Podophyllum (P.) peltatum, P. pleianthum, P. emodi (also called P. hexandrum) and Diphylleia grayi. DPPT has significant antitumor and antiviral activity. However, due to its strong toxicity and side effects, its use is limited in practical applications. The in vitro antitumor efficacy of DPPT on human prostate cancer (PCa) cells remains to be determined. The present study investigated the anticancer effect of DPPT on human PCa cells and its potential mechanism. The data revealed that DPPT markedly reduced cell proliferation and activated the caspase-3 expression level by an increase in apoptotic cell death in DU-145 cells. In addition, treatment with DPPT markedly downregulated the levels of phosphorylated Akt and activated the p53/B-cell lymphoma 2 associated X protein (Bax)/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) signaling pathway in DU-145 cells, suggesting that caspase-mediated pathways were involved in DPPT-induced apoptosis. The present study suggested the role of DPPT as a novel chemotherapeutic drug for human PCa, which may function through the Akt/p53/Bax/PTEN signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to stimuli, nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins (NLRs) oligomerize into multiprotein complexes, termed inflammasomes, mediating innate immunity. Recognition of bacterial pathogens by NLR apoptosis inhibitory proteins (NAIPs) induces NLR family CARD domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4) activation and formation of NAIP-NLRC4 inflammasomes. The wheel-like structure of a PrgJ-NAIP2-NLRC4 complex determined by cryogenic electronmicroscopy at 6.6 angstrom reveals that NLRC4 activation involves substantial structural reorganization that creates one oligomerization surface (catalytic surface). Once activated, NLRC4 uses this surface to catalyze the activation of an inactive NLRC4, self-propagating its active conformation to form the wheel-like architecture. NAIP proteins possess a catalytic surface matching the other oligomerization surface (receptor surface) of NLRC4 but not those of their own, ensuring that one NAIP is sufficient to initiate NLRC4 oligomerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant gliomas are the most common type of primary malignancy of the central nervous system, with a poor prognosis. The therapeutic options for malignant gliomas are limited and far from satisfactory, and novel treatment strategies are urgently required to improve the outcome of the disease. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling pathway regulates cell proliferation, motility and survival. The dysregulation of this signaling pathway has been implicated in the development of malignant gliomas. In the present study, GSK1904529A, a small molecule inhibitor of IGF-1R, suppressed glioma cell viability, induced glioma cell apoptosis and inhibited glioma cell migration in vitro. In addition, GSK1904529A inhibited glioma tumor growth and induced tumor cell apoptosis in vivo. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested GSK1904529A as a promising agent for the treatment of malignant glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in the nervous system in both adult and pediatric patients. Studies suggest that abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinases contributes to pathological development of glioblastoma. However, current therapies targeting tyrosine kinase receptors have poor therapeutic outcomes. Here, we examined anticancer effects of ponatinib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on glioblastoma cells both in the U87MG cell line and in the mouse xenograft model. We showed that ponatinib treatment reduced cell viability and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in U87MG cells. In addition, ponatinib suppressed migration and invasion of U87MG cells effectively. Furthermore, ponatinibtreated tumors showed an obvious reduction of tumor volume and an increase of apoptosis as compared with vehicle-treated tumors in the mouse xenograft model. These findings support a potential application of ponatinib as a chemotherapeutic option against glioblastoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the effects of permissive hypercapnia on ultrastructural histopathological changes, neurologic behavioral assessments, cerebral edema, and neuronal apoptosis. It discloses the administration of bilateral occlusion on the common of carotid arteries and 15-minute controlled hypotension to male Wistar rats under the ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) group while the carbon dioxide are inhaled by rats belonging to other group. It reveals that moderate permissive hypercapnia improves the histologic injury and neurologic outcome from global cerebral ischemia and that greater degrees of hypercapnia resulted to more severe edema in the brain.

The developing limb serves as a paradigm for studying pattern formation and morphogenetic cell death. Here, we show that conditional deletion of N-Myc (Mycn) in the developing mouse limb leads to uniformly small skeletal elements and profound soft-tissue syndactyly. The small skeletal elements are associated with decreased proliferation of limb bud mesenchyme and small cartilaginous condensations, and syndactyly is associated with a complete absence of interdigital cell death. Although Myc family proteins have pro-apoptotic activity, N-Myc is not expressed in interdigital cells undergoing programmed cell death. We provide evidence indicating that the lack of interdigital cell death and associated syndactyly is related to an absence of interdigital cells marked by expression of Fgfr2 and Msx2. Thus, instead of directly regulating interdigital cell death, we propose that N-Myc is required for the proper generation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells that become localized to interdigital regions and trigger digit separation when eliminated by programmed cell death. Our results provide new insight into mechanisms that control limb development and suggest that defects in the formation of N-Myc-dependent interdigital tissue may be a root cause of common syndromic forms of syndactyly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mnt (Max's next tango) is a Max-interacting transcriptional repressor that can antagonize both the proproliferative and proapoptotic functions of Myc in vitro. To ascertain the physiologically relevant functions of Mnt and to help define the relationship between Mnt and Myc in vivo, we generated a series of mouse strains in which Mnt was deleted in T cells in the absence of endogenous c-Myc or in the presence of ectopic c-Myc. We found that apoptosis caused by loss of Mnt did not require Myc but that ectopic Myc expression dramatically decreased the survival of both Mnt-deficient T cells in vivo and Mnt-deficient MEFs in vitro. Consequently, Myc-driven proliferative expansion of T cells in vitro and thymoma formation in vivo were prevented by the absence of Mnt. Consistent with T-cell models, mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking Mnt were refractory to oncogenic transformation by Myc. Tumor suppression caused by loss of Mnt was linked to increased apoptosis mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, although theoretically and experimentally a Myc antagonist, the dominant physiological role of Mnt appears to be suppression of apoptosis. Our results redefine the physiological relationship between Mnt and Myc and requirements for Myc-driven oncogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are emerging as a novel class of anti-tumor agents and have manifested the ability to decrease proliferation and increase apoptosis in different cancer cells. A significant number of genes have been identified as potential effectors responsible for the anti-tumor function of HDAC inhibitor. However, the molecular mechanisms of these HDAC inhibitors in this process remain largely undefined. In the current study, we searched for microRNAs (miRs) that were affected by HDAC inhibitor trichostatin (TSA) and investigated their effects in endometrial cancer (EMC) cells. Our data showed that TSA significantly inhibited the growth of EMC cells and induced their apoptosis. Among the miRNAs that altered in the presence of TSA, the miR-106b-93-25 cluster, together with its host gene MCM7, were obviously down-regulated in EMC cells. p21 and BIM, which were identified as target genes of miR-106b-93-25 cluster, increased in TSA treated tumor cells and were responsible for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We further identified MYC as a regulator of miR-106b-93-25 cluster and demonstrated its down-regulation in the presence of TSA resulted in the reduction of miR-106b-93-25 cluster and up-regulation of p21 and BIM. More important, we found miR-106b-93-25 cluster was up-regulated in clinical EMC samples in association with the overexpression of MCM7 and MYC and the down-regulation of p21 and BIM. Thus our studies strongly indicated TSA inhibited EMC cell growth and induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at least partially through the down-regulation of the miR-106b-93-25 cluster and up-regulation of it's target genes p21 and BIM via MYC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that determines the potential of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) and MYC/BRD4 in inducing growth arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells.

Background Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an important clinical syndrome. Inhalation anesthetics are commonly used during surgery, and it has been proposed that inhalation anesthetics impair cognitive function. However, there are few clinical interventions and treatments available to prevent this disorder. GTS-21, a selective agonist of alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, has been indicated to exert neuroprotective effects in the experimental animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that pretreatment with GTS-21 attenuates isoflurane-induced cognitive decline in aged rats. Methods In the present study, 20-mo-old rats were administered GTS-21or an equal volume of saline by intraperitoneal injection 30 min before exposure to isoflurane. Then the rats were exposed to 1.3% isoflurane for 4 h. Spatial learning and memory of the rats were assessed at 2 wk after isoflurane exposure. The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-a in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Simultaneously, neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus was also observed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining and Nissl staining. Results We found that exposure to isoflurane induces learning and memory deficits of old rats. IL-1β in the hippocampus was increased at 4 h after isoflurane exposure. Isoflurane also increased neuroapoptosis in the hippocampus and decreased neuronal density in the CA1 region. And GTS-21 pretreatment effectively alleviated these changes. Conclusions The study demonstrated that pretreatment with a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist GTS-21 attenuates isoflurane-induced learning and memory impairment in aged rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous work had found that telomerase rejuvenated in the cytoplasm of corneal epithelial cells cultured in embryonic stem cell-conditioned medium, the functional properties of stem-like corneal epithelial cells can be enhanced by co- culturing with embryonic stem cells (ESCs) via activation of the integrinb1-FAK-PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The goal of this study was to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of the ES micro-environment that enhance the stem cell-like phenotype and inhibit apoptosis in human limbal stem cells (LSC). The LSC were cultured in different media, either CnT-20 medium or CnT-20 +20% ES culture supernatant (ESC-CM). We observed that LSC cultured in ESC-CM had an increased proliferative capacity, greater serial passage capacity, higher colony-forming efficiency (CFE) and higher levels of stem cell- associated marker than those cultured in CnT-20. Compared with CnT-20, ESC-CM enhanced the undifferentiated status and inhibited apoptosis in the LSC by promoting the maintenance of telomerase activity, which could reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), maintain the membrane potential (Dym) at higher levels and reduce the expression of the p21 protein. Our findings indicated that ESC-CM system induced LSC to maintain a stem cell phenotype and inhibit the process of apoptosis. These effects might partially be achieved via the telomerase-p21-mitochondrial axis and the activation of the FAK/Wnt signaling pathways. This study may have high impact and clinic implication on the expansion of LSC in regenerative medicine, especially for ocular surface reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brd4, a bromodomain protein capable of interacting with acetylated histones, is implicated in transmitting epigenetic memory through mitosis. It also functions as an associated factor and positive regulator of P-TEFb, a Cdk9-cyclin T1 heterodimer that stimulates transcriptional elongation by phosphorylating RNA polymerase II. In the present study, experiments were performed to determine whether these two functions of Brd4 are interrelated and, if so, how they may impact cell cycle progression. Our data demonstrate that while the P-TEFb level remains constant, the Brd4-P-TEFb interaction increases dramatically in cells progressing from late mitosis to early G1. Concurrently, P-TEFb is recruited to chromosomes, beginning around mid- to late anaphase and before nuclear envelope/lamina formation and nuclear import of other general transcription factors. Importantly, the recruitment of P-TEFb depends on Brd4. Abrogation of this process through Brd4 knockdown reduces the binding of P-TEFb to and expression of key G1 and growth-associated genes, leading to G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Because P-TEFb is synonymous with productive elongation, its recruitment by Brd4 to chromosomes at late mitosis may indicate those genes whose active transcription status must be preserved across cell division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depletion of CD4+ T cells is the hallmark of HIV infection and AIDS progression. In addition to the direct killing of the viral-infected cells, HIV infection also leads to increased apoptosis of predominantly uninfected bystander cells. This is mediated in part through the HIV-1 Tat protein, which is secreted by the infected cells and taken up by uninfected cells. Using an affinity-purification approach, a specific and direct interaction of Tat with tubulin and polymerized microtubules has been detected. This interaction does not affect the secretion and uptake of Tat, but is critical for Tat to induce apoptosis. Tat binds tubulin/ microtubules through a four-amino-acid subdomain of its conserved core region, leading to the alteration of microtubule dynamics and activation of a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. Bim, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 relative and a transducer of death signals initiated by perturbation of microtubule dynamics, facilitates the Tat-induced apoptosis. Our findings reveal a strategy by which Tat induces apoptosis by targeting the microtubule network. Thus HIV-1 Tat joins a growing list of pathogen-derived proteins that target the cytoskeleton of host cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]