Caspase 8

Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors control diverse cellular functions, such as cell death, metabolism, and longevity. We analyzed FOXO3/FKHRL1 expression and subcellular localization in tumor sections of neuroblastoma patients and observed a correlation between nuclear FOXO3 and high caspase-8 expression. In neuroblastoma caspase-8 is frequently silenced by DNA methylation. Conditional FOXO3 activated caspase-8 gene expression but did not change the DNA-methylation pattern of regulatory sequences in the caspase-8 gene.

BACKGROUND: Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are commonly occurring neoplasms with diverse endocrine and neurological effects. Although somatic gene mutations are uncommon in sporadic PAs, recent studies lend support to epigenetic modification as a potential cause of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. METHODS: A systematic literature review of the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was conducted to identify abstracts (n=1,082) pertaining to key targets and mechanisms implicated in epigenetic dysregulation of PAs published between 1993-2013.

This report is designed to explore the molecular mechanism by which dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and ionizing radiation (IR) induce apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. DHA treatment induced a concentration- and time-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cell death with typical apoptotic characteristics such as breakdown of mitochondrial membrane potential (??m), caspases activation, DNA fragmentation and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization.

The present study was undertaken to gain insights into the molecular mechanism of cell death (apoptosis) by guggulsterone, a constituent of Ayurvedic medicinal plant Commiphora mukul, using PC-3 human prostate cancer cells as a model. The viability of PC-3 cells, but not a normal prostate epithelial cell line (PrEC), was reduced significantly on treatment with guggulsterone in a concentration-dependent manner.

Amooranin (AMR) is a triterpene acid isolated from the stem bark of a tropical tree (Amoora rohituka) grown wild in India. A. rohituka stem bark is one of the components of a medicinal preparation used in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of human malignancies. We investigated the mechanism of cell death associated with AMR cytotoxicity in human mammary carcinoma MCF-7, multidrug resistant breast carcinoma MCF-7/TH and breast epithelial MCF-10A cell lines. AMR IC50 values ranged between 3.8-6.9 microg/ml among MCF-7, MCF-7/TH and MCF-10A cells.

The present study was undertaken to gain insights into the molecular mechanism of cell death (apoptosis) by guggulsterone, a constituent of Ayurvedic medicinal plant Commiphora mukul, using PC-3 human prostate cancer cells as a model. The viability of PC-3 cells, but not a normal prostate epithelial cell line (PrEC), was reduced significantly on treatment with guggulsterone in a concentration-dependent manner.

Acetyl-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), a triterpenoid isolated from Boswellia carterri Birdw and Boswellia serrata, has been found to inhibit tumor cell growth and to induce apoptosis. The apoptotic effects and the mechanisms of action of AKBA were studied in LNCaP and PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. AKBA induced apoptosis in both cell lines at concentrations above 10 microg/mL. AKBA-induced apoptosis was correlated with the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 as well as with poly(ADP)ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage.

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and its metabolite 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) inhibit mitogen-induced proliferative response in liver and colon cancer cells. SAMe and MTA are also proapoptotic in liver cancer cells by selectively inducing Bcl-x(S) expression. The aims of this work were to assess whether these agents are proapoptotic in colon cancer cells, and if so, to elucidate the molecular mechanisms. We found that both SAMe and MTA are proapoptotic in HT-29 and RKO cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

The inflammatory response during pancreatitis regulates necrotic and apoptotic rates of parenchymal cells. Neutrophil depletion by use of anti-polymorphonuclear serum (anti-PMN) increases apoptosis in experimental pancreatitis but the mechanism has not been determined. Our study was designed to investigate signaling mechanisms in pancreatic parenchymal cells regulating death responses with neutrophil depletion. Rats were neutrophil depleted with anti-PMN treatment. Then cerulein pancreatitis was induced, followed by measurements of apoptosis signaling pathways.

The elderly patients show a significantly elevated mortality rate during sepsis than younger patients, due to their higher propensity to microvascular dysfunction and consequential multiorgan failure. We tested whether aging renders vascular endothelial cells more susceptible to damage induced by inflammatory factors present in the circulation during sepsis. Primary microvascular endothelial cells derived from young (3 months) and aged (24 months) Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats were treated with sera obtained from sepsis patients and healthy controls.