Regulation by sphingosine 1-phosphate of Bax and Bad activities during apoptosis in a MEK-dependent manner

Herein we report that the prosurvival sphingolipid sphingosine 1-phosphate regulates the activities of both Bad and Bax during apoptosis of Jurkat cells. First, sphingosine 1-phosphate treatment results in Bad inactivation via the ERK/Rsk-1 pathway. Second, sphingosine 1-phosphate blocks the translocation of Bax to the mitochondria induced by Fas ligation. MEK inhibition by PD98059 or U0126 not only abrogates sphingosine 1-phosphate-induced Bad phosphorylation, but also its cytoprotective effect. Furthermore, inhibition of both mitochondrial cytochrome c efflux and Bax translocation to the mitochondria by sphingosine 1-phosphate could be overcome by PD98059 or U0126. Hence, the MEK/ERK pathway seems to be crucial for the survival effects initiated by sphingosine 1-phosphate.     

HIV-1 Nef protects human-monocyte-derived macrophages from HIV-1-induced apoptosis

HIV-1 Nef is the regulatory protein expressed earliest and most abundantly in the infection cycle. Its expression has been correlated with a plethora of effects detectable either in producer, target, and bystander cells, as well as in the viral particles. Even if the relationship between Nef expression and apoptosis has been already matter of investigation in infected lymphocytes, whose resistance to HIV infection is however limited to few days, this remains to be investigated in cells that in vivo well resist the HIV cytopathic effect. In such an instance, we were interested in establishing whether Nef influences the apoptotic processes in primary human-monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM). High efficiency HIV-1 infection of MDM allowed us to establish that virus-expressed Nef strongly counteracts the HIV-1-induced apoptosis. The Nef mutant analysis suggested that this effect relies on the interaction with different protein partners and cell compartments. We also observed that the Nef protection to the HIV-1-induced apoptosis correlated with the hyper-phosphorylation and consequent inactivation of the pro-apoptotic Bad protein. On the basis of these results, we propose the Nef anti-apoptotic effect as a relevant part of the mechanism of the in vivo establishment of the HIV macrophage reservoirs.     

Inhibition of PI3-kinase-Akt pathway enhances dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in a human follicular lymphoma cell line

Glucocorticoids are commonly used in the treatment of various lymphoid malignancies. In the present study, we show that dexamethasone (Dex) induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, release of cytochrome c and DNA fragmentation in a human follicular lymphoma cell line, HF28RA. New protein synthesis was required before Dex-induced mitochondrial changes, and the kinetics of the apoptotic events correlated with the upregulation of the Bim protein. Furthermore, we studied whether specific inhibitors of known survival pathways would potentiate Dex-induced apoptosis. Our results show that inhibition of PKC and ERK pathways had no effect on apoptosis. In contrast, inhibition of PI3-kinase or Akt markedly enhanced Dex-induced apoptosis. The enhancement was seen at the mitochondrial level, and the kinetics of apoptosis was notably accelerated. In addition, inhibition of PI3-kinase did not alter levels of Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) or Bim proteins in mitochondria but caused translocation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bad to mitochondria. However, inhibition of PI3-kinase-Akt pathway and subsequent translocation of Bad to mitochondria did not induce apoptosis itself. Based on these results and our current understanding of Bim and Bad action, it seems that both proteins play a synergistic role in this process. Thus, these results indicate that inhibitors of PI3-kinase-Akt pathway might be combined in future with glucocorticoids to improve the treatment of lymphoid malignancies.     

Dehydrocostus lactone inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by PI3K/Akt/Bad and ERS signalling pathway in human laryngeal carcinoma

The anti-cancer effect of dehydrocostus lactone (DHL) derived from Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipech against laryngeal carcinoma was assessed. The cytotoxic activity of DHL against laryngeal carcinoma is still obscure. Therefore, our study investigated the role of DHL in the growth inhibition of laryngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo, and the molecular mechanism of DHL-induced apoptosis in cancer cells of the larynx. The results showed that DHL inhibits the viability, migration and proliferation of Hep-2 and TU212 cells with little toxic effects on human normal larynx epithelial HBE cell line. Flow cytometry analysis (FAC) analysis and staining assay (Hoechst 33258) indicated that DHL stimulated Hep-2 and TU212 cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, DHL is capable of inhibiting Hep-2 and TU212 cell viability via promoting p53 and P21 function, meanwhile DHL dose-dependently induces Hep-2 and TU212 cells apoptosis via activating mitochondrial apoptosis by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/Bad pathway and stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis pathway. In vivo, DHL inhibited the growth of the Hep-2 nude mouse xenograft model and observed no significant signs of toxicity in the organs of nude mice. In vivo experiments further confirmed the anti-cancer effect of DHL on laryngeal carcinoma cells in vitro, and DHL-treated nude mice can reduce the volume of tumours. Together, our study indicated that DHL has the potential to inhibit human laryngeal carcinoma via activating mitochondrial apoptosis pathway by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/Bad signalling pathway and stimulating endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis pathway, providing a strategy for the treatment of human laryngeal carcinoma.     

Narcocorridos and newbie drug dealers: the changing image of the Mexican Narco on US television

As a Spanish-language broadcast programme based on a sympathetic Mexican character who also happens to be a drug kingpin, La Reina del Sur negotiates the perilous terrain of the European drug trade and an omnipresent hostility directed at Mexicans. As cable programmes with the industrial freedom to venture into spaces in between prosocial and antisocial, Weeds and Breaking Bad attempt to incorporate a more nuanced and culturally informed characterization of the Mexican drug dealer – one that notably impacts the relationship of the white protagonists to their new occupations as producers and dealers of illegal substances. These three series – produced independently of one another and distributed on three different networks – have crossed paths in a manner that can be revealed through the intricacies of a controversial and complex cultural artifact: the narcocorrido.     

细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶Roscovitine诱导非小细胞肺癌A549细胞凋亡及其机制的研究

目的：探讨细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶（CDK）抑制剂Roseovitine（Ros）诱导非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）A549细胞凋亡及其作用机制。方法：以不同浓度Ros（101．1M、20yM、40μM）处理细胞24h,采用AnnexinV-PI染色以流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡,Westernblot法检测胞浆中和线粒体促凋亡蛋白Bax和Bad的表达,流式细胞仪检测线粒体膜电位（脚）变化。结果：Ros以剂量依赖的方式诱导A549细胞凋亡,同时Bad和Bax在胞浆的含量随着Ros剂量的增加而减少,而在线粒体中却出现相反的结果,线粒体膜电位随Ros剂量的增大而降低。结论：Ros可通过促进Bax和Bad由胞浆向线粒体易位,诱导NSCLCA549细胞由线粒体途径发生凋亡。     

细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶Roscovitine 诱导非小细胞肺癌A549 细胞凋亡及 其机制的研究

目的:探讨细胞周期蛋白依赖激酶(CDK)抑制剂Roscovitine(Ros)诱导非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)A549细胞凋亡及其作用机制。方法:以不同浓度Ros(10μM、20μM、40μM)处理细胞24h,采用Annexin V-PI染色以流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡,Westernblot法检测胞浆中和线粒体促凋亡蛋白Bax和Bad的表达,流式细胞仪检测线粒体膜电位(MMP)变化。结果:Ros以剂量依赖的方式诱导A549细胞凋亡,同时Bad和Bax在胞浆的含量随着Ros剂量的增加而减少,而在线粒体中却出现相反的结果,线粒体膜电位随Ros剂量的增大而降低。结论:Ros可通过促进Bax和Bad由胞浆向线粒体易位,诱导NSCLC A549细胞由线粒体途径发生凋亡。     

Simulating trends in crop yield and soil carbon in a long-term experiment—effects of rising CO2, N deposition and improved cultivation

Measurements of crop yield and soil carbon in the Bad Lauchstädt long-term fertiliser experiment were analysed with the FASSET model. The model satisfactorily predicted yield and soil carbon development in four treatments: no fertiliser, mineral fertiliser, farmyard manure and farmyard manure plus mineral fertiliser. However, there was a residual between the observed and simulated yield, which was correlated with year. This could be attributed to an increase in observed yields during the last six decades. Scenario analysis showed that the most probable explanation for this yield increase was the use of new crop varieties and/or pesticides, while the increase in atmospheric CO₂ and changes in local N deposition were of lesser importance. The rise in CO₂ thus only explained 9–37% of the yield increase. The observed and simulated developments in soil carbon were quite different in the four treatments. However, the changes within each treatment for different scenarios were much smaller than the substantial difference between treatments. Thus, it was concluded that the type of nutrient applied was more important than development in CO₂ concentration or N deposition in determining soil carbon.     

下生殖道病原微生物感染对孕妇妊娠结局的影响

目的了解本地区孕妇孕中期下生殖道病原微生物感染与不良妊娠结局的关系。方法真菌、滴虫、各种细菌、厌氧菌、支原体采用体外培养和生化反应的方法进行培养和鉴定,加德纳菌采用化学反应的方法检测唾液酸酶,沙眼衣原体采用金标法检测其抗原。结果有病原微生物感染所造成的不良妊娠结局明显高于无感染者（P〈0．01、P〈0．05）,其中多种病原微生物感染所造成的危害大于单一病原微生物感染。结论孕妇孕中期病原微生物感染会增加不良妊娠结局的发生率。