Ischemic preconditioning attenuates apoptotic cell death associated with ischemia/reperfusion

Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a genetically controlled response for cells to commit suicide and is associated with DNA fragmentation or laddering. The common inducers of apoptosis include oxygen free radicals/oxidative stress and Ca2+ which are also implicated in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury. To examine whether ischemic reperfusion injury is mediated by apoptotic cell death, isolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 15, 30 or 60 min of ischemia as well as 15 min of ischemia followed by 30, 60, 90 or 120 min of reperfusion. At the end of each experiment, the heart was processed for the evaluation of apoptosis and DNA laddering. Apoptosis was studied by visualizing the apoptotic cardiomyocytes by direct fluorescence detection of digoxigenin-labeled genomic DNA using APOPTAG® in situ apoptosis detection kit. DNA laddering was evaluated by subjecting the DNA obtained from the hearts to 1.8% agarose gel electrophoresis and photographed under UV illumination. The results of our study revealed apoptotic cells only in the 90 and 120 min reperfused hearts as demonstrated by the intense fluorescence of the immunostained digoxigenin-labeled genomic DNA when observed under fluorescence microscopy. None of the ischemic hearts showed any evidence of apoptosis. These results were corroborated with the findings of DNA fragmentation which showed increased ladders of DNA bands in the same reperfused hearts representing integer multiples of the internucleosomal DNA length (about 180 bp). The presence of apoptotic cells and DNA fragmentation in the myocardium were completely abolished by subjecting the myocardium to repeated short-term ischemia and reperfusion which also reduced the ischemic reperfusion injury as evidenced by better recovery of left ventricular performance in the preconditioned myocardium. The results of this study indicate that reperfusion of ischemic heart, but not ischemia, induces apoptotic cell death and DNA fragmentation which can be inhibited by myocardial adaptation to ischemia.     

Characterization of DNA damage in yeast apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and hyperosmotic shock

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been reported to die, under certain conditions, from programmed cell death with apoptotic markers. One of the most important markers is chromosomal DNA fragmentation as indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. We found TUNEL staining in S. cerevisiae to be a consequence of both single- and double-strand DNA breaks, whereas in situ ligation specifically stained double-strand DNA breaks. Cells treated with hydrogen peroxide or acetic acid staining positively for TUNEL assay stained negatively for in situ ligation, indicating that DNA damage in both cases mainly consists of single-strand DNA breaks. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA from cells dying from hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, or hyperosmotic shock revealed DNA breakdown into fragments of several hundred kilobases, consistent with the higher order chromatin degradation preceding DNA laddering in apoptotic mammalian cells. DNA fragmentation was associated with death by treatment with 10 mM hydrogen peroxide but not 150 mM and was absent if cells were fixed with formaldehyde to eliminate enzyme activity before hydrogen peroxide treatment. These observations are consistent with a process that, like mammalian apoptosis, is enzyme dependent, degrades chromosomal DNA, and is activated only at low intensity of death stimuli.     

Significance of the caspase family in Helicobacter pylori induced gastric epithelial apoptosis

Background and Aims. H. pylori infection results in an increased epithelial apoptosis in gastritis and duodenal ulcer patients. We investigated the role and type of activation of caspases in H. pylori‐induced apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells. Methods. Differentiated human gastric cancer cells (AGS) and human gastric mucous cell primary cultures were incubated with H. pylori for 0.5–24 hours in RPMI 1640 medium, and the effects on cell viability, epithelial apoptosis, and activity of caspases were monitored. Apoptosis was analyzed by detection of DNA‐fragments by Hoechst stain®, DNA‐laddering, and Histone‐ELISA. Activities of caspases were determined in fluorogenic assays and by Western blotting. Cleavage of BID and release of cytochrome c were analyzed by Western blot. Significance of caspase activation was investigated by preincubation of gastric epithelial cells with cell permeable specific caspase inhibitors. Results. Incubation of gastric epithelial cells with H. pylori caused a time and concentration dependent induction of DNA fragmentation (3‐fold increase), cleavage of BID, release of cytochrome c and a concomittant sequential activation of caspase‐9 (4‐fold), caspase‐8 (2‐fold), caspase‐6 (2‐fold), and caspase‐3 (6‐fold). No effects on caspase‐1 and ‐7 were observed. Activation of caspases preceded the induction of DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis could be inhibited by prior incubation with the inhibitors of caspase‐3, ‐8, and ‐9, but not with that of caspase‐1. Conclusions. Activation of certain caspases and activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway are essential for H. pylori induced apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells.     

Apoptosis as the mode of uterine epithelial cell death during embryo implantation in mice and rats

An ultrastructural study of mouse and rat embryo implantation sites was undertaken to determine whether the uterine luminal epithelial cells surrounding the blastocyst exhibited the morphologic characteristics of apoptotic or necrotic cell death. In both species the epithelial cells exhibited all of the characteristics of apoptosis, including surface blebbing, shrinkage and fragmentation of the cells, condensation of chromatin, and indentation and fragmentation of nuclei. Cytoplasmic organelles remained morphologically intact, and the cytoplasm maintained normal or increased staining density. Also, the epithelial cells and cell fragments were phagocytosed by the adjacent trophoblast cells. The epithelial cells did not exhibit the characteristics of necrotic cell death, such as swollen cells and mitochondria, damaged surface membranes, and disintegrated cytoplasmic organelles. We conclude that uterine epithelial cells surrounding mouse and rat embryos during implantation undergo apoptotic cell death leading to their phagocytosis by trophoblast cells.     

Progesterone-modulated induction of apoptosis by interferon-tau in cultured epithelial cells of bovine endometrium

Interferon-tau (IFN-tau) is produced by the trophoblast prior to implantation in ruminants. It is involved in maternal recognition of pregnancy, and is a pleiotropic molecule that can alter the synthesis of endometrial proteins and inhibit proliferation of some cells. We have observed that IFN-tau reduces the DNA content in cultures of bovine endometrial epithelial cells; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether IFN-tau would induce apoptosis in bovine endometrial cells. Epithelial cells were prepared, cultured to confluence, and then incubated for 24 or 48 h in the presence or absence of 10 ng/ml progesterone, 100 ng/ml IFN-tau, or 10 microg/ml cycloheximide (CHX; an apoptosis inducer used as a positive control). Cells undergoing apoptosis exhibit such characteristics as the appearance of apoptotic bodies and DNA fragmentation. The incidence of apoptosis was assessed by using TUNEL, DNA fragmentation analysis, and Western blot analysis of Bax-alpha protein expression. The results showed that IFN-tau and CHX significantly increased the percentage of cells with apoptotic nuclei (33.6% and 44.8%, respectively) compared with controls (11.7%; P < 0.05). Progesterone treatment of the cells significantly inhibited the ability of IFN-tau to induce apoptosis (14.6%) compared with IFN-tau alone (33.6%; P < 0.05). DNA fragmentation analysis showed that INF-tau and CHX treatment resulted in an increase in the appearance of DNA laddering compared with that in untreated control cultures. Western blot analysis showed that IFN-tau and CHX treatment resulted in a greater expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax-alpha compared with that in control cultures. These data demonstrate that IFN-tau can induce apoptosis in bovine uterine epithelial cells and that this effect is modulated by progesterone. We speculate that IFN-tau might play a critical role in the remodeling of the endometrium around the time of implantation.     

Influence of microenvironment on mammary epithelial cell survival in primary culture.

Mammary epithelial cells cultured on Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) matrix form multicellular structures termed mammospheres, in which cells and matrix become arranged around a central luminal space. In the presence of lactogenic hormones, cells within mammospheres become polarized, form tight intercellular junctions, and secrete milk proteins vectorially into the luminal space. This study examined the mechanism of lumen formation. Histological examination of developing mammospheres showed that cavitation was associated spatially and temporally with the appearance of fragmented nuclear material in apoptotic bodies, and with the presence of cells positively labeled by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxyuridine nick end-labeling (TUNEL). Analysis of [(32)P]-deoxynucleotide end-labeled genomic DNA by electrophoresis and autoradiography showed DNA laddering indicative of apoptosis. A transient increase in laddering coincided with both lumen formation and the presence of TUNEL-positive cells. Lumen formation, DNA laddering, and detection of TUNEL-positive cells were all accelerated when matrix composition was altered. They were also impaired coordinately when caspase inhibitor was present during the first two days of culture. Therefore, lumen formation in mammosphere cultures is due to selective apoptosis of centrally located cells. Mammosphere cavitation was accompanied by redistribution of matrix constituents to the mammosphere periphery. Western blotting and Western ligand blotting of culture medium showed that lumen formation was also associated with a transient increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP5), a factor implicated in mammary apoptosis in vivo. We propose that epithelial cell survival during mammosphere development is induced selectively through stabilization by basement membrane constituents, which may act directly on the epithelial cell or confer protection against autocrine apoptotic factors.     

Caspase-activated DNase Is Necessary and Sufficient for Oligonucleosomal DNA Breakdown,but Not for Chromatin Disassembly during Caspase-dependent Apoptosis of LN-18 Glioblastoma Cells

Caspase-dependent apoptosis is a controlled type of cell death characterized by oligonucleosomal DNA breakdown and major nuclear morphological alterations. Other kinds of cell death do not share these highly distinctive traits because caspase-activated DNase (DFF40/CAD) remains inactive. Here, we report that human glioblastoma multiforme-derived LN-18 cells do not hydrolyze DNA into oligonucleosomal fragments after apoptotic insult. Furthermore, their chromatin remains packaged into a single mass, with no signs of nuclear fragmentation. However, ultrastructural analysis reveals that nuclear disassembly occurs, although compacted chromatin does not localize into apoptotic nuclear bodies. Caspases become properly activated, and ICAD, the inhibitor of DFF40/CAD, is correctly processed. Using cell-free in vitro assays, we show that chromatin from isolated nuclei of LN-18 cells is suitable for hydrolysis into oligonuclesomal fragments by staurosporine-pretreated SH-SY5Y cytoplasms. However, staurosporine-pretreated LN-18 cytoplasms do not induce DNA laddering in isolated nuclei from either LN-18 or SH-SY5Y cells because LN-18 cells express lower amounts of DFF40/CAD. DFF40/CAD overexpression makes LN-18 cells fully competent to degrade their DNA into oligonucleosome-sized fragments, and yet they remain unable to arrange their chromatin into nuclear clumps after apoptotic insult. Indeed, isolated nuclei from LN-18 cells were resistant to undergoing apoptotic nuclear morphology in vitro. The use of LN-18 cells has uncovered a previously unsuspected cellular model, whereby a caspase-dependent chromatin package is DFF40/CAD-independent, and DFF40/CAD-mediated double-strand DNA fragmentation does not warrant the distribution of the chromatin into apoptotic nuclear bodies. The studies highlight a not-yet reported DFF40/CAD-independent mechanism driving conformational nuclear changes during caspase-dependent cell death.     

Regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis in ischemic reperfused mouse heart by glutathione peroxidase

Apoptosis, a genetically controlled programmed cell death, has been found to play a role in ischemic reperfusion injury in several animal species including rats and rabbits. To examine whether this is also true for other animals, an isolated perfused mouse heart was subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Experiments were terminated before ischemia (baseline), after ischemia, and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min of reperfusion. At the end of each experiment, hearts were processed for the evaluation of apoptosis and DNA laddering. The in situ end labeling (ISEL) technique was used to detect apoptotic cardiomyocyte nuclei while DNA laddering was evaluated by subjecting the DNA obtained from the cardiomyocytes to 1.8% agarose gel electrophoresis followed by photographing under UV illumination. The results of our study revealed that apoptotic cells appear only after 60 min of reperfusion as demonstrated by the intense fluorescence of the immunostained genomic DNA when observed under fluorescence microscopy. None of the ischemic hearts showed any evidence of apoptosis. These results were corroborated with the findings of DNA fragmentation showing increased ladders of DNA bands in the same reperfused hearts representing integer multiples of the internucleosomal DNA length (about 180 bp). Since our previous studies showed a role of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) in apoptotic cell death, we performed identical experiments using isolated hearts from GSHPx-l knockout mice and transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx-l. GSHPx-l knockout mice showed evidence of apoptotic cell death even after 30 min of reperfusion. Significant number of apoptotic cells were found in the cardiomyocytes as compared to non-transgenic control animals. To the contrary, very few apoptotic cells were found in the hearts of the transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx-l. Hearts of GSHPx-l knockout mice were more susceptible to ischemia/reperfusion injury while transgenic mice overexpressing GSHPx- 1 were less susceptible to ischemia reperfusion injury compared to non-transgenic control animals. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a role of GSHPx in ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in mouse heart.     

The effects of benzene exposure on apoptosis in epithelial lung cells: Localization by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and the immunocytochemical localization of apoptosis-related gene products

Although benzene, a well-known human carcinogen, has been shown to induce apoptosis in vitro, no studies have been carried out to confirm and characterize its role in activating apoptosis in vivo. The present study investigated the effects of benzene inhalation on the epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract including bronchioles, terminal bronchioles, respiratory bronchioles and alveoli of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Inhalation of benzene 300 ppm for 7 days induced apoptotic changes in the parenchymal components in the lung that significantly exceeded the events of programmed cell death in normal control tissues. Apoptosis was confirmed by the electrophoretic analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation of benzene-exposed lung tissues, which exhibited 180–200 bp laddering subunits indicative of genomic DNA degradation. Furthermore, semi-quantitative analysis of intracellular localization of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling TUNEL) showed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in the apoptotic index calculated for bronchiolar 73.5%, terminal bronchiolar (65%), and respiratory bronchiolar 60.8% segmental epithelial components as well as alveolar (55%) epithelia. Analysis of immunohistochemical expression of apoptosis-related gene products also supported the hypothesis that benzene can induce apoptosis in chemosensitive target cells in the lung parenchyma. Quantitative immunhistochemistry showed a statistically significant increase p < 0.001 in the immunoreactive staining index for cytochrome c, Apaf-1 (apoptosis activating factor-1), DNA fragmentation factor, and representative cysteine proteases including caspase-1, caspase-2L, caspase-8 and caspase-9. Thus this is the first study of the respiratory system that demonstrates that benzene inhalation induces lung cell apoptosis as confirmed by DNA electrophoresis, in situ nick end labeling, and the upregulation of apoptosis-related gene products that facilitate caspase-cleaved enzymes which lead to cell degradation via programmed cell death. These responses may represent an important defense mechanism within the parenchymal cells of the respiratory system that reduce mutational hazard and the potential carcinogenic effects of benzene-initiated pathogenesis.     

UV-B Irradiated Cell Lines Execute Programmed Cell Death in Various Forms

We investigated changes typical for apoptosis in various cell lines after UV-B irradiation. Using established methods for detection of apoptosis we demonstrate changes of cellular morphology, phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, ollgonucleosomal DNA fragmentation and generation of hypochrome nuclei. To isolated high-molecular-weight (hmwt) DNA fragments we engaged a new method avoiding pulse field gel electrophoresis. Most UV-B irradiated cell lines showed oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation, hypochrome nuclei, morphological changes, annexin-V binding and positive TUNEL reaction. However, no oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation could be detected in Raji and HaCaT cells. Whereas HaCaT cells displayed all other changes typical for apoptosis, Raji cells were TUNEL negative, formed low amounts of hmwt DNA and showed an 'atypically' low hypochrome shift. Nevertheless, UV-B irradiated Raji cells excluded propidium iodide (PI), bound annexin-V and stopped proliferation. This suggests that Raji cells underwent growth arrest with exposure of PS being the only feature of apoptosis. However, in the presence of phagocytes expressing the phosphatidylserine receptor these cells would share the removal pathway with apoptotic cells. Since UV-B induced programmed cell death differs in dependence of cells under investigation, the failure to detect oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation or chromatin condensation is not suitable to exclude programmed (apoptotic?) cell death.     

DNA loop organization and DNA fragmentation during radiation-induced apoptosis in human lymphocytes

Apoptotic DNA fragmentation induced by gamma-rays has been compared with the DNA loop sizes in G0-human lymphocytes using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Genomic DNA was cleaved into the DNA loops at the topoisomerase II mediated attachment points using short treatment of cells with etoposide. The apoptotic fragmentation, with a distinct cut-off around 50 kb for a maximum length of fragments, appeared 5 h after irradiation when the most part of radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) have been repaired. The data indicate that apoptotic fragmentation of DNA in the G0-human lymphocytes begins when repair of radiation-induced DSBs has been completed. Similar apoptotic DNA fragmentation was also observed following the treatment of cells with etoposide. All genomic DNA was fragmented into 50-kb fragments during the final stages of apoptosis. Most of the DNA in resting lymphocytes is organized into Mb-size loops but loops of sizes down to 50 kb were also observed. A sharp border between the size distributions of DNA loops and apoptotic fragments was found. The data suggest that 50 kb apoptotic fragmentation is not based on excision of the DNA loops. No apoptotic fragments with the sizes more than 5.7 Mb were seen during the whole course of apoptosis. This observation indicates that despite intensive apoptotic fragmentation into the 50-kb fragments the chromosomes maintain integrity during radiation-induced apoptosis in human lymphocytes. We propose a model for radiation-induced apoptotic fragmentation in human lymphocytes that involves four stages: induction of DNA breaks and relaxation of DNA loops; DNA repair followed by reorganization of the DNA loops into the 50-kb units of condensed chromatin; co-operative fragmentation of the reorganized DNA loops into the distinct 50-kb fragments and resealing of the chromosome ends at the sites of this fragmentation; cleavage of the 50-kb fragments at the internucleosomal spacers.     

Induction of Apoptosis in Leukemia U937 Cells by 5′-Deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine, a Potent Inhibitor of Protein Carboxylmethyltransferase

We found dramatic changes in leukemia U937 cells treated with 5′-deoxy-5′-methylthioadenosine (MTA), a potent inhibitor of protein carboxylmethyltransferase (protein methylase II). Initiation of cell death was observed by 1 day after MTA treatment, and it was induced in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, cell viability measured by trypan blue exclusion was not consistent with the actual percentage of cell death. These results indirectly indicated that the type of cell death is apoptosis rather than necrosis. Nuclear fragmentation and DNA condensation of MTA-treated U937 cells were analyzed by both fluorescent and electron microscopy. MTA-treated cells first began to arrest in the M phase of the cell cycle, and they then exhibited a mitotic-like nuclear fragmentation process with partially membraneless chromatin. Furthermore, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA extracted from cells treated with MTA showed DNA laddering with production of fragments of approximately 200 bp multiples. These studies indicated that cell death induced by MTA has the characteristics of apoptosis, although nuclear fragmentation is atypical. It seems likely that the process of apoptosis in U937 cells induced by MTA correlates with incomplete assembly of the nuclear envelope, since MTA itself could inhibit the carboxylmethylation of nuclear lamin B and delayed incorporation of lamin B into the nuclear envelope.     

Colocalization of BAX and BCL-2 in small intestine and kidney biopsies with different degrees of DNA fragmentation

Morphological changes associated with apoptosis are closely correlated with the expression of specific proteins. However, the cause-effect relationships between the expression of these proteins and DNA degradation are barely known. For studying expression of apoptosis-related proteins in relation to different degrees of DNA fragmentation, the small intestine with its spatially organized continuum of proliferation, differentiation and death is a very useful preparation. Enterocytes towards the apex of the villi become increasingly susceptible to apoptosis. Here, this "apoptotic gradient" is used to demonstrate the presence of BAX and BCL-2 proteins in the cytoplasm of cells at the onset of apoptosis. In semithin serial sections of the small intestine, BAX, BCL-2 and DNA fragmentation were demonstrated. BAX and BCL-2 are always colocalized and only in cells with fragmented DNA. The gradient of BAX or BCL-2 staining is similar to the gradient of DNA fragmentation. Immunoreactivity for BCL-2 or BAX is most intense in cells that are prone to become apoptotic next in the course of cellular turnover but not in cells in an advanced apoptotic state, showing strongly condensed chromatin. When using the same technique on semithin sections of kidney biopsies, containing epithelia with low cellular turnover, we found DNA fragmentation mainly in the epithelial cells of the distal tubules. Similar to the situation in the enterocytes, BAX staining was confined to the cytoplasm of epithelial cells with a moderate degree of DNA fragmentation and reduced in epithelial cells with a high degree of DNA fragmentation. In contrast to the situation in the small intestine, very low levels of BCL-2 were found. The results suggest that expression of BCL-2 and BAX is related to cell damage as indicated by DNA fragmentation but not to advanced stages of cellular death, as indicated by chromatin condensation and cellular shrinkage.     

Apoptosis in lactating and involuting mouse mammary tissue demonstrated by nick-end DNA labelling

Mammary involution after cessation of milk removal is associated with extensive loss of secretory epithelial cells. Ultrastructural changes and the appearance of oligonucleosomal DNA laddering in ethidium bromide-stained gels indicates that cell loss during involution occurs by apoptosis. In this study, a technique for nick end-labelling of genomic DNA with radiolabelled deoxynucleotide has been used to monitor the induction of programmed cell death in mice after litter removal at peak lactation. This technique proved more sensitive than conventional ethidium bromide staining, and results suggested that apoptosis was induced rapidly by milk stasis, before extensive tissue re-modelling had begun. Oligonucleosomal DNA laddering on agarose gels was detected within 24 h of milk stasis, and increased progressively for at least 4 days. Nick-end labelling also detected laddering before litter removal, suggesting that programmed cell death is a normal feature of the lactating tissue. The DNA end-labelling technique was also adapted for in situ visualisation of apoptotic cells in tissue sections. By this criterion, apoptotic cells were identified in both the secretory epithelium lining the alveoli of the gland and, increasingly with prolonged milk stasis, amongst those sloughed into the alveolar lumen. The results demonstrate the utility of these techniques for study of mammary cell death and suggest that, whilst apoptosis is rapidly induced by milk stasis, it is also a normal physiological event in the lactating mammary gland.     

Antibody against single-stranded DNA detects both programmed cell death and drug-induced apoptosis

Cyclophosphamide induced fragmented nuclei in mouse thymic epithelial cells. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed the fragmentation of the DNA extracted from mouse thymus exposed to cyclophosphamide. The cell death induced by cyclophosphamide was considered to be apoptotic. Polyclonal antibody against single-stranded DNA was used immunohistochemically to detect apoptotic cell death in thymic epithelial cells. This antibody also detected programmed cell death in the interdigital necrotic zone of the mouse limb plate on day 14 of gestation, and in the ganglion of the trigeminal nerve on day 13 of gestation. These results show that the antibody specific for single-stranded DNA detected both drug-induced apoptosis and programmed cell death during embryogenesis.     

Apoptotic Cell Death and Cellular Surface Negative Charge Increase in Maize Roots Exposed to Cytotoxic Stresses

Maize root meristematic tissues were exposed to cytotoxic reagents,the RNA-synthesis inhibitor Actinomycin D (ActD), the protein-synthesisinhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) and the mitosis inhibitor colchicine(COL). Morphological and biochemical evidence of specific apoptoticnuclei and chromosomes in individual treated cells was identifiedusing a simple and highly efficient chromosome spreading-basedTUNEL assay, DNA laddering and DNA gel blotting. All of thesedrugs induced DNA cleavage, dose-dependent oligomeric ladders,and characteristic nuclear and chromosomal condensations. Resultsfrom DNA gel blotting showed that DNA ladders could be inducedby exposure to 0.1 mg l^-1ActD, 100 mg l^-1CHX and 500 mg l^-1COLfor 6 h, 6 h and 12 h respectively. The sequence of changesin single cells was studied in detail. DNA cleavage was foundto occur before condensation and disorganization of the nucleus,followed by deformation and condensation of metaphase chromosomes,and marginalization of chromatin. Finally, nucleoli disappearedand fragmentation of the nucleus occurred. Meanwhile, changesin the outer surface charge of apoptotic cells were assessedby electrophoresis. Results indicated quantitatively that thesurface negative charge increased during these apoptotic processes.Our results also showed that the apoptotic pathway induced byeach of these drugs could be reversed before serious cleavageof DNA into oligonucleosomal fragments and universal chromatincondensation. Copyright 2001 Annals of Botany Company Cytotoxin, chromosome spreading, apoptosis, cell electrophoresis     

Distinct mechanisms underlay DNA disintegration during apoptosis induced by genotoxic and nongenotoxic agents in neuroblastoma cells

Exposure of mouse NB-2a neuroblastoma cells to genotoxic (etoposide or cytosine arabinoside) or nongenotoxic challenges (serum deprivation or okadaic acid) resulted in progressive cell death with biochemical and morphological characteristics typical of apoptosis. Apoptotic cell death induced by nongenotoxic agents was associated with the disintegration of nuclear DNA into high molecular weight (HMW) and oligonucleosomal-DNA fragments, while the formation of HMW-DNA fragments, but not oligonucleosomal-DNA ladder accompanied apoptosis induced by genotoxic agents. Combination of genotoxic and nongenotoxic insults, i.e. incubation of etoposide-treated cells in the serum-free medium, resulted in an additive effect on the profile of DNA disintegration, which involved both HMW fragmentation pattern as in etoposide alone treated cells and the oligonucleosomal-DNA ladder observed with serum-deprived cells. On the other hand, incubation of serum-deprived cells in the presence of Zn²⁺-ions led to the abrogation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation but accumulation of HMW-DNA fragments. Differences in the pattern of DNA fragmentation were reproducible in a cell free apoptotic system after treatment of isolated normal nuclei with cytosolic extracts prepared from the cells treated with genotoxic or nogenotoxic apoptotic inducers. Cell free experiments also revealed that activities responsible for the formation of HMW- and oligonucleosomal-DNA fragments are separable in cytosolic extract prepared from the serum-deprived cells. Finally, DNA fragmentation induced by nongenotoxic apoptotic inducers was effectively prevented by cycloheximide and suramin, while both cycloheximide and suramin had only a slight inhibitory effect on DNA fragmentation induced by genotoxic agents. The results presented suggest that distinct pathways underlay disintegration of nuclear DNA during apoptosis induced by genotoxic and nongenotoxic inducers, and that the formation of HMW- and oligonucleosomal-DNA fragments proceeds via separate mechanisms in NB-2a neuroblastoma cells.     

Neuronal death is an active, caspase-dependent process after moderate but not severe DNA damage

Mild insults to neurons caused by ischemia or glutamate induce apoptosis, whereas severe insults induce non apoptotic death, such as necrosis. The molecular targets that are damaged by these insults and ultimately induce cell death are not fully established. To determine if DNA damage can induce apoptotic or non apoptotic death depending on the severity, neurons were treated with up to 128 Gy of ionizing radiation. Such treatment induced a dose-related increase in DNA single-strand breaks but no immediate membrane disruption or lipid peroxidation. Following moderate doses of < or = 32 Gy, neuronal death had many characteristics of apoptosis including nuclear fragmentation and DNA laddering. Nuclear fragmentation and membrane breakdown after moderate DNA damage could be blocked by inhibition of active protein synthesis with cycloheximide and by inhibition of caspases. In contrast, cell death after doses of > 32 Gy was not blocked by cycloheximide or caspase inhibitors, and membrane breakdown occurred relatively early in the cell death process. These data suggest that cell death after high dose irradiation and severe DNA damage can occur by non apoptotic mechanisms and that blocking apoptotic pathways may not prevent death after severe damage.     

Renal carcinoma cells undergo apoptosis without oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation

Apoptotic DNA fragmentation minimizes the risk of transferring genetic information from apoptotic cancer cells to the neighboring cells. We have reported previously that caspase-deficient human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) lines were almost completely resistant to apoptosis in response to cytotoxic agents. In the present report we examined apoptotic process in caspase competent RCC-91 cells. Apoptosis in RCC-91 cells was accompanied by activation of caspases-3 and -9; cleavage of PARP and DFF45 proteins; typical apoptotic nuclei fragmentation and mitochondrial collapse. Nevertheless, DNA in these cells was not degraded into oligonucleosomal fragments compared to control Jurkat cells. Expression of caspase-activated DNase, DFF40 accountable for characteristic ladder pattern was easily detectable in Jurkat but not renal cancer cells, providing one possible explanation for the lack of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation in apoptotic RCC cells. Lack of typical DNA fragmentation indicates a potential threat of transferring genetic information from one tumor cell to another or to the neighboring healthy cells.     

Electrophoretic DNA analysis for the detection of apoptosis

There are many techniques available for the detection of apoptotic cells; some are based on morphological changes, others on biochemical events. However, electrophoretic detection of the systematic cleavage of DNA into oligonucleosomal multimers of 180–200 bp remains the “hallmark” of apoptosis. Conventional constant field agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA from apoptotic cells can be used to resolve the multimers into the characteristic DNA ladders indicative of apoptotic cell death. More recently, it has become clear that the generation of the lower molecular weight oligonucleosomal DNA is preceded by the generation of higher molecular weight fragments. In some cell types, DNA cleavage proceeds no further than the formation of 300 and/or 50 kbp cleavage products. DNA fragmentation of this size can only be resolved using a form of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Basic “starter” protocols for conventional and pulsed field electrophoresis for the detection of apoptotic cell DNA are described in this article.