姜黄素对过度训练致大鼠脾脏细胞凋亡的调控作用及其机制*

目的:研究姜黄素调控Keap1-Nrf2-ARE信号通路缓解大鼠过度训练所致脾脏氧化应激及细胞凋亡机制。方法:7周龄SPF级雄性Wistar大鼠分为对照组(C组,n=12)、过度训练组(OM组,n=11)、姜黄素+过度训练组(COM组,n=14)。C组不进行任何运动干预,OM组、COM组大鼠进行8周递增负荷游泳训练。训练期间,COM组以200 mg/(kg·d)、5 ml/kg姜黄素进行灌胃,其他组灌胃等体积0.5 %羧甲基纤维素纳助溶剂。末次训练后24 h,称重计算脾脏指数,光镜观察脾脏组织病理学改变,取血液、脾脏组织检测相关生化指标。结果:C组大鼠脾脏组织结构正常;OM组较C组脾脏指数极显著降低(P＜0.01),并出现明显病理学改变;COM组较OM组脾脏指数显著升高(P＜0.05),且组织形态学改变有所改善。与C组比较,OM组血清皮质酮(Cor)浓度和脾脏细胞凋亡水平、丙二醛(MDA)浓度均升高,促凋亡蛋白Bcl-2相关X蛋白(Bax)表达增强(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);体重、血清睾酮(T)水平及脾脏超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性降低,脾脏血红素氧合酶1(HO-1)、抗凋亡蛋白B淋巴细胞瘤因子-2(Bcl-2)表达减弱(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);脾脏核因子E2相关因子2(Nrf2)表达水平无显著变化(P＞0.05)。与OM组比较,COM组体重无显著变化(P＞0.05);血清T浓度升高,脾脏SOD活性升高,Bcl-2、Nrf2和HO-1表达增强(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);血清Cor浓度及脾脏MDA浓度、细胞凋亡水平、Bax表达均降低或减弱(P＜0.05或P＜0.01);组间T/Cor比值变化趋势与T变化相一致,Bcl-2/Bax比值变化趋势与Bcl-2变化相一致。结论:8周递增负荷过度游泳训练引发脾脏细胞凋亡加剧,脾脏组织发生病理改变及功能异常。姜黄素通过上调Nrf2、HO-1蛋白表达,在一定程度上缓解过度训练引发的氧化应激,增强抑凋亡蛋白Bcl-2表达,减弱促凋亡蛋白Bax表达,改善大鼠脾脏细胞过度凋亡,保护脾脏组织结构和功能正常。     

Lysosomal membrane permeabilization is involved in oxidative stress-induced apoptotic cell death in LAMP2-deficient iPSCs-derived cerebral cortical neurons

Patients with Danon disease may suffer from severe cardiomyopathy, skeletal muscle dysfunction as well as varying degrees of mental retardation, in which the primary deficiency of lysosomal membrane-associated protein-2 (LAMP2) is considerably associated. Owing to the scarcity of human neurons, the pathological role of LAMP2 deficiency in neural injury of humans remains largely elusive. However, the application of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may shed light on overcoming such scarcity.In this study, we obtained iPSCs derived from a patient carrying a mutated LAMP2 gene that is associated with Danon disease. By differentiating such LAMP2-deficient iPSCs into cerebral cortical neurons and with the aid of various biochemical assays, we demonstrated that the LAMP2-deficient neurons are more susceptible to mild oxidative stress-induced injury.The data from MTT assay and apoptotic analysis demonstrated that there was no notable difference in cellular viability between the normal and LAMP2-deficient neurons under non-stressed condition. When exposed to mild oxidative stress (10 μM H₂O₂), the LAMP2-deficient neurons exhibited a significant increase in apoptosis. Surprisingly, we did not observe any aberrant accumulation of autophagic materials in the LAMP2-deficient neurons under such stress condition.Our results from cellular fractionation and inhibitor blockade experiments further revealed that oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in the LAMP2-deficient cortical neurons was caused by increased abundance of cytosolic cathepsin L. These results suggest the involvement of lysosomal membrane permeabilization in the LAMP2 deficiency associated neural injury.     

Mcl-1 downregulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines and palmitate is an early event contributing to β-cell apoptosis

Pancreatic β-cell apoptosis is a key feature of diabetes mellitus and the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis is a major mediator of β-cell death. We presently evaluated the role of the myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1), an antiapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family, in β-cells following exposure to well-defined β-cell death effectors, for example, pro-inflammatory cytokines, palmitate and chemical endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stressors. All cytotoxic stresses rapidly and preferentially decreased Mcl-1 protein expression as compared with the late effect observed on the other antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. This was due to ER stress-mediated inhibition of translation through eIF2α phosphorylation for palmitate and ER stressors and through the combined action of translation inhibition and JNK activation for cytokines. Knocking down Mcl-1 using small interference RNAs increased apoptosis and caspase-3 cleavage induced by cytokines, palmitate or thapsigargin, whereas Mcl-1 overexpression partly prevented Bax translocation to the mitochondria, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis induced by the β-cell death effectors. Altogether, our data suggest that Mcl-1 downregulation is a crucial event leading to β-cell apoptosis and provide new insights into the mechanisms linking ER stress and the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Mcl-1 is therefore an attractive target for the design of new strategies in the treatment of diabetes.     

细胞衰老和凋亡相关蛋白表达在宫颈鳞癌变中的意义

目的：许多细胞周期调控因子和衰老相关标志物如p14ARF、p15INK4b、p16INK4a 和p53 在G1 细胞周期阻滞和癌基因诱导的衰老中意义重大。这些关键的调节蛋白在多种恶性肿瘤中经常发生突变或是缺失。在本研究中将探讨这些因子在宫颈癌发生中的意义。方法：在本研究中在正常宫颈上皮、宫颈上皮内瘤变和宫颈鳞癌中,应用免疫组织化学方法检测p14ARF、p15INK4b、p16INK4a、Bcl-2、p53 表达,并分析它们的表达与宫颈癌变的相关性。结果：p16INK4a 在正常宫颈鳞状上皮10%（2/20）表达阴性,在大部分CIN 和宫颈鳞癌中表达阳性,其中在85%（17/20）CIN 和75%（15/20）鳞癌中呈弥漫性强阳性表达,CIN 和宫颈鳞癌中的阳性表达率显著高于正常上皮（P〈0.01）,CIN 和宫颈鳞癌的间表达率无显著差异。p15INK4b 在正常宫颈鳞状上皮中65%（13/20）表达弱阳性,在100% （20/20）CIN 和95%（19/20）宫颈鳞癌中表达弥漫性阳性,各组之间阳性表达率无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。p14ARF在40%（8/20）正常宫颈上皮细胞中表达呈弱阳性（1＋）,在宫颈鳞癌中表达呈弥漫性强阳性90%（18/20）,在45%（9/20）CIN中表达阳性,各组之间阳性表达率无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。Bcl-2 在20%（4/20）正常宫颈上皮表达呈弱阳性,在18/20CIN中其表达强度和比率均增加,阳性表达率为90%（18/20）,Bcl-2 在鳞癌中700%（14/20）呈强阳性和弥漫阳性,CIN 和宫颈鳞癌中的阳性表达率显著高于正常上皮（P〈0.01）,CIN 和宫颈鳞癌的间表达率无显著差异。P53 免疫组化染色显示在正常宫颈上皮为表达为20%（4/20）,在大多数CIN25%（5/20）和鳞癌中核阳性85%（17/20）,在鳞癌中的阳性表达率显著高于正常宫颈上皮和CIN 病变（P〈0.05）。结论：宫颈鳞癌变涉及包括细胞凋亡和细胞衰老在内的多种信号分子表达异常,这些分子可能在宫颈鳞癌发生发挥重要作用并在宫颈癌早期诊断中有重要意义。     

Diosgenin exerts its tumor suppressive function via inhibition of Cdc20 in osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the aggressive malignancies for young adults. Cdc20 (cell division cycle 20 homologue) has been reported to exhibit an oncogenic role in OS, suggesting that inhibition of Cdc20 could be a novel strategy for the treatment of OS. Since Cdc20 inhibitors have side effects, it is important to discover the new CDC20 inhibitors with non-toxic nature. In the present study, we determine whether natural agent diosgenin is an inhibitor of Cdc20 in OS cells. We performed MTT, FACS, Wound healing assay, Transwell, Western blotting, transfection assays in our study. We found diosgenin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. Moreover, diosgenin exposure led to inhibition of cell migration and invasion. Notably, diosgenin inhibited the expression of Cdc20 in OS cells. Overexpression of Cdc20 abrogated the inhibition of cell growth and invasion induced by diosgenin. Our data reveal that inhibition of Cdc20 by diosgenin could be helpful for the treatment of patients with OS.     

Role of the cystathionine γ lyase/hydrogen sulfide pathway in human melanoma progression

In humans, two main metabolic enzymes synthesize hydrogen sulfide (H₂S): cystathionine γ lyase (CSE) and cystathionine β synthase (CBS). A third enzyme, 3‐mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3‐MST), synthesizes H₂S in the presence of the substrate 3‐mercaptopyruvate (3‐MP). The immunohistochemistry analysis performed on human melanoma samples demonstrated that CSE expression was highest in primary tumors, decreased in the metastatic lesions and was almost silent in non‐lymph node metastases. The primary role played by CSE was confirmed by the finding that the overexpression of CSE induced spontaneous apoptosis of human melanoma cells. The same effect was achieved using different H₂S donors, the most active of which was diallyl trisulfide (DATS). The main pro‐apoptotic mechanisms involved were suppression of nuclear factor‐κB activity and inhibition of AKT and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase pathways. A proof of concept was obtained in vivo using a murine melanoma model. In fact, either l ‐cysteine, the CSE substrate, or DATS inhibited tumor growth in mice. In conclusion, we have determined that the l ‐cysteine/CSE/H₂S pathway is involved in melanoma progression.     

Transgelin Silencing Induces Different Processes in Different Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Transgelin is a protein reported to be a marker of several cancers. However, previous studies have shown both up‐ and down‐regulation of transgelin in tumors when compared with non‐tumor tissues and the mechanisms whereby transgelin may affect the development of cancer remain largely unknown. Transgelin is especially abundant in smooth muscle cells and is associated with actin stress fibers. These contractile structures participate in cell motility, adhesion, and the maintenance of cell morphology. Here, the role of transgelin in breast cancer is focused on. Initially, the effects of transgelin on cell migration of the breast cancer cell lines, BT 549 and PMC 42, is studied. Interestingly, transgelin silencing increased the migration of PMC 42 cells, but decreased the migration of BT 549 cells. To clarify these contradictory results, the changes in protein abundances after transgelin silencing in these two cell lines are analyzed using quantitative proteomics. The results confirmed the role of transgelin in the migration of BT 549 cells and suggest the involvement of transgelin in apoptosis and small molecule biochemistry in PMC 42 cells. The context‐dependent function of transgelin reflects the different molecular backgrounds of these cell lines, which differ in karyotypes, mutation statuses, and proteome profiles.     

Single-point mutations of a lysine residue change function of Bax and Bcl-xL expressed in Bax- and Bak-less mouse embryonic fibroblasts: novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of Bax-induced apoptosis

Members of the Bcl-2 family play key roles as proapoptotic (e.g., Bax) and antiapoptotic (e.g., Bcl-x(L)) regulators of programmed cell death. We previously identified the mitochondrial potassium channel Kv1.3 as a novel target of Bax. Incubating Kv1.3-positive isolated mitochondria with Bax triggered apoptotic events, whereas Kv1.3-deficient mitochondria were resistant to this stimulus. Mutation of Bax at lysine 128 (BaxK128E) abrogated its effects on Kv1.3 and the induction of apoptotic changes in mitochondria. These data indicate a toxin-like action of Bax on Kv1.3 to trigger at least some of the mitochondrial changes typical for apoptosis. To gain insight into the mechanism of Bax-Kv1.3 interaction, we mutated Glu158 of Bcl-x(L) (corresponding to K128 in Bax) to lysine. This substitution turned Bcl-x(L) proapoptotic. Transfection of double knockout (Bax(-/-)/Bak(-/-)) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (DKO MEFs) with either wild-type Bax, BaxK128E, or Bcl-x(L)E158K showed that apoptosis induced by various stimuli was defective in DKO MEFs and BaxK128E-transfected cells, but was recovered upon transfection with Bcl-xLE158K or wild-type Bax. Both wild-type Bax and BaxK128E can form similar ion-conducting pores upon incorporation into planar lipid bilayers. Our results point to a physiologically relevant interaction of Bax with Kv1.3 and further indicate a crucial role of a distinct lysine in determining the proapoptotic character of Bcl2-family proteins.     

Quercetin protected against isoniazide‐induced HepG2 cell apoptosis by activating the SIRT1/ERK pathway

Isoniazid (INH) is one of the most commonly used antituberculosis drugs, but its clinical applications have been limited by severe hepatic toxicity. Quercetin (Que), a natural flavonoid, has been proved to have many medicinal properties. This study aimed to clarify the possible protective effects of Que against INH‐induced hepatotoxicity using HepG2 cells. Our results indicated that Que significantly increased cell viability, superoxide dismutase, and GSH levels, while decreased alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase levels. Besides, Que significantly abrogated INH‐induced cell apoptosis by upregulating the expression levels of Bcl‐2 and decreasing the levels of Bax, cleaved caspase‐3, and cleaved caspase‐9. Furthermore, Que obviously reversed the inhibition of INH on Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. Next, the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 blocked the enhancement of Que upon ERK phosphorylation. Notably, EX527 partially abolished the beneficial effects of Que. In brief, our results provided the first evidence that Que protected against INH‐induced HepG2 cells by regulating the SIRT1/ERK pathway.