The pharmacology of apoptosis.

Apoptosis is an area of intense scientific interest, which encompasses the study of and triggers mechanisms involved in mediating the cell biology of programmed cell death. A number of low molecular weight compounds have been used to inhibit or enhance this fundamental cellular process and so apoptosis has now become amenable to pharmacological manipulation. In this review Ross Kinloch, Mark Treherne, Mike Furness and Iradj Hajimohamadreza will focus on the current literature describing the pharmacology of apoptosis, with particular reference to the therapeutic potential that could arise from the development of pro- and anti-apoptotic drugs. The pivotal role of apoptosis in such diverse pathological processes as tumour growth, the immune response and neurodegeneration suggests that an understanding of how apoptosis can be regulated by drugs will become increasingly important to the pharmaceutical industry.

Intrasynaptosomal free calcium concentration is increased by phorbol esters via a 1,4-dihydropyridine-sensitive (L-type) Ca2+ channel.

Incubation of non-depolarised fura-2-loaded rat cortical synaptosomes with 12-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-monoacetate (TPA) results in a dose-dependent increase in calcium concentration (to a maximum of 140%). It is dependent on extrasynaptosomal Ca2+, is partially blocked by 1 microM verapamil and effectively blocked by 100 microM verapamil (greater than or equal to 90%). Nifedipine (1 microM), nicardipine (1 microM) and omega-conotoxin fraction GVIA from Conus geographus (50 nM) (omega-CgTx) also cause blockade (greater than or equal to 90%) of the increase. The sensitivity of the TPA-induced increase in calcium concentration to omega-CgTx, nicardipine and nifedipine, but not to low concentrations of verapamil (1 microM), suggests that the TPA-induced rise in calcium concentration is mediated by increased Ca2+ influx through 1,4-dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. Incubation of synaptosomes with the inactive phorbol ester phorbol-13-monoacetate (TMA) does not result in any significant dose-dependent increase in calcium concentration. The data which are presented are consistent with (i) the proposal that phorbol ester-induced increases in calcium concentration are the result of Ca2+ influx through an L-type Ca2+ channel and (ii) the existence of functioning L-type Ca2+ channels on rat brain synaptosomes.