Resveratrol-induced apoptotic death in human U251 glioma cells.

Resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound highly enriched in grapes, peanuts, red wine, and a variety of food sources. Resveratrol has antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, and also has potent anticancer properties. Human glioma U251 cells were used to understand the molecular mechanisms by which resveratrol acts as an anticancer agent, since glioma is a particularly difficult cancer to treat and eradicate. Our data show that resveratrol induces dose- and time-dependent death of U251 cells, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation assays. Resveratrol induces activation of caspase-3 and increases the cleavage of the downstream caspase substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Resveratrol-induced DNA fragmentation can be completely blocked by either a general caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) or a selective caspase-3 inhibitor (Z-DEVD-FMK), but not by a selective caspase-1 inhibitor. Resveratrol induces cytochrome c release from mitochondria to the cytoplasm and activation of caspase-9. Resveratrol also increases expression of proapoptotic Bax and its translocation to the mitochondria. Resveratrol inhibits U251 proliferation, as measured by MTS assay [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt], and induces G0/G1 growth arrest, as determined by flow cytometry. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, olomoucine, prevents cell cycle progression and resveratrol-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that multiple signaling pathways may underlie the apoptotic death of U251 glioma induced by resveratrol, which warrants further exploration as an anticancer agent in human glioma.

Roles of Ras-Erk in apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by trophic factor withdrawal or oxidative stress.

To understand the role of Ras-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) in trophic factor withdrawal- and oxidative stress-induced apoptotic cell death processes, undifferentiated rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and a PC12 variant cell line stably expressing the Ras dominant-negative mutant (M-M17-26) were subjected to serum withdrawal in the absence or presence of H2O2 treatment. The extent of cell death was analyzed by lactate dehydrogenase release, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 assays. Both serum withdrawal and H2O2 treatment induced apoptotic cell death in PC12 cells, and the extent of cell death was greatly enhanced in M-M17-26 cells. DNA fragmentation induced by serum withdrawal or H2O2 treatment was blocked completely by a general caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK. A selective MAPK kinase inhibitor, U0126, blocked the H2O2-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) in PC12 cells and increased the levels of active caspase-3 in M-M17-26 under serum withdrawal or H2O2 treatment. In addition, the short-term H2O2 treatment (5-30 min) was sufficient to cause DNA fragmentation in M-M17-26 cells even though H2O2 was removed and cells were incubated in regular growth medium with complete serum for 24 h. However, similar, short-term H2O2 treatment of PC12 cells did not induce DNA fragmentation 24 h later. These results suggest that the Ras-Erk pathway is critical in mediating protection against apoptotic cell death induced by either trophic factor withdrawal or increased oxidative stress.

Inhibitors of iNOS protects PC12 cells against the apoptosis induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation.

It has been shown that deletion of the gene encoding the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) results in a reduction of ischemia-induced apoptotic cell death, suggesting the detrimental role of iNOS. The signaling pathways by which iNOS mediates apoptotic cell death under ischemic conditions remain unclear. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of iNOS-mediated apoptotic cell death in ischemia may offer opportunities for potential therapeutic intervention. In the current study, undifferentiated rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) followed by reperfusion (adding back oxygen and glucose, OGD-R), were used as an in vitro model of ischemia. The iNOS expression and activity were increased during OGD-R. OGD-R-induced apoptosis was demonstrated by the increase of LDH release, cytosolic release of cytochrome C and caspase-3 activity. Inhibition of iNOS activity by selective iNOS inhibitors, aminoguanidine and 1400W, reduces OGD-R-induced apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by the decrease of LDH release, cytochrome C release, and caspase-3 activity. These results suggest the critical role of iNOS in mediating apoptosis under ischemic conditions, likely through the induction of caspase-3 activity.

Role of Bcl-2 family of proteins in mediating apoptotic death of PC12 cells exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation.

Apoptotic cell death has been observed in many in vivo and in vitro models of ischemia. However, the molecular pathways involved in ischemia-induced apoptosis remain unclear. We have examined the role of Bcl-2 family of proteins in mediating apoptosis of PC12 cells exposed to the conditions of oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) or OGD followed by restoration of oxygen and glucose (OGD-restoration, OGD-R). OGD decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induced necrosis of PC12 cells, which were both prevented by the overexpression of Bcl-2 proteins. OGD-R caused apoptotic cell death, induced cytochrome C release from mitochondria and caspase-3 activation, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased levels of pro-apoptotic Bax translocated to the mitochondrial membrane, all of which were reversed by overexpression of Bcl-2. These results demonstrate that the cell death induced by OGD and OGD-R in PC12 cells is potentially mediated through the regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. It also reveals the importance of developing therapeutic strategies for maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential as a possible way of reducing necrotic and apoptotic cell death that occurs following an ischemic insult.