Differential effects of bcl-2 on cell death triggered under ATP-depleting conditions.

The intracellular ATP concentration decides on the onset of either apoptosis or necrosis in Jurkat cells exposed to death stimuli. Bcl-2 can block apoptotic demise, which occurs preferably under conditions of high cellular ATP levels. Here, we investigated the effects of Bcl-2 on the necrotic type of cell demise that prevails under conditions of energy loss. ATP levels were modulated by using mitochondrial inhibitors, such as rotenone or S-nitrosoglutathione, in medium either lacking glucose or supplemented with glucose to stimulate glycolytic ATP generation. Under conditions of ATP depletion, staurosporine (STS) induced >90% necrosis in vector control-transfected cells, whereas bcl-2-transfected cells were protected. Thus, the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 can reduce the overall amount of cell death in ATP-depleted cells regardless whether it occurs by apoptosis or necrosis. Cytochrome c release, normally preceding STS-induced necrosis, was also inhibited by Bcl-2. However, Bcl-2 did not prevent an initial STS-induced drop of the mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)). Therefore, the mechanisms whereby Bcl-2 prevents cell death and favors retention of cytochrome c in the mitochondria require neither the maintenance of mitochondrial DeltaPsi nor the maintenance of normal ATP levels.

Tributyltin-induced apoptosis requires glycolytic adenosine trisphosphate production.

The toxicity of tributyltin chloride (TBT) involves Ca(2+) overload, cytoskeletal damage, and mitochondrial failure leading to cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. Here, we examined whether the intracellular ATP level modulates the mode of cell death after exposure to TBT. When Jurkat cells were energized by the mitochondrial substrate, pyruvate, low concentrations of TBT (1-2 microM) triggered an immediate depletion of intracellular ATP followed by necrotic death. When ATP levels were maintained by the addition of glucose, the mode of cell death was typically apoptotic. Glycolytic ATP production was required for apoptosis at two distinct steps. First, maintenance of adequate ATP levels accelerated the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential, and the release of the intermembrane proteins adenylate kinase and cytochrome c from mitochondria. A possible role of the adenine nucleotide exchanger in this first ATP-dependent step is suggested by experiments performed with the specific inhibitor, bongkrekic acid. This substance delayed cytochrome c release in a manner similar to that caused by ATP depletion. Second, caspase activation following cytochrome c release was only observed in ATP-containing cells. Bcl-2 had only a minor effect on TBT-triggered caspase activation or cell death. We conclude that intracellular ATP concentrations control the mode of cell death in TBT-treated Jurkat cells at both the mitochondrial and caspase activation levels.

Execution of apoptosis: converging or diverging pathways?

There is increasing evidence that apoptosis and necrosis represent only two of several possible ways for cells to die. These two types of demise can occur simultaneously in tissues or cell cultures exposed to the same stimulus, and often local metabolic conditions and the intensity of the same initial insult decide the prevalence of either apoptosis or necrosis. Recent work has shown that execution of the apoptotic programme involves a relatively limited number of pathways. According to a general view, these would converge to activate the caspase family of proteases. However, there is increasing evidence that apoptotic-like features can be observed also in cells where caspases are inhibited by cell-permeable tripeptides, such as z-VaD-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone (z-VAD-fmk), or analogous compounds. This has posed the question as to whether apoptosis may or may not occur in a caspase independent way, and whether caspase inhibitors may be effective in the treatment of disease. Also relevant is the understanding that low intracellular energy levels during apoptosis can preclude caspase activation, and consequently decide the occurrence and mode of demise in damaged cells. In vivo, incomplete execution of damaged cells by apoptosis may have profound implications, as their persistence within a tissue, followed by delayed lysis, may elicit delayed pro-inflammatory reactions. In this minireview, we discuss some recent findings suggesting that cells may use diverging execution pathways, with different implications in pathology and therapy.

Inhibition of mitochondrial ATP generation by nitric oxide switches apoptosis to necrosis.

Under pathological conditions, the mode of cell death, apoptosis or necrosis, is relevant for the subsequent fate of the tissue. Cell demise may be shaped by endogenous mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) which interfere with subroutines of the death program. Here we show that apoptosis of Jurkat cells elicited by either staurosporine (STS) or anti-CD95 antibodies in glucose-free medium is converted to necrosis by NO donors. In the presence of NO, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c was delayed and activation of execution caspases was prevented. Stimulated cells died nonetheless. The switch in the mode of cell death was due to NO-dependent failure of mitochondrial energy production. Restoration of intracellular ATP by glucose supplementation recovered the cells' ability to activate caspases and undergo apoptosis. In this system, the apoptosis/necrosis conversion promoted by NO was not mediated by cyclic guanosine monophosphate-dependent mechanisms, poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) activation, or inhibition of caspases due to S-nitrosylation and glutathione depletion. In contrast, depleting intracellular ATP with rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I mimicked the effect of NO. The findings presented here suggest that NO can decide the shape of cell death by lowering intracellular ATP below the level required to allow the coordinated execution of apoptosis.

Nitric oxide inhibits execution of apoptosis at two distinct ATP-dependent steps upstream and downstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release.

The endogenous mediator nitric oxide (NO) blocked apoptosis of Jurkat cells elicited by staurosporine, anti-CD95 or chemotherapeutics, and switched death to necrosis. The switch in the mode of cell death was dependent on the ATP loss elicited by NO. This affected two distinct steps of the apoptotic cascade. First, the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was delayed by NO. Second, processing of procaspases-3/7 to the active proteases was prevented even after cytochrome c had been released. Thus, NO interferes with execution steps of apoptosis both upstream and downstream of cytochrome c release.

Susceptibility of the anaerobic gram-negative non-sporulating rod, Bilophila wadsworthia to beta-lactams, beta-lactamase inhibitors, meropenem, metronidazole, clindamycin and quinolones.

The susceptibility of eighty-seven strain of Bilophila wadsworthia to five beta-lactams, two beta-lactamase inhibitors, meropenem, metronidazole, clindamycin and two quinolones was determined. Tests were performed by the modified reference agar dilution technique using triphenyltetrazolium chloride for endpoint reading. The test strains showed a reduced susceptibility to the beta-lactams, penicillin G (MIC90 4 micrograms/ml), ampicillin (MIC90 32 micrograms/ml), piperacillin (MIC90 64 micrograms/ml), cephalothin (MIC90 2 micrograms/ml and cefotaxim (MIC90 4 micrograms/ml). The activity of ampicillin was increased by addition of the beta-lactamase inhibitor, sulbactam (MIC90 2 micrograms/ml), as was the activity of piperacillin by the addition of tazobactam (MIC90 4 micrograms/ml) 90.8% of the strains were found to produce beta-lactamase by the nitrocefin tube method. All strains were shown to be highly susceptible to meropenem, metronidazole and clindamycin (MICs < or = 1 microgram/ml). Sparfloxacin (MIC90 1 microgram/ml) and ciprofloxacin (MIC90 0.5 microgram/ml) were found to be active against most of the strains tested.

Intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration: a switch in the decision between apoptosis and necrosis.

Apoptosis and necrosis are considered conceptually and morphologically distinct forms of cell death. Here, we report that demise of human T cells caused by two classic apoptotic triggers (staurosporin and CD95 stimulation) changed from apoptosis to necrosis, when cells were preemptied of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation did not occur in cells predepleted of ATP and treated with either of the two inducers, although the kinetics of cell death were unchanged. Selective and graded repletion of the extramitochondrial ATP/pool with glucose prevented necrosis and restored the ability of the cells to undergo apoptosis. Pulsed ATP/depletion/repletion experiments also showed that ATP generation either by glycolysis or by mitochondria was required for the active execution of the final phase of apoptosis, which involves nuclear condensation and DNA degradation.

Apoptosis in the absence of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase.

Cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase is a process occurring early during the execution phase of apoptosis. Although in many experimental systems PARP cleavage indicates a point of no return, the significance of this proteolytic step for apoptosis remains unclear. Here we compare the susceptibility of cells from wild-type mice and PARP-/- mice to several inducers of apoptosis. Neither the susceptibility of hepatocytes towards CD95 or TNF-mediated apoptosis nor the activation of PARP-cleaving caspases was modified in PARP-/- liver cells. Thymocytes with either genotype exhibited similar sensitivity to treatments with ceramide, dexamethasone, or etoposide. The sensitivity of primary neurons towards apoptosis induced by staurosporine, colchicine, potassium withdrawal, peroxynitrite, or the neurotoxin MPP+ was also unaltered. These data suggest that neither activation nor cleavage of PARP has a causal role in apoptotic cell death of primary, non-transformed cells.