Isolectins of phytohemagglutinin are able to induce apoptosis in HEp-2 carcinoma cells in vitro.

AIM: To study the effects of total phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and its isolectins on cell death and apoptosis in human HEp-2 carcinoma cells and to analyze the possible molecular mechanisms of lectin induced apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The commercial preparation of the kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) lectins and HEp-2 cells were used. Apoptosis index was determined using acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining. The expression levels of apoptosis mediator cleaved caspase-3 and proapoptotic Bax protein were studied by Western blot analysis. The gene expression levels were analyzed by qPCR. RESULTS: PHA and its isolectins induced apoptosis in HEp-2 cells accompanied by the increased expression of caspase-3 cleaved form, with PHA-E being the most effective. The treatment of HEp-2 cells with PHA or its isolectins resulted in a marked increase of Bax on both mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: PHA and its isolectins were shown to induce the apoptosis in human HEp-2 carcinoma cells via increasing proapoptotic protein Bax and activating caspases-3.

[Proapoptotic properties of total phytohemagglutinine and its individual isolectins in human cell culture 4BL].

Phytohemagglutinine (PHA) is widely investigated lectin with mitogenic properties. Recently it was shown that PHA is not only cell proliferation inducer, but also has a toxic or cytostatic effect. However concentration dependence and molecular mechanisms of this effect are not enough investigated. To study proapoptotic properties of total phytohemagglutinine and its isolectins in human cell culture of not tumor origin 4BL we observed a change in the frequency of apoptotic cells in the tested cell culture under the influence of the total phytohemagglutinine and erythroagglutinin by the method of specific color luminescent dye. The activation of caspases-3 and -8 and induction of protein Bax expression under the influence of lectins were detected by Western blot analysis. It was revealed that erythroagglutinin induced apoptosis with the highest efficiency compared with leukoagglutinin and total phytohemagglutinine. The induction of apoptosis in human cell culture of not tumor origin 4BL is probably caused by activating caspase-dependent and mitochondrial signalling.

[The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in embryonic cardiogenesis, postnatal development and myocardium reconstruction].

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling exerts great and diverse influence on the formation, development and vital activity of a great number of vertebrate tissues, including heart tissue. The role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and beta-catenin itself in the processes of cardiogenesis and adult myocardium functioning is not fully elucidated to date. In the current review we made the attempt to generalize data from up-to-date literature dealing with participation of this signaling pathway in embryogenesis and postnatal heart development as well as in adult myocardium functioning in normal conditions and during stress adaptation, aging, resulting in hypertrophy and heart remodeling. Based on the experimental articles and reviews we can assume that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is involved not only in controlling the cardiogenesis but in processes of adaptation and remodeling of adult organ, too. This control can be characterized as complicated and multi-step and beta-catenin appears to be a perspective candidate for new approaches development for the adult myocardium pathologies therapy.