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Rubio S, León F, Quintana J, Cutler S, Estévez F. Cell death triggered by synthetic flavonoids in human leukemia cells is amplified by the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling. Eur J Med Chem 2012; 55:284-96. [PMID: 22867530 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2012] [Revised: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 07/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A new class of methyl esters of flavonoids, with different substituents on the B ring were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against the human leukemia cell line HL-60. The presence of either a methyl group (1f) or a chlorine atom (1o) at position 2' of the B ring played an important role in affecting antiproliferative activity. The cytotoxic effects of these compounds were accompanied by the concentration- and time-dependent appearance of DNA- and nuclear-fragmentation, increase in the percentage of sub-G(1) cells, and processing of multiple caspases and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase cleavage. Pretreatment of cells with the specific mitogen-activated extracellular kinases (MEK) 1/2 inhibitor PD98059, together with 1f and 1o, resulted in an important enhancement of cell death, which might have clinical implications for the use of both compounds in combination with MEK 1/2 inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rubio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Associated Unit to the Spanish National Research Council (C.S.I.C.), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Instituto Canario de Investigación del Cáncer, Plaza Dr. Pasteur s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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2
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Targeting MEK/MAPK signal transduction module potentiates ATO-induced apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells through multiple signaling pathways. Blood 2008; 112:2450-62. [DOI: 10.1182/blood-2007-10-114348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
We demonstrate that blockade of the MEK/ERK signaling module, using the small-molecule inhibitors PD184352 or PD325901 (PD), strikingly enhances arsenic trioxide (ATO)–induced cytotoxicity in human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs) and in tumor cells from patients with multiple myeloma (MM) through a caspase-dependent mechanism. In HMCLs retaining a functional p53, PD treatment greatly enhances the ATO-induced p53 accumulation and p73, a p53 paralog, cooperates with p53 in caspase activation and apoptosis induction. In HMCLs carrying a nonfunctional p53, cotreatment with PD strikingly elevates the (DR4 + DR5)/(DcR1 + DcR2) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors ratio and caspase-8 activation of ATO-treated cells. In MM cells, irrespective of p53 status, the combined PD/ATO treatment increases the level of the proapoptotic protein Bim (PD-mediated) and decreases antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 (ATO-mediated). Moreover, Bim physically interacts with both DR4 and DR5 TRAIL receptors in PD/ATO-treated cells, and loss of Bim interferes with the activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in response to PD/ATO. Finally, PD/ATO treatment induces tumor regression, prolongs survival, and is well tolerated in vivo in a human plasmacytoma xenograft model. These preclinical studies provide the framework for testing PD325901 and ATO combination therapy in clinical trials aimed to improve patient outcome in MM.
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Tortora G, Bianco R, Daniele G, Ciardiello F, McCubrey JA, Ricciardi MR, Ciuffreda L, Cognetti F, Tafuri A, Milella M. Overcoming resistance to molecularly targeted anticancer therapies: Rational drug combinations based on EGFR and MAPK inhibition for solid tumours and haematologic malignancies. Drug Resist Updat 2007; 10:81-100. [PMID: 17482503 PMCID: PMC2548422 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2007.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2007] [Revised: 03/22/2007] [Accepted: 03/22/2007] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that cancer can be envisioned as a "signaling disease", in which alterations in the cellular genome affect the expression and/or function of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. This ultimately disrupts the physiologic transmission of biochemical signals that normally regulate cell growth, differentiation and programmed cell death (apoptosis). From a clinical standpoint, signal transduction inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for human malignancies has recently achieved remarkable success. However, as additional drugs move forward into the clinical arena, intrinsic and acquired resistance to "targeted" agents becomes an issue for their clinical utility. One way to overcome resistance to targeted agents is to identify genetic and epigenetic aberrations underlying sensitivity/resistance, thus enabling the selection of patients that will most likely benefit from a specific therapy. Since resistance often ensues as a result of the concomitant activation of multiple, often overlapping, signaling pathways, another possibility is to interfere with multiple, cross-talking pathways involved in growth and survival control in a rational, mechanism-based, fashion. These concepts may be usefully applied, among others, to agents that target two major signal transduction pathways: the one initiated by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and the one converging on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of sensitivity/resistance to EGFR inhibitors, as well as the rationale for combining them with other targeted agents, in an attempt to overcome resistance. In the second part of the paper, we review MAPK-targeted agents, focusing on their therapeutic potential in haematologic malignancies, and examine the prospects for combinations of MAPK inhibitors with cytotoxic agents or other signal transduction-targeted agents to obtain synergistic anti-tumour effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampaolo Tortora
- Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Molecolare e Clinica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Molecolare e Clinica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Gennaro Daniele
- Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Oncologia Molecolare e Clinica, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Fortunato Ciardiello
- Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, Dipartimento Medico-Chirurgico di Internistica Clinica e Sperimentale “F. Magrassi e A. Lanzara”, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Naples, Italy
| | - James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville NC, USA
| | - Maria Rosaria Ricciardi
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Haematology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovica Ciuffreda
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cognetti
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Agostino Tafuri
- Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Haematology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Kanno SI, Uwai K, Tomizawa A, Hiura T, Osanai Y, Ujibe M, Takeshita M, Ohtake T, Kimura K, Ishikawa M. Trimidox Induces Apoptosis via Cytochrome c Release in NALM-6 Human B Cell Leukaemia Cells. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2006; 98:44-50. [PMID: 16433890 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2006.pto_188.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Trimidox (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzamidoxime) has been shown to reduce the activity of ribonucleotide reductase accompanied by growth inhibition and the differentiation of mammalian cells. Here we examine the induction of apoptosis by trimidox in several human leukaemia cell lines, focusing on the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase proteases in the human B cell line NALM-6. Induction of apoptosis by trimidox (300 microM) was detected in NALM-6, HL-60 (premyelocytic leukaemia cells), MOLT-4 (an acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells), Jurkat (a T-cell leukaemia cells), U937 (expressing many monocyte-like characteristics), and K562 (erythroleukaemia). NALM-6 was most affected by trimidox among leukaemia cells; therefore, we employed NALM-6 cells in the subsequent experiments. The cells showed a time-dependent increase in DNA damage after trimidox (250 microM) treatment. A significant increase in the amount of cytochrome c release was detected after treatment with trimidox. Bcl-2 and Bax protein expressions were not changed by trimidox. Caspase-3 and -9 were activated by incubation with trimidox, whereas caspase-8 was not. Furthermore, trimidox-induced apoptosis was prevented by a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, a caspase-3, and a caspase-9 inhibitor, but not by a caspase-8 inhibitor. Inhibition of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) by SP600125 appreciably protected cells from trimidox-induced apoptosis, but no effect inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by SB203580. In contrast, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitors U0126 and PD98059 strongly potentiated the apoptotic effect of trimidox. This report shows that the induction of apoptosis by trimidox occurs through a cytochrome c-dependent pathway, which sequentially activates caspase-3 and caspase-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syu-Ichi Kanno
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cancer Research Institute, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Komatsushima, Sendai, Japan.
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Suzaki Y, Yoshizumi M, Kagami S, Nishiyama A, Ozawa Y, Kyaw M, Izawa Y, Kanematsu Y, Tsuchiya K, Tamaki T. BMK1 is activated in glomeruli of diabetic rats and in mesangial cells by high glucose conditions. Kidney Int 2004; 65:1749-60. [PMID: 15086914 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1755.2004.00576.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High glucose causes renal cell injury through various signal transduction pathways, including mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases cascades. Big MAP kinase 1 (BMK1), also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), is a recently identified MAP kinase family member and was reported to be sensitive to osmotic and oxidative stress. However, the role of BMK1 in diabetic nephropathy has not been elucidated yet. METHODS We investigated whether BMK1 is activated in the glomeruli of Otsuka Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison with the control Long Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats. We also examined the effect of high glucose on BMK1 activity in cultured rat mesangial cells. RESULTS BMK1 and ERK1/2 but not p38 were activated in the glomeruli of OLETF rats, which showed diabetic nephropathy at 52 weeks of age. High glucose, in addition to a high concentration of raffinose, caused rapid and significant activation of BMK1 in rat mesangial cells. MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitors, U0126 and PD98059, both inhibited BMK1 activation by high glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition by GF109203X and PKC down-regulation with long-time phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) treatment both inhibited BMK1 and Src kinase activation. Src kinase inhibitors, herbimycin A and PP2, also inhibited high glucose-induced BMK1 activation. PKC inhibitors, Src inhibitors and MEK inhibitors, all inhibited cell proliferation by high glucose. Finally, transfection of dominant-negative MEK5, which is an upstream regulator of BMK1, abolished the BMK1-mediated rat mesangial cell proliferation stimulated by high glucose. CONCLUSION In the present study, we demonstrated that high glucose activates BMK1 both in vivo and in vitro. It was suggested that high glucose induces PKC- and c-Src-dependent BMK1 activation. It could not be denied that BMK1 activation is induced through an osmotic stress-sensitive mechanism. BMK1-mediated mesangial cell growth may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Suzaki
- Department of Pharmacology and Pediatrics, The University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Tokushima, Japan.
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Sutter AP, Maaser K, Gerst B, Krahn A, Zeitz M, Scherübl H. Enhancement of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor ligand-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of esophageal cancer cells by simultaneous inhibition of MAPK/ERK kinase. Biochem Pharmacol 2004; 67:1701-10. [PMID: 15081869 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2004.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2003] [Accepted: 01/05/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Specific ligands of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) activate pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative signaling pathways. Previously, we found that PBR ligands activated the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in esophageal cancer cells, and that the activation of p38MAPK contributed to tumor cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Here, we report that PBR ligands also activate the pro-survival MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in esophageal cancer cells, which might compromise the efficacy of PBR ligands. Hence, a combination treatment of PBR ligands and MEK inhibitors, which are emerging as promising anticancer agents, was pursued to determine whether this treatment could lead to enhanced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Using Western blotting we demonstrated a time- and dose-dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in response to PBR ligands. Apoptosis was investigated by assessment of mitochondrial alterations and caspase-3 activity. Cell cycle arrest was measured by flow cytometric analysis of stained isolated nuclei. The inhibition of MEK/ERK with a pharmacologic inhibitor, 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD 98059), resulted in a synergistic enhancement of PBR-ligand-induced growth inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Specifity of the pharmacologic inhibitor was confirmed by the use of 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio)butadiene (U 0126), a second MEK/ERK inhibitor, and 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(methylthio)butadiene (U 0124), a structural analogue of it which does not display any affinity to MEK. Enhanced pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects were observed both in KYSE-140 esophageal squamous cancer and OE-33 adenocarcinoma cells, suggesting that this effect was not cell-type specific. In addition, the PBR-mediated overexpression of the stress response gene (growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible gene gadd153) was synergistically enhanced by MEK inhibition. This is the first report of enhanced PBR-ligand-mediated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by simultaneous MEK inhibition, suggesting a new anticancer strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas P Sutter
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Medical Clinic I, Berlin, Germany
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Takagi Y, Du J, Ma XY, Nakashima I, Nagase F. Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate Protects Jurkat Cells from Methylglyoxal-Induced Apoptosis by Preventing c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase-Mediated Leakage of Cytochrome c in an Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase-Dependent Manner. Mol Pharmacol 2004; 65:778-87. [PMID: 14978257 DOI: 10.1124/mol.65.3.778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylglyoxal (MG) is an endogenous metabolite that increases in the blood and tissues of diabetic patients and is believed to be linked to the development of chronic complications of diabetes. We showed previously that Jurkat cells treated with MG rapidly undergo apoptosis via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. In this study, we examined whether phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) can prevent MG-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells. The results showed the following: 1) PMA can prevent MG-induced apoptosis; 2) triggering of this antiapoptotic signal depends on the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway; 3) PMA inhibits MG-induced activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, release of cytochrome c, and decline of mitochondrial membrane potential, but it does not affect MG-induced JNK activation; 4) the ERK pathway modulates outer mitochondrial membrane permeability and regulates the mitochondrial death machinery; and 5) activated ERK prevents JNK-induced leakage of cytochrome c from isolated mitochondria. Taken together, these results suggest that PMA-induced ERK activation can protect Jurkat cells from methylglyoxal-induced apoptosis and that activated ERK exerts its antiapoptotic effects on mitochondria by inhibiting activated JNK-induced permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshikazu Takagi
- Department of Medical Technology, Nagoya University School of Health Sciences, Aichi, Japan
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Abstract
AIM: To study the apoptosis of hepatoma cells SMMC-7721 induced by polysaccharide isolated from Ginkgo biloba seed.
METHODS: Ginkgo biloba seed polysaccharide (GBSP) was isolated by ethanol fractionation of Ginkgo biloba seed and purified by Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The purity of GBSP was verified by reaction with iodine-potassium iodide and ninhydrin and confirmed by UV spectrophotometer, cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis and Sepharose 4B gel filtration chromatography. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Flow Cytometry (FCM) were used to examine the SMMC-7721 cells with and without GBSP treatment at 500 mg/mL for 36 h.
RESULTS: GBSP product obtained was of high purity with the average molecular weight of 1.86 × 105. Quantitative analysis of SMMC-7721 cells in vitro with FCM showed that the percentages of G2-M cells without and with GBSP treatment were 17.01% ± 1.28% and 11.77% ± 1.50% (P < 0.05), the debris ratio of the cells were 0.46% ± 0.12% and 0.06% ± 0.06% (P < 0.01), and the apoptosis ratio of cells was 3.84% ± 0.55% and 9.13% ± 1.48% (P < 0.01) respectively. Following GBSP treatment, microvilli of SMMC-7721 cells appeared thinner and the number of spherical cells increased markedly. Most significantly, the apoptosis bodies were formed on and around the spherical cells treated with GBSP.
CONCLUSION: GBSP could potentially induce the apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Chen
- Department of Biology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong Province, China
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