The causes of cancer: implications for prevention and treatment

Free radical scavenging, antioxidant and cancer chemoprevention by grape seed proanthocyanidin: an overview

A large number of investigations have demonstrated a broad spectrum of pharmacological and therapeutic benefits of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) against oxidative stress and degenerative diseases including cardiovascular dysfunctions, acute and chronic stress, gastrointestinal distress, neurological disorders, pancreatitis, various stages of neoplastic processes and carcinogenesis including detoxification of carcinogenic metabolites. GSP exhibited potent free radical scavenging abilities in both in vitro and in vivo models. GSP exerted significant in vivo protection against structurally diverse drug and chemical-induced hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and spleentoxicity. GSP also protected against idarubicin and 4-hydroxyperoxy-cyclophosphamide-induced cytotoxicity toward human normal liver cells. GSP exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward selected human cancer cells, while enhancing the growth and viability of normal cells. GSP exhibited potent modulatory effects of pro-apoptotic and apoptotic regulatory bcl-XL, p53, c-myc, c-JUN, JNK-1 and CD36 genes. Long-term exposure to GSP may serve as a novel chemoprotectant against three stages of DMN-induced liver carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis including initiation, promotion and progression. GSP may selectively protect against oxidative stress, genomic integrity and cell death patterns in vivo. These results demonstrate that GSP may serve as a novel therapeutic intervention against carcinogenesis.

The role of Fas ligand protein in the oxidative stress induced by azoxymethane on crypt colon of rats

PURPOSE: To study the protein Fas ligand (FasL) on the expression of apoptosis, using a model of oxidative stress induced by azoxymethane (AOM), in the crypt of colon in rats. METHODS: Wistar rats (n=14) were assigned into two groups: control (n=7) and AOM (n=7). A single subcutaneous administration of AOM (5mg/kg) or saline solution was performed at the beginning of third week and after three hours samples of proximal colon were collected. The expression of FasL was quantified (Software ImageLab) in percentage of areas in the top, base and all crypt. Results were expressed as mean ± sd (Shapiro-Wilks test and t Student test) (p < 0.05). RESULTS: In the animals of CG there was no significant difference between the FasL expression of the top (10.75±3.33) and basal (11.14±3.53) colon crypt (p=0.34293740). In the animals of AOM there was no significant difference between the FasL expression of the top (8.86±4.19) and basal (8.99±4.08) colon crypt (p=0.78486003). In the animals of CG (10.95±3.43) and AOM (8.92±4.13) there was a significant difference of the FasL expression (p=0.026466821). A significantly decrease on the FasL expression was observed in the animals of CG (10.75±3.33) and AOM (8.86±4.19) in the top crypt (p=0.00003755*). A significant decrease was also observed in the animals of CG (11.14±3.53) and AOM (8.99±4.08) in the basal colon crypt (p=0.00000381**). CONCLUSION: Azoxymethane induce the oxidative stress and the significantly decrease of FasL expression, although there is no significant difference between basal and top of colon crypt linked to consumption-activation of Fas ligand.

Purification of a model substrate for transcription factor phosphorylation by ERK2

ERK2 belongs to the mitogen-activated protein kinase subfamily, which plays a pivotal role in cell signal transduction, in which it mediates effects on proliferation and differentiation by growth factors and hormones. While its cellular function has been under intense scrutiny since its initial discovery nearly 15 years ago, little progress has been made in understanding its kinetic mechanism. Such an understanding is important for the development of potent and specific inhibitors. A contributory factor has been the lack of a protein substrate suitable for rigorous mechanistic studies. Here we report the expression, purification, and characterization of the N-terminus (residues 1 through 138) of the transcription factor Ets-1, an excellent model substrate for ERK2 mechanistic studies. (His(6)-tagged)Ets-1(1-138) was expressed in Escherichia coli and rapidly purified in two steps by nickel-agarose-affinity chromatography, followed by high-resolution Mono-Q anion-exchange chromatography. A yield of 60 mg of the purified protein per liter of culture was obtained and could be stored conveniently at -80 degrees C in water. Rigorous characterization demonstrated that under the assay conditions, (His(6)-tagged)Ets-1(1-138) is exclusively phosphorylated on residue Thr-38 by ERK2 with the following Michaelis parameters: k(cat) = 17 s(-1), K(ATP)(m) = 140 microM, K(ATP)(i) = 68 microM, K(Ets-1)(m) = 19 microM, and K(Ets-1)(i) = 9.3 microM.