Caspase-dependent cytochrome c release and cell death in chick cardiomyocytes after simulated ischemia-reperfusion

2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (6) ◽  
pp. H2280-H2286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yimin Qin ◽  
Terry L. Vanden Hoek ◽  
Kim Wojcik ◽  
Travis Anderson ◽  
Chang-Qing Li ◽  
...  

We recently demonstrated that reperfusion rapidly induces the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in chick cardiomyocytes after 1 h of simulated ischemia. Here we tested whether ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis could be initiated by caspase-dependent cytochrome c release in this model of cardiomyocyte injury. Fluorometric assays of caspase activity showed little, if any, activation of caspases above baseline levels induced by 1 h of ischemia alone. However, these assays revealed rapid activation of caspase-2, yielding a 2.95 ± 0.52-fold increase (over ischemia only) within the 1st h of reperfusion, whereas activities of caspases-3, -8, and -9 increased only slightly from their baseline levels. The rapid and prominent activation of caspase-2 suggested that it could be an important initiator caspase in this model, and using specific caspase inhibitors given only at the point of reperfusion, we tested this hypothesis. The caspase-2 inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Asp(Ome)-Val-Ala-Asp(Ome)-CH2F was the only caspase inhibitor that significantly inhibited cytochrome c release from mitochondria. This inhibitor also completely blocked activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. The caspase-3/7 inhibitor transiently and only partially blocked caspase-2 activity and was less effective in blocking the activities of caspases-8 and -9. The caspase-8 inhibitor failed to significantly block caspase-2 or -3, and the caspase-9 inhibitor blocked only caspase-9. Furthermore, the caspase-2 inhibitor protected against I/R-induced cell death, but the caspase-8 inhibitor failed to do so. These data suggest that active caspase-2 initiates cytochrome c release after reperfusion and that it is critical for the I/R-induced apoptosis in this model.

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. JCD.S6723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuo-Hui Shao ◽  
Kimberly R. Wojcik ◽  
Yimin Qin ◽  
Chang-Qing Li ◽  
Terry L. Vanden Hoek ◽  
...  

We previously showed that initiator caspases-2 and −8 are prominently activated in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury in cardiomyocytes, but while blockade of caspase-2 activity enhanced cell survival, blockade of caspase-8 activity did not protect cardiomyocytes. Because apoptotic death in these cells is characterized by a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at reperfusion and their survival by inhibition of this burst, we examined the effects of blocking caspase-2 and caspase-8 activities on ROS production. Caspase-2 inhibition blocked the reperfusion-induced ROS burst, while inhibition of caspase-8 did not. We also examined effects of caspase inhibition on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and mitochondrial function and found that blocking caspase-2, but not caspase-8, allowed recovery of ΔΨm and mitochondrial functionality. Furthermore, knockdown of caspase-2 by small-interfering (si)RNA confirmed caspase-2 participation in cytochrome c release, which correlates with loss of ΔΨm and cell death in these cardiomyocytes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajoy K. Samraj ◽  
Dennis Sohn ◽  
Klaus Schulze-Osthoff ◽  
Ingo Schmitz

Caspase-9 plays an important role in apoptosis induced by genotoxic stress. Irradiation and anticancer drugs trigger mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, resulting in cytochrome c release and caspase-9 activation. Two highly contentious issues, however, remain: It is unclear whether the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential ΔΨMcontributes to cytochrome c release and whether caspases are involved. Moreover, an unresolved question is whether caspase-2 functions as an initiator in genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis. In the present study, we have identified a mutant Jurkat T-cell line that is deficient in caspase-9 and resistant to apoptosis. Anticancer drugs, however, could activate proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins and cytochrome c release, similarly as in caspase-9–proficient cells. Interestingly, despite these alterations, the cells retained ΔΨM. Furthermore, processing and enzyme activity of caspase-2 were not observed in the absence of caspase-9. Reconstitution of caspase-9 expression restored not only apoptosis but also the loss of ΔΨMand caspase-2 activity. Thus, we provide genetic evidence that caspase-9 is indispensable for drug-induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Moreover, loss of ΔΨMcan be functionally separated from cytochrome c release. Caspase-9 is not only required for ΔΨMloss but also for caspase-2 activation, suggesting that these two events are downstream of the apoptosome.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (4) ◽  
pp. C949-C953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoka Takatani ◽  
Kyoko Takahashi ◽  
Yoriko Uozumi ◽  
Eriko Shikata ◽  
Yasuhiro Yamamoto ◽  
...  

Cardiomyocyte apoptosis contributes to cell death during myocardial infarction. One of the factors that regulate the degree of apoptosis during ischemia is the amino acid taurine. To study the mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of taurine, we examined the interaction between taurine and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis using a simulated ischemia model with cultured rat neonatal cardiomyocytes sealed in closed flasks. Exposure to medium containing 20 mM taurine reduced the degree of apoptosis following periods of ischemia varying from 24 to 72 h. In the untreated group, simulated ischemia for 24 h led to mitochondrial depolarization accompanied by cytochrome c release. The apoptotic cascade was also activated, as evidenced by the activation of caspase-9 and -3. Taurine treatment had no effect on mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release; however, it inhibited ischemia-induced cleavage of caspase-9 and -3. Taurine loading also suppressed the formation of the Apaf-1/caspase-9 apoptosome and the interaction of caspase-9 with Apaf-1. These findings demonstrate that taurine effectively prevents myocardial ischemia-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the assembly of the Apaf-1/caspase-9 apoptosome.


Blood ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Marchetti ◽  
Barbara Di Marco ◽  
Grazia Cifone ◽  
Graziella Migliorati ◽  
Carlo Riccardi

Glucocorticoid hormones (GCHs) regulate normal and neoplastic lymphocyte development by exerting antiproliferative and/or apoptotic effects. We have previously shown that dexamethasone (DEX)–activated thymocyte apoptosis requires a sequence of events including interaction with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and acidic sphingomyelinase (aSMase) activation. We analyzed the mechanisms of GCH-activated apoptosis by focusing on GR-associated Src kinase, cytochrome c release, and caspase-8, -9, and -3 activation. We show here that PI-PLC binds to GR-associated Src kinase, as indicated by coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Moreover, DEX treatment induces PI-PLC phosphorylation and activation. DEX-induced PI-PLC phosphorylation, activation, and apoptosis are inhibited by PP1, a Src kinase inhibitor, thus suggesting that Src-mediated PI-PLC activation is involved in DEX-induced apoptosis. Caspase-9, -8, and -3 activation and cytochrome c release can be detected 1 to 2 hours after DEX treatment. Caspase-9 inhibition does not counter cytochrome crelease, caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis. Caspase-8 inhibition counters cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis, thus suggesting that caspase-8 inhibitor can directly inhibit caspase-9 and/or that DEX-induced caspase-8 activation is upstream to mitochondria and can regulate caspase-3 directly or through cytochrome c release and the consequent caspase-9/caspase-3 activation. DEX-induced caspase-8 activation, like ceramide-induced caspase-8 activation, correlates with the formation of Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD)/caspase-8 complex. Caspase-8 activation is countered by the inhibition of macromolecular synthesis and of Src kinase, PI-PLC, and aSMase activation, suggesting it is downstream in the DEX-activated apoptotic pathway of thymocytes.


2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (1) ◽  
pp. H141-H150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry L. Vanden Hoek ◽  
Yimin Qin ◽  
Kim Wojcik ◽  
Chang-Qing Li ◽  
Zuo-Hui Shao ◽  
...  

Although ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) can initiate apoptosis, the timing and contribution of the mitochondrial/cytochrome c apoptosis death pathway to I/R injury is unclear. We studied the timing of cytochrome c release during I/R and whether subsequent caspase activation contributes to reperfusion injury in confluent chick cardiomyocytes. One-hour simulated ischemia followed by 3-h reperfusion resulted in significant cell death, with most cell death evident during the reperfusion phase and demonstrating mitochondrial cytochrome c release within 5 min after reperfusion. By contrast, cells exposed to prolonged ischemia for 4 h had only marginally increased cell death and no detectable cytochrome c release into the cytosol. Caspase activation could not be detected after ischemia only, but it significantly increased after reperfusion. Caspase inhibitors benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, Ac-Asp-Gln-Thr-Asp-H, or benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Glu (Ome)-His-Asp-(Ome)-fluoromethyl ketone given only at reperfusion significantly attenuated cell death and resulted in return of contraction. Antixoxidants decreased cytochrome c release, nuclear condensation, and cell death. These results suggest that reperfusion oxidants initiate cytochrome c release within minutes, and apoptosis within hours, significant enough to increase cell death and contractile dysfunction.


2004 ◽  
Vol 165 (6) ◽  
pp. 835-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Ekert ◽  
Stuart H. Read ◽  
John Silke ◽  
Vanessa S. Marsden ◽  
Hitto Kaufmann ◽  
...  

Apoptosis after growth factor withdrawal or drug treatment is associated with mitochondrial cytochrome c release and activation of Apaf-1 and caspase-9. To determine whether loss of Apaf-1, caspase-2, and caspase-9 prevented death of factor-starved cells, allowing them to proliferate when growth factor was returned, we generated IL-3–dependent myeloid lines from gene-deleted mice. Long after growth factor removal, cells lacking Apaf-1, caspase-9 or both caspase-9 and caspase-2 appeared healthy, retained intact plasma membranes, and did not expose phosphatidylserine. However, release of cytochrome c still occurred, and they failed to form clones when IL-3 was restored. Cells lacking caspase-2 alone had no survival advantage. Therefore, Apaf-1, caspase-2, and caspase-9 are not required for programmed cell death of factor-dependent cells, but merely affect its rate. In contrast, transfection with Bcl-2 provided long-term, clonogenic protection, and could act independently of the apoptosome. Unlike expression of Bcl-2, loss of Apaf-1, caspase-2, or caspase-9 would therefore be unlikely to enhance the survival of cancer cells.


Author(s):  
Deepa Priya Ramadoss ◽  
Nageswaran Sivalingam

Objective: The main aim of the study was to investigate the bioactive compound vanillin extracted from proso millet (compound 1), and barnyard millet (compound 2) induces apoptotic cell death and whether it is mediated through mitochondrial pathway in HT-29 and MCF-7 cell line.Methods: The cells were treated with 250 μg/ml and 1000 μg/ml concentration of extracted vanillin for 48 hrs. Cytochrome c release and expression level of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and caspase-9 were detected by western blot analysis.Results: The results reveal that extracted compounds increased the release of cytochrome c and upregulating the expression of Bax and caspase-9 as concentration increases in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: The study suggests that the vanillin compound extracted from these millets induces apoptotic cell death through a mitochondria-dependent pathway.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (15) ◽  
pp. 2713-2723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Rosati ◽  
Rita Sabatini ◽  
Giuliana Rampino ◽  
Filomena De Falco ◽  
Mauro Di Ianni ◽  
...  

Abstract A better understanding of apoptotic signaling in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells may help to define new therapeutic strategies. This study investigated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling in spontaneous apoptosis of B-CLL cells and whether manipulating ER stress increases their apoptosis. Results show that a novel ER stress-triggered caspase cascade, initiated by caspase-4 and involving caspase-8 and -3, plays an important role in spontaneous B-CLL cell apoptosis. ER stress-induced apoptosis in B-CLL cells also involves CHOP/GADD153 up-regulation, increased JNK1/2 phosphorylation, and caspase-8–mediated cleavage of Bap31 to Bap20, known to propagate apoptotic signals from ER to mitochondria. In ex vivo B-CLL cells, some apoptotic events associated with mitochondrial pathway also occur, including mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase-9 processing. However, pharmacologic inhibition studies show that caspase-9 plays a minor role in B-CLL cell apoptosis. ER stress also triggers survival signals in B-CLL cells by increasing BiP/GRP78 expression. Manipulating ER signaling by siRNA down-regulation of BiP/GRP78 or treating B-CLL cells with 2 well-known ER stress-inducers, tunicamycin and thapsigargin, increases their apoptosis. Overall, our findings show that ER triggers an essential pathway for B-CLL cell apoptosis and suggest that genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of ER signaling could represent an important therapeutic strategy.


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