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Antioxidative and cardioprotective effects of Phyllanthus urinaria L. on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Cardiac toxicity is a major adverse effect caused by doxorubicin (DOX) therapy. Many recent studies have shown that DOX toxicity involves generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although protection or alleviation of DOX toxicity can be achieved by administration of antioxidant vitamins such as ascorbic acid and vitamin E, their cardioprotective effect remains controversial. Thus alternative naturally occurring antioxidants may potentially be candidates for antioxidant therapy. In this study, we investigated the antioxidative and cytoprotective effects of Phyllanthus urinaria (PU) against DOX toxicity using H9c2 cardiac myoblasts. The total antioxidant capacity of PU (1 mg/ml) was 5306.75+/-461.62 FRAP value (microM). DOX IC50 values were used to evaluate the cytoprotective effects of PU ethanolic extract (1 or 10 microg/ml) in comparison with those of ascorbic acid (VIT C, 100 microM) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 100 microM). PU treatments (1 or 10 microg/ml) dose dependently caused rightward DOX IC50 shifts of 2.8- and 8.5-fold, respectively while treatments with VIT C and NAC increased DOX IC50 by 3.3- and 4.2-fold, respectively. Additionally, lipid peroxidation and caspase-3 activity were parameters used to evaluate cytoprotective effect. All antioxidants completely inhibited cellular lipid peroxidation and caspase-3 activation induced by DOX (1 microM). Endogenous antioxidant defense such as total glutathione (tGSH), catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was also modulated by the antioxidants. PU treatment alone dose dependently increased tGSH, and this effect was retained in the presence of DOX. Similar effect was observed in the assessment of catalase and SOD enzyme activity. The nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) transcription factor assay demonstrated that all antioxidants significantly inhibited DOX-induced NFkappaB activation. Our results suggest that PU protection against DOX cardiotoxicity was mediated through multiple pathways and this plant may serve as an alternative source of antioxidants for prevention of DOX cardiotoxicity.

Animals↗

Effect of polyamines on acidified ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats.

The participation of polyamines and nonprotein sulfhydryls in the gastric cytoprotective mechanisms was studied using gastric mucosal lesions produced by acidified ethanol in rats as an experimental model. Treatment with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), but not cimetidine, prevented the formation of gastric mucosal lesions. Oral administration of cadaverine, spermidine and spermine prevented the lesion formation by acidified ethanol in a dose-dependent manner. Indomethacin or acetazolamide had no influence on the cytoprotective effect of spermine, whereas sulfhydryl blockers such as iodoacetamide and N-ethylmaleimide partially blocked it. Sulfhydryl compounds such as cysteine, reduced glutathione (GSH), and cysteamine prevented the lesion formation induced by acidified ethanol. The concentration of nonprotein sulfhydryls in the gastric mucosa was significantly decreased at 1 hr after administration of acidified ethanol, and this decrease was partially prevented by spermine or PGE2. These results suggest that the cytoprotective effect of spermine may not be mediated by endogenous prostaglandins or alkaline secretion in the gastric mucosa, but may be partially related to endogenous sulfhydryl compounds.

Animals↗

Effects of FRG-8701 on gastric acid secretion, gastric mucosal lesions by necrotizing agents and experimental gastric or duodenal ulcer in rats.

Effects of FRG-8701, a new histamine H2-receptor antagonist, on gastric acid secretion, necrotizing agents-induced gastric lesions and acute gastric or duodenal ulcer in rats were studied. In lumen-perfused rats, intravenous injection of FRG-8701 reduced gastric acid secretion, and its antisecretory effect was almost equipotent to that of famotidine but the duration of action was substantially longer. In pylorus-ligated rats, the antisecretory effect of intraduodenal FRG-8701 administration was about 7 times more potent than that of cimetidine. FRG-8701 effectively inhibited macroscopic gastric hemorrhagic lesions induced by various kinds of necrotizing agents. Intraperitoneal injection was effective in preventing the lesions as well as oral treatment. The oral ED50 values for these lesions ranged from 1.1 to 9.4 mg/kg. On the other hand, famotidine failed to reduce these lesions, and the cytoprotective effect of cimetidine was observed only in high doses compared with the doses for antisecretory activity. In addition, the cytoprotective effect of FRG-8701 was not affected by the treatment of indomethacin or N-ethylmaleimide. FRG-8701 showed antiulcer activity against stress and indomethacin gastric ulcer and mepirizole duodenal ulcer. Its antiulcer effect was 5-15 times more potent than that of cimetidine. These results indicate that FRG-8701 is a new antiulcer drug that exerts a potent cytoprotective effect in addition to its gastric antisecretory activity.

Acetamides↗

Roles of sulfhydryl compounds in the gastric mucosal protection of the herb drugs composing oren-gedoku-to (a traditional herbal medicine).

We investigated the involvement of sulfhydryl compounds in the cytoprotective effect of each component herb drug composing Oren-gedoku-to (OGT) against ethanol-induced gastric lesions and potential difference (PD) reduction in comparison with that of OGT in rats. Pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) significantly blocked the cytoprotective effects of OGT, Coptidis rhizoma and Phellodendri cortex, but did not block the cytoprotective effects of Gardeniae fructus and Scutellariae radix. The inhibitory effects of OGT, Coptidis rhizoma and Phellodendri cortex against the PD reduction disappeared in the presence of NEM or diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), whereas NEM or DDC had little or no effect with Gardeniae fructus and Scutellariae radix. These results suggest that the gastric mucosal protection of Coptidis rhizoma and Phellodendri cortex may be ascribed to the reinforcement of mucosal barrier resistance through endogenous sulfhydryl compounds and DDC-sensitive compounds, but those of Gardeniae fructus and Scutellariae radix may be independent of NEM- or DDC-sensitive compounds.

Animals↗

Effects of KW-5805, a new antiulcer agent, on experimental gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastric mucosal lesions by necrotizing agents and gastric acid secretion.

Effects of KW-5805, a new antiulcer agent, on various experimental ulcers, necrotizing agent-induced gastric lesions and gastric acid secretion in rats were compared with those of pirenzepine and cimetidine. KW-5805 showed antiulcer activities against experimental gastric and duodenal ulcers (ED50 = 1.2-10.0 mg/kg, p.o.). KW-5805 effectively inhibited gastric lesions induced by various necrotizing agents (ED50 = 4.5-39.8 mg/kg, p.o.). In addition, the cytoprotective effect of KW-5805 was not affected by indomethacin, but reserved by N-ethylmaleimide. These antiulcer and cytoprotective effects of KW-5805 were more potent than those of pirenzepine and cimetidine. In pylorus-ligated rats, intraduodenal KW-5805 administration at 30 mg/kg showed a weak antisecretory effect, which was 3-10 times less potent than those of pirenzepine and cimetidine. In rats with acute gastric fistula, intravenous injection of KW-5805 reduced methacholine-stimulated gastric acid secretion at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg and inhibited tetragastrin-induced acid secretion at 30 mg/kg. These results indicate that KW-5805 has potent and broad antiulcer properties, which are probably exerted by its potent cytoprotective effect in addition to its antisecretory effect.

Animals↗

Protection against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity by pretreating rats with the hemisuccinate esters of tocopherol and cholesterol.

Previous studies have demonstrated that alpha-tocopheryl hemisuccinate (TS) protects hepatocyte suspensions from chemical-induced toxicity. It has been suggested that TS cytoprotection is related to unique properties of the TS molecule or is dependent on the cellular release and activity of unesterified alpha-tocopherol (T). To test the unique cytoprotective nature of TS in vivo, the protective ability of T and tocopherol esters against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats was examined. Hepatoprotection [determined by serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and histopathology] was not observed after T (or tocopheryl acetate and tocopheryl nicotinate) administration, even though this treatment resulted in a fivefold elevation in hepatic T content. Only pretreatment with TS (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) resulted in partial hepatoprotection against CCl4 (2.9 g/kg, orally) toxicity. These findings suggest that hepatoprotection results not from the cellular accumulation of T but rather from the intact TS molecule. To test this hypothesis, the hepatoprotective capacity of cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CS), unesterified cholesterol, and cholesteryl acetate (CA) was examined against CCl4 toxicity. As observed with the tocopherol derivatives, pretreatment with unesterified cholesterol or CA demonstrated no protective ability. However, when rats were pretreated with CS (100 mg/kg), the hepatotoxic effects of CCl4 (elevated serum AST and ALT levels and centrilobular necrosis) were completely prevented. The prevention of CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by CS and TS do not appear to result from an alteration in hepatic drug metabolism. These data clearly demonstrate that CS and TS are unique and powerful cytoprotective agents against CCl4 hepatotoxicity in vivo.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Butanedione monoxime increases the viability and yield of adult cardiomyocytes in primary cultures.

Various protocols for the isolation and cultivation of adult rat cardiomyocytes were compared, and the cytoprotective potential of the reversible myosin ATPase inhibitor butanedione monoxime (BDM) was evaluated based on cell yield, cell vitality, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) release, and the mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Overall, a yield of 11.9 x 10(6)cells with >92% cell vitality was obtained when BDM was added to the isolation and cultivation buffers. In contrast, cell vitality ranged from 30% to 70% and cell yield was (4-10) x 10(6) when standard methods for the isolation of cardiomyocytes were used. Butanedione monoxime, at a 15 mM concentration, was cytoprotective during the isolation and cultivation of heart muscle cells, as judged by the morphological appearance (rod shape, lack of bleb formation, and other cytoskeleton defects) and the mRNA expression of the ANP gene. The activities of LDH and CK were also significantly reduced (p < 0.05%) when BDM was added to the isolation and cultivation buffer. The results obtained with BDM warrant further investigation into its cytoprotective potential during ischemia and damage to the cytoskeleton.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Effect of amyloid peptides on the increase in TrkA receptor expression induced by nicotine in vitro and in vivo.

The ability of nicotine to induce a cytoprotective or neuroprotective action occurs through several downstream mechanisms. One possibility is that the drug increases the expression of tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors. Certain beta-amyloid peptides (e.g., Abeta1-42) have been shown to bind with high affinity to alpha7 nicotinic receptors and thus interfere with a potentially neurotrophic influence. Treatment of differentiated PC-12 cells with nicotine produced a concentration-dependent increase in cell-surface TrkA receptors that occurred concomitantly with cytoprotection. The effect of nicotine was blocked by either of the alpha7 receptor antagonists alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BTX) or methyllycaconatine. The cytoprotective action of nicotine also was inhibited by pretreatment with 10-100 nM Abeta1-42. Nicotine also was administered (four injections of 30 microg, spaced evenly over 24 h) to rats by direct injection into a lateral cerebral ventricle. Brain TrkA expression was increased significantly in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (up to 32% above control), with no changes found in cerebral cortex or hypothalamus. The nicotine-induced increases in TrKA expression in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were significantly inhibited by 10 microg alpha-BTXor by 10 nmol Abeta1-42. Therefore, physiologically relevant concentrations of Abeta1-42 can prevent nicotine-induced TrkA receptor expression in brain regions containing cholinergic neurons susceptible to the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Aconitine↗

Expression of clusterin in Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder with disturbance and injury of the intestinal mucosal barrier, in which various proinflammatory molecules as well as molecules with antiinflammatory activity and cytoprotective function are found to be expressed. We investigated whether clusterin, a multifunctional cytoprotective protein, is upregulated in Crohn's disease, because augmented expression of clusterin is seen in many organs following various forms of tissue injury. Human actively and inactively inflamed ileal tissues from CD patients as well as normal intestinal specimens from control patients (normal ileum) were investigated by Western blot analysis, immunohistochemisty and in situ hybridization. As compared with controls, a strongly enhanced expression of clusterin was found in CD tissues, correlating with disease activity. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization analysis revealed foci of crypts almost completely lined by clusterin expressing enterocytes in CD, a feature that was never seen in controls. Such crypts appeared especially within the morphologically intact mucosa apart from erosive or ulcerative lesions. Besides epithelia, clusterin was also expressed by inflammatory mononuclear cells. Enhanced expression of clusterin by crypt epithelia might reflect a cytoprotective function of the protein in order to prevent further injury of the intestinal mucosal barrier in CD.

Adult↗

Prostaglandins, H2-receptor antagonists and peptic ulcer disease.

Peptic ulcer develops when offensive factors overwhelm defensive processes in the gastroduodenal mucosa. Offensive factors include NSAIDs, hydrochloric acid-peptic activity, bile reflux, and some products of the lipoxygenase pathway such as leukotriene B4; whereas defensive processes are largely mediated by prostaglandins through poorly understood mechanisms uniformly termed cytoprotection. Cytoprotection, a physiological process working through the products of arachidonic acid metabolism, may result from the net effect of the protective actions of prostaglandins versus the damaging actions of leukotrienes. Some prostaglandins also have antisecretory effects. Therefore the peptic ulcer healing effects of prostaglandin analogues, all of which have significant antisecretory activity, may be more due to their antisecretory effects than primarily to their effects on mucosal defences. Certain drug-induced gastroduodenal lesions, e.g. NSAID-induced ulcers, which are often unresponsive to H2-receptor antagonists, have been healed and their recurrence prevented by the use of PGE1 and PGE2 analogues. All the prostaglandin analogues investigated to date in humans have the potential for inducing abortion, an important side effect which may limit their worldwide use. The optimal prostaglandin analogue for ulcer healing should not induce abortion and should be potently cytoprotective. The predominant damaging agent in the development of peptic ulcer disease is gastric hydrochloric acid. Thus, the worldwide established efficacy and safety of H2-receptor antagonists such as cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine and most recently of roxatidine acetate suggest that these agents have become the standard by which other forms of anti-ulcer therapy should be judged.

Histamine H2 Antagonists↗

Experimental studies with isradipine in stroke.

The effects of isradipine in a rat model of embolic stroke [permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA)] are reviewed. Isradipine, when present or given up to 4 hours after the onset of stroke, reduces the infarct size, determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 24 hours, and by histology 5 days, after MCA occlusion. These cytoprotective effects seem to be permanent and are paralleled by an improvement in the neurological deficit. Isradipine has proved to be the most potent and effective calcium antagonist for reducing the infarct size compared with other representatives of this class of drugs such as nimodipine, nicardipine and flunarizine. Isradipine is cytoprotective after a stroke when used as an antihypertensive: at doses which normalise high blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats, isradipine reduces by more than 60% the infarct size caused by a subsequent stroke. Since the lowering of blood pressure, e.g. by a calcium antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier, is ineffective in reducing the infarct size, normalisation of blood pressure alone cannot account for the reductions in infarct size observed with isradipine. The antihypertensive drug isradipine seems rather to offer the additional benefit of attenuating the consequences of an eventual stroke. If clinically confirmed, this will be of considerable therapeutic importance. Evidence is presented that isradipine has at least 2 mechanisms within the brain that might be responsible for cytoprotection in stroke.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Cardiovascular and renovascular implications of COX-2 inhibition.

A group of chemical mediators, the eicosanoids, is critical players in a multitude of physiological processes. Generated by the action of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme on arachidonic acid they are responsible for diverse and often opposing actions such as platelet function, vasomotor tone, gastric cytoprotection and inflammation. Since their discovery several decades ago, our knowledge concerning their synthesis, function as natural ligands and methods to manipulate their activity through drug development has expanded. Traditional Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) are nonselective inhibitors of the COX enzyme, of which two isoforms are known to exist - COX-1 and COX-2. NSAIDs have been the mainstay of treatment in the management of pain and inflammation associated with acute and chronic inflammatory conditions that affect more than 10 million Americans. Their efficacy in this regard is not questioned. However, gastrointestinal toxicity arising from chronic NSAID ingestion is common and limits their use in clinical practice. Gastrointestinal toxicity has been attributed to the blockade of the COX-1 mediated generation of the cytoprotective prostanoids, such as PGE(2) and PGI(2). Selective COX-2 inhibitors were designed to inhibit the production of COX-2 dependent inflammatory prostanoids and to leave intact the cytoprotective COX-1 products. The first of a new class of these selective COX-2 inhibitors - the coxibs- were introduced to the market in 1999. These compounds, while exhibiting similar efficacy to traditional NSAIDs, were associated with a reduced incidence of surrogate or actual indices of GI toxicity. Questions have been raised concerning the cardiovascular and renal profiles of these agents based on data from both small and large clinical studies. More recently, our increasing understanding of the relative contributions of both isoforms of the COX enzyme to individual components of vascular homeostais has allowed us to appreciate the cardiovascular and renovascular implications of selective COX-2 inhibition.

Animals↗

The role of glycine in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Glycine is a non-essential amino acid which is cheap, easily available and relatively non-toxic. It is composed of a single carbon attached to an amino and a carboxyl group, with a molecular weight of 75. It is involved in the production of bile, nucleic acids, porphyrins and creatine phosphate. It is part of the normal human diet and is used clinically, as an irrigant solution in urological and gynaecological procedures. Glycine has broad spectrum anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective and immunomodulatory properties whose therapeutic role has largely been un-investigated. Since the demonstration of its cytoprotective effect on hypoxic cultured renal tubule cells, further research has established its mechanism of anti-inflammatory action, which depends on stimulation of glycine sensitive chloride channel receptors on the cell membrane. The mechanism of non-specific cytoprotective effect which is present even in chloride and calcium free media is not clear. However glycine is currently being used experimentally, in human liver transplant recipients and has been shown to be beneficial in animal models of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in liver and several other organs. This review addresses the properties of glycine, its mechanism of action and its role in modulating IRI with special reference to the liver, with the aim of stimulating translational research into the potential role of glycine as a pharmaceutical agent.

Animals↗

New biotechnological methods to reduce oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system: focusing on the Bach1/heme oxygenase-1 pathway.

Oxidative stress is involved in the mechanism of atherosclerotic lesion formation and in the mechanisms underlying the development of other pathogenic conditions of the cardiovascular system, including endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and heart failure. Reducing oxidative stress may be a reasonable therapeutic approach to treat cardiovascular diseases. HO-1 is a cytoprotective enzyme that is induced in response to oxidative stress and degrades heme into carbon monoxide (CO) and bilirubin, both of which have cytoprotective effects. A substantial body of evidence suggests that introduction of HO-1, either pharmacologically or by a gene delivery technique, confers cytoprotection in ischemic heart disease and atherosclerosis in animals. Recent studies have revealed that CO has anti-inflammatory properties and that administration of CO provides protection against atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. Discovery of Bach1, a transcriptional repressor of HO-1, has greatly contributed to the understanding of the regulation of HO-11 expression, providing a clue to a development of alternative method to enhance HO activity. Bach1 normally represses HO-1 expression. However, upon exposure to oxidative stress, Bach1 loses its repressive activity and is exported out of the nucleus, which in turn results in the upregulation of HO-1. Bach1 knockout mice, expressing an increased amount of HO-1, are resistant to pro-atherosclerotic and ischemic stresses. These findings indicate that inhibition of Bach1 may be a novel approach to enhance protection against stress. In summary, the Bach1-HO-1 system is an important defense mechanism against oxidative stress. Development of a safe and effective method to enhance this pathway, such as Bach1 inhibitor, may be of great clinical relevance.

Animals↗

Protection of insulin-producing RINm5F cells against cytokine-mediated toxicity through overexpression of antioxidant enzymes.

Nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are crucial elements in cytokine-mediated beta-cell destruction. In insulin-producing RINm5F cells, overexpression of cytoprotective enzymes provides significant protection against the synergistic toxicity of NO and ROS. We therefore examined whether overexpression of catalase (Cat), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) can provide protection for bioengineered RINm5F cells against cytokine-mediated toxicity. A 72-h exposure of RINm5F control cells to interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) alone or a combination of IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and gamma-interferon resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent decrease of cell viability in the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cytotoxicity assay. Although IL-1beta alone caused only a moderate reduction of viability in the range of 25%, the cytokine mixture induced a significant loss of viability of >75%. This increased toxicity of the cytokine mixture compared with that of IL-1beta alone could be explained by a higher rate of NO generation within the early 24-48 h incubation period that would favor the toxic synergism of NO and oxygen free radicals. Overexpression of Cat, Gpx, and Cu/Zn SOD protected against toxicity of the cytokine mixture but not against that of IL-1beta alone. The reduction of cytokine-mediated toxicity was evident also because of an increased proliferation rate and a drastic decrease in the cell death rate. The improved antioxidant defense status did not prevent the activation of iNOS after cytokine exposure. However, RINm5F cells overexpressing cytoprotective enzymes showed a significantly lower level of ROS-damaged protein residues. Thus, protection through Cat, Gpx, and Cu/Zn SOD overexpression was apparently because of an inactivation of ROS generated in the signal cascades of the cytokines. Overexpression of cytoprotective enzymes thus represents a feasible strategy to protect insulin-producing cells against cytokine-mediated cytotoxicity.

Animals↗

Prostaglandins and clinical experience in peptic ulcer disease.

Synthetic prostaglandin analogues of the E series offer a new approach to the medical treatment of peptic ulcer disease by combining antisecretory with cytoprotective properties, such as protection of the gastric mucosa against damage induced by aspirin. Controlled trials of prostaglandin analogues in peptic ulcer healing have failed to demonstrate any superiority to conventional treatment. Any beneficial effect is explicable by acid inhibition, and diarrhoea is a major and dose-limiting side effect. Non-antisecretory doses that are still said to be cytoprotective do not accelerate ulcer healing. Also, the prostaglandin analogues seem ineffective in the treatment of peptic ulcer haemorrhage. Thus the clinical relevance of cytoprotection by synthetic prostaglandins has not been established. Although antisecretory doses of some analogues may prove to be yet another approach to drug treatment, the present results do not forecast a new breakthrough in the management of peptic ulcer disease.

Duodenal Ulcer↗

Nitric oxide protects macrophages from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis by inducing the formation of catalase.

We investigated the cytoprotective effect of NO on H2O2-induced cell death in mouse macrophage-like cell line RAW264. H2O2-treated cells showed apoptotic features, such as activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, nuclear fragmentation, and DNA fragmentation. These apoptotic features were significantly inhibited by pretreatment for 24 h with NO donors, sodium nitroprusside and 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3,3-bis-(2-aminoethyl)-1-triazene, at a low nontoxic concentration. The cytoprotective effect of NO was abrogated by the catalase inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole but was not affected by a glutathione synthesis inhibitor, L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine. NO donors increased the level of catalase and its activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, inhibited both the NO-induced increase in the catalase level and the cytoprotective effect of NO. These results indicate that NO at a low concentration protects macrophages from H2O2-induced apoptosis by inducing the production of catalase.

Animals↗

Calcitonin induces apoptosis resistance in prostate cancer cell lines against cytotoxic drugs via the Akt/survivin pathway.

The expression of calcitonin (CT) and CT-receptor (CTR) mRNA in primary prostate tumors increase with tumor progression. Since advanced prostate tumors display chemoresistance, we tested a hypothesis that CT increases apoptosis resistance of prostate cells against cytotoxic drugs. We examined the effect of CT on etoposide-induced apoptosis in PC-3M, LNCaP and NRP-152 cell lines. The cytoprotective actions of CT were then tested on paclitaxel-, dexamethasone- and selenite-induced apoptosis. We also examined cytotoxic actions of these drugs in CTR-silenced PC-3M cells. Since the role of Akt and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) in chemoresistance of advanced prostate cancers has been established, we tested the effect of CT on phospho-Akt and survivin levels in PC-3M cells. Finally, the cytoprotective effect of CT on PC-3M cells was tested in the presence of PI3K inhibitors such as LY 294002 and wortmannin. Acutely added CT significantly attenuated apoptosis of PC cell lines in response to etoposide, dexamethasone and selenite treatment, but could not reduce paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. CT potently stimulated phospho-Akt and survivin synthesis in PC-3M cells in a sustained manner, and LY 294002 attenuated CT-induced survivin synthesis as well as apoptosis resistance. These results suggest that CT induces chemoresistance to etoposide, dexamethasone and selenite but not to paclitaxel in prostate cells. Cytoprotective action of CT is mediated by CTR-induced activation of Akt-survivin pathway. Since CT/CTR expression in prostate cancers increases with tumor progression, the suppression of "CT System" may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Agents↗