Role of thioredoxin nitration in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes

AIM：To investigate the role of thioredoxin nitration in the apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) induced by doxorubicin (DOX). METHODS：Cardiomyocytes treated with DOX were isolated from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats and cultured in vitro. NRCMs were treated with DOX alone (DOX group), pretreated with Mn (III) tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (MnTMPyP), a peroxynitrite (ONOO-) scavenger, and then treated with DOX (MnTMPyP+DOX group), or treated with MnTMPyP alone (MnTMPyP group). NRCMs without any treatment served as a normal control (control group). The viability of the cells was examined by MTT assay, and the apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33258 nuclear staining kit. The activity of caspase-3 was detected by spectrophotometry. The expression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), phosphorylated ASK1 (p-ASK1), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK) was measured by Western blotting. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting were performed to detect the formation of Trx-ASK1 and Trx-nitrotyrosine. RESULTS：DOX induced significant apoptosis of NRCMs. MnTMPyP could significantly attenuate the apoptosis induced by DOX. Compared with control group, Trx nitration in DOX group increased obviously. The increases in activity of caspase-3 and expression of cleaved PARP-1 and p-p38 MAPK were also observed, besides the expression of Trx-ASK1 compound and p-ASK1 decreased significantly (P<005). MnTMPyP could decrease the nitration of Trx. The decreases in activity of caspase-3 and expression of cleaved PARP-1 and p-p38 MAPK were detected in MnTMPyP+DOX group, while the expression of Trx-ASK1 compound and p-ASK1 increased significantly (P<005). CONCLUSION: DOX could induce significant apoptosis of NRCMs and increase Trx nitration. The process was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with MnTMPyP. Therefore, Trx nitration may play an important role in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.     

Role of thioredoxin-ASK1 in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes

AIM: To investigate the role of thioredoxin(Trx)-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1(ASK1) in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (NRCMs). METHODS: Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats with the purity of NRCMs >95%. NRCMs were pretreated with the indicated concentrations of ebselen 2 h prior to the addition of doxorubicin, then treated with doxorubicin at concentration of 1 μmol/L for another 24 h. The viability of the cells was examined by MTT assay.Reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels were measured by a ROS-specific probe 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H₂DCFDA). Apoptotic cardiomyocytes were determined by Hoechst 33258 nuclear staining. The activity of caspase-3 was detected with a caspase-3 colorimetric assay kit. The protein levels of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1(PARP1), ASK1, p-ASK1, p38 and p-p38 were determined by Western blotting. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting were performed to detect whether the Trx-ASK1 was dissociated. RESULTS: Doxorubicin induced significant apoptosis of NRCMs. The levels of ROS were significantly increased. Ebselen significantly decreased the apoptosis. Compared with control group, increased activity of caspase-3 was showed in doxorubicin group (P<0.01). Increased protein levels of PARP1, ASK1 and p38 were observed (P<0.01). The increase in the dissociated Trx-ASK1 was also found. Compared with doxorubicin group, ebselen decreased the activity of caspase-3 (P<0.01), the levels of PARP1,ASK1 and p38 proteins (P<0.05), and the dissociated Trx-ASK1. CONCLUSION: Doxorubicin induces significant apoptosis of NRCMs. ASK1 is partly dissociated from Trx, and starts the ASK1-mediated apoptotic signaling. The process is significantly attenuated by pretreatment with ebselen. Trx-ASK1 plays an important role in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.     

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells protect against hypoxia-induced injury and apoptosis of PC12 cells via up-regulation of erythropoietin expression

AIM： To investigate the effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on cobalt chloride (CoCl2)-induced injury and apoptosis of PC12 cells. METHODS：PC12 cells were divided into control group, CoCl2 group, BM-MSCs-siCTL+CoCl2 group and BM-MSCs-siEPO+CoCl2 group. The viability of the PC12 cells was measured by MTT assay. Flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to determine the apoptotic rate and the changes of chromatin distribution in PC12 cells. The expression of erythropoietin (EPO) in BM-MSCs was measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in PC12 cells was detected by RT-PCR. Caspase-9 and caspase-3 assay kits were used to detect the activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3. RESULTS：The viability of PC12 cells treated with CoCl2 for 24 h and 48 h decreased to （43.0±6.4）% and （33.8±5.7）%, respectively, while 1∶15 ratio of BM-MSCs co-culture increased the cell viability to （77.9±3.8）% and （75.2±9.7）%,respectively. The expression of EPO in BM-MSCs was up-regulated after treated with 0.6 mmol/L CoCl2 for 24 h and 48 h, while EPO siRNA significantly abrogated the EPO expression in BM-MSCs. BM-MSCs-siCTL co-culture significantly inhibited the apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by CoCl2. However, EPO siRNA the protective effect of BM-MSCs. Compared with CoCl2 treatment group, BM-MSCs co-culture induced remarkable increase in the expression of Bcl-2 and decrease in the expression of Bax in PC12 cells, which was reversed by EPO siRNA. BM-MSCs-siCTL co-culture remarkably abrogated the CoCl2 induced up-regulation of caspase-9 and -3, while BM-MSCs-siEPO co-culture significantly reversed the down-regulation of caspase-9 and -3 induced by BM-MSCs-siCTL co-culture. CONCLUSION：BM-MSCs protect PC12 cells from apoptosis induced by CoCl2. The protective effect of BM-MSCs might be executed by up-regulating the expression of EPO.     

miR-155-specific siRNA enhances chemosensitivity of Burkitt lymphoma Raji cells to cytosine arabinoside by inducing apoptosis

AIM：To investigate the effect of miR-155-specific siRNA alone or in combination with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) on the growth and apoptosis of Burkitt lymphoma Raji cells. METHODS：miR-155-specific siRNA and/or Ara-C were used to treat the cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of miR-155. The growth of the cells was analyzed by CKK-8 assay. The cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS：The miR-155 expression level of the cells transfected with miR-155 siRNA was significantly lower than that in the 2 control groups. Ara-C or miR-155 siRNA alone inhibited the growth of Raji cells in a dose-depend manner. miR-155 siRNA combined with Ara-C produced more inhibition of cell proliferation (P<0.05). After treatment for 48 h, the apoptotic rate of Raji cells in miR-155 siRNA+Ara-C group ［(38.4±1.4)%］ was higher than that in Ara-C group ［(16.5±0.3)%］ and miR-155 siRNA group ［(14.6±0.3)%］, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The expression of caspase-3 in Ara-C+miR-155 siRNA group was increased significantly as compared with Ara-C group and miR-155 siRNA group. CONCLUSION：miR-155-specific siRNA enhances the chemosensitivity of Raji cells to Ara-C by inducing apoptosis through the caspase-3 pathway.     

Carnosine protects against high glucose-induced injury in H9c2 cells

AIM： To explore the protective effect of carnosine (Car) on cardiomyocytes with high glucose (HG)-induced injury. METHODS：Rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into three groups: normal control (NC) group, HG group and Car pretreatment (Car+HG) group. The survival rate of H9c2 cells was measured by MTT assay. Intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. The protein expression of caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-3 was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS：The survival rate of H9c2 cells decreased with the increases in glucose concentration and time, while pretreatment with 20 mmol/L Car could increase the survival rate significantly (P<0.05). The intracellular level of ROS in HG group was significantly increased compared with NC group (P<0.05), while that in Car+HG group was significantly decreased compared with HG group (P<0.05). The expression of caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-3 proteins in HG group was significantly increased compared with NC group (P<0.05). Compared with HG group, the expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 was significantly decreased in Car+HG group (P<0.05), but the expression of caspase-8 did not obviously change (P>0.05). CONCLUSION：Carnosine can protect H9c2 cells against the injury of oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by high glucose.     

p38 MAPK involves in cepharanthine-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes

AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effect of cepharanthine (CEP) on neonatal rat cardiomyocytes(NRCMs) and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: MTT assay was used to detect the viability of the cells. CEP-induced apoptosis in NRCMs was evaluated by Hoechst 33342 staining and the expression of activated caspase-3. The phosphorylation levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs),such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK,were examined by Western blotting. The specific inhibitors of ERK and p38 MAPK were applied for identifying the roles of the corresponding signal pathways in CEP-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. RESULTS: CEP inhibited the viability of NRCMs in a dose-and time-dependent manners. Positive nuclear fragmentation and activated caspase-3 were found in CEP-treated NRCMs. The phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38 MAPK were significantly elevated in CEP-treated NRCMs, but the change of JNK was not obvious. SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, significantly alleviated the apoptotic effect induced by CEP. However, PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK1/2, did not significantly reduce the apoptotic effect.CONCLUSION: p38 MAPK is involved in CEP-induced apoptosis in NRCMs.     

矮化中间砧‘宫藤富士’苹果栽植密度对树体生长、冠层光照和果实产量的影响

2011 年春季定植的矮化中间砧苹果成品苗（3 年根 1 年干的‘宫藤富士’/SH6/平邑甜茶）为试材，设置 7 种不同的栽植密度（株行距分别为 1 m × 3 m、1.5 m × 3 m、2 m × 3 m、0.75 m × 4 m、1 m × 4 m、1.25 m × 4 m 和 1.5 m × 4 m），细纺锤形整枝修剪，自栽植第 2 年，连续 7 年调查 7 种栽植密度对树体生长、冠层光照分布、果实产量和品质的影响。随着树龄的增长，不同栽植密度下树干粗度和总枝量逐年增加，不同处理间树干粗度无显著差异，第 7 年 1 m × 3 m 和 0.75 m × 4 m 两个栽植密度下树体总枝量超过 140 万条 · hm-2，第 8 年均超过 140 万条 · hm-2。栽植前期（第 2 ~ 4 年）各栽植密度树体短枝比例不断增加，长枝比例不断减少，第 5 年各栽植密度枝类组成趋于稳定；综合稳产 3 年（第 6 ~ 8 年）树体的枝类组成数据，4 m 行距的短枝比例明显高于 3 m 行距，长枝比例略低。树体冠层平均相对光照强度由高到低的株行距处理依次为 1.5 m × 4 m（63.87%）、1.25 m × 4 m（61.44%）、2 m × 3 m（61.27%）、1 m × 4 m（59.19%）、0.75 m × 4 m（55.79%）、1.5 m × 3 m（53.67%）和 1 m × 3 m（49.37%）；相同栽植株数下，4 m 行距处理低光效（相对光照强度小于 40%）的区域比例显著小于 3 m 行距。比较前 5 年的累计产量，以行距 4 m 和 1 m × 3 m 的最高。综合稳产 3 年的结果情况，大果率（单果质量 > 200 g 的果实产量占总产量的比例）以 4 m 行距和 2 m × 3 m 的最高。各栽植密度下的果实的可溶性固形物含量、固酸比、果形指数和果实硬度均无显著差异。综上，采用 4 m 行距，1 ~ 1.25 m 株距，树体成形快，稳产后树体结构合理，冠层光照充足，低效光区比例少，前期产量高。     

Effects of H2O2 on apoptosis of skeletal muscle satellite cell and mitochondrial membrane potential

AIM: To observe the effects of H2O2 on apoptosis of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSC)and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and protective effect of erythropoietin(EPO). METHODS: SMSC in vitro were divided into three groups: H2O2 group, H2O2+EPO group and control. Apoptosis rate and the means were obverted by monofluorescence flow cytometry. The morphological change of apoptosis cells were observed under fluorescence microscopy after Hoechst 33258 staining. RESULTS: The cells in H2O2 group show the highest apoptosis rate (22.13±1.79)%. In H2O2+EPO group, apoptosis rate were (16.47±2.53)%, (4.97±0.55)% and (2.93±0.47)% according to the EPO treated levels (10, 20 or 40 kU/L), respectively. MMP level in H2O2 group was the lowest 9.70±0.09. MMP levels in H2O2+EPO group were 12.67±0.32, 27.90±0.66, 44.53±0.93, respectively according to the EPO treated levels (10, 20 or 40 kU/L). In control group, apoptosis rate was 1.93±0.57 and MMP was 51.37±0.64. In H2O2 group and H2O2+ low dosage EPO group, Hoechst 33258 staining showed obvious apoptosis. CONCLUSION: EPO inhibits the apoptosis induced by H2O2 and stabilizes the MMP, which is related to the dosage of EPO.     

Genipin inhibits oxidative stress and apoptotic damage in high glucose-induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes

AIM:To explore the effects of genipin (GEN) on high glucose (HG)-induced oxidative stress injury and apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyocytes.METHODS:H9c2 cells were cultured in vitro and HG-induced injury model was established. H9c2 cells were divided into 4 groups:normal control (NC) group (glucose at 5.6 mmol/L), HG group (glucose at 50 mmol/L), NG+GEN group and HG+GEN group. The concentration of genipin was used at 10 μmol/L. The viability of the H9c2 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay. The intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were determined by enzyme labeling and WST-1 methods, respectively. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the cell culture supernatant was detected by microplate method. Fluorescent probe DCF was used to detect intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nucleosome fragments was measured to evaluate cell apoptosis by ELISA. The intracellular mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 method. The protein levels of Mn-SOD, cytochrome C (Cyt C), Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by Western blot. RESULTS:Compared with HG group, the cell viability in HG+GEN group was increased significantly (P<0.05), the levels of MDA and LDH were decreased (P<0.05), SOD activity was increased (P<0.05), the levels of ROS and nucleosome fragments in HG+GEN group were decreased (P<0.05), and the mitochondrial membranes potential was notably increased (P<0.05). Compared with NG group, the activation of Mn-SOD was decreased, but the protein levels of Cyt C, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were increased in HG group (P<0.05). Compared with HG group, the activation of Mn-SOD was increased, and the protein levels of Cyt C, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were decreased in HG+GEN group (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Genipin protects HG-induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress injury and apoptosis.     

ROCK promotes hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway

AIM: To investigate the expression of Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase (ROCK) at different hypoxic phases and to explore its role in myocardial cell apoptosis. METHODS: The rat cardiomyocytes were primarily cultured and identified by an antibody targeting α-actin of striated muscle. The myocardial cell hypoxic model was established by exposing the cells in hypoxic liquid for 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 9 h. The cell apoptotic rate was assessed by flow cytometry. The cell survival rate was determined by MTT assay. The protein levels of ROCK-1, ROCK-2, caspase-3 activation fragment, PI3K and p-PI3K at different hypoxia phases were determined by Western blotting.RESULTS: After exposed to hypoxic liquid for 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 9 h, the apoptotic rates of the cardiomyocytes were （8.76±1.51）%, （15.36±2.34）%, （26.50±3.43）% and （41.96±4.22）%, respectively, significantly higher than those in control group ［(2.60±0.34）%, P<0.01］. The survival rates were （93.20±4.12）%, （86.14±3.10）%, （75.53±7.25）%and （60.21±6.75）%, respectively, signficantly lower than those in control group ［（97.60±1.12）%, P<0.05］. After 1 h of hypoxic exposure, the levels of ROCK-1 and ROCK-2 began to rise, reached its peak at 3～6 h, and began to decrease after 9 h, which were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). After 1 h of hypoxic exposure, the caspase-3 activation fragment began to rise, which was sustained in a high level at following observed time points as compared with control group (P<0.01). No difference of the PI3K expression in the course of hypoxia was observed. However, after 1 h of hypoxic exposure, the p-PI3K level began to rise, reached its peak at 3 h, began to decrease at 6 h, and was almost undetectable at 9 h. CONCLUSION: Hypoxia stimulates the cardiomyocytes to increase the expression of ROCK-1 and ROCK-2, and is in parallel with the cardiomyocyte apoptosis. ROCKs may play an important role in the process of hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting the p-PI3K pathways.     

L-carnitine inhibits H2O2-induced rat cardiomyocyte apoptosis through suppressing Ca2+/CaMKII signaling pathway

AIM：To examine the inhibitory effect of L-carnitine on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced apoptosis of rat cardiomyocytes and to further explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS：Primarily cultured neonatal rat myocardial cells were prepared and challenged by 200 μmol/L H2O2 to induce cell apoptosis. In order to evaluate the effects of Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N, N, N′, N′-tetraacetic acid (BAPTA), calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor KN93 and L-carnitine on cell viability, apoptosis, resting intracellular free Ca2+ concentration (［Ca2+］i) and phospho-CaMKII (p-CaMKII) expression, these three agents were added 30 min or 1 h prior to H2O2 stimulation. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and apoptosis was determined by flow cytomertry. The ［Ca2+］i was measured by laser confocal scanning. Cleaved caspase-3 and p-CaMKII expression was detected using Western blotting. RESULTS：Upon 200 μmol/L H2O2 stimulation for 12 h, cell viability decreased and apoptotic rate increased significantly compared with control．Pretreament with L-carnitine, BAPTA and KN93 significantly increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis．Furthermore, intracellular Ca2+ overload triggered by H2O2 could be greatly relieved by L-carnitine and BAPTA pretreatment, but not affected by KN93. H2O2-stimulated cleaved caspase-3 and p-CaMKII expression was also significantly inhibited by all these three agents. CONCLUSION：L-carnitine inhibits H2O2-induced rat cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly via suppressing Ca2+/CaMKII signaling pathway.     

ZFP580, a novel transcription factor,is involved in cardioprotection of hypoxic preconditioning against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in myocardial cells

AIM：To elucidate whether ZFP580 is involved in the cardioprotective effects of hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) against hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) injury in H9c2 myocardial cells. METHODS：Rat heart-derived H9c2 cells were cultured in DMEM. H/R was induced by incubation under ischemic hypoxia for 3 h and reoxygenation for 2 h. HPC was induced by exposing the H9c2 cells to 10 min of hypoxia and 20 min of reoxygenation for 3 cycles before H/R treatment. MTT staining and LDH leakage detection were used to evaluate the effects of HPC. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of ZFP580, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and cleaved caspased-3. The effects of ZFP580 overexpre-ssion or knockdown on H/R induced apoptosis were determined. RESULTS：The results of MTT staining and LDH leakage detection showed evidence of HPC cytoprotection against H/R-induced cell death in H9c2 cells. ZFP580 protein level and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were significantly increased in the HPC group compared with control group and H/R group. PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, significantly suppressed the HPC-induced up-regulation of ZFP580 protein expression. ZFP580 overexpression significantly inhibited apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in H9c2 cells. CONCLUSION：HPC exhibits cytoprotection against H/R and leads to high level of ZFP580 protein in H9c2 cells. ZFP580 is regulated by ERK1/2 activation and mediates the anti-apoptotic effect of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in HPC cytoprotection.     

Cholestane-3β, 5α, 6β-triol induces apoptosis of malignant glioma cells

AIM：To investigate the effect of cholestane-3β, 5α, 6β-triol (Triol) on apoptosis of malignant glioma cells. METHODS：C6 cells and A172 cells were incubated with Triol at different concentrations for different time durations. MTT assay was used to detect the cell viability. Hoechst 3f3342 staining and TUNEL assay were used to analyze the cell apoptosis. The caspase activity was measured. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins, Bcl-2 family members, was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS：Triol decreased the cell viability of C6 and A172 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and the IC50 values were (17.8±0.6)μmol/L and (20.6±0.2) μmol/L, respectively. Visible nuclei with apoptotic characteristics, significant increase in TUNEL-positive cells, and the activation of apoptotic execution enzyme caspase-3 indicated that cell apoptosis was induced by Triol in both cell lines. After C6 cells were exposed to Triol for 12 h, 24 h and 48 h, the activity of caspase-8 in extrinsic apoptotic pathway and caspase-9 in intrinsic apoptotic pathway was increased time-dependently. Meanwhile, the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, was down-regulated, while pro-apoptotic protein Bak was up-regulated in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION：Triol induces apoptosis of malignant glioma cells by activating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, and Bcl-2 family members are involved in Triol-induced apoptosis.     

Protective effect of ecdysterone on H9c2 cells against oxidative stress

AIM: To investigate the effect of ecdysterone (EDS) on H9c2 cardiomyocytes after oxidative stress. METHODS: H9c2 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into control group, high dose (2 μmol/L) of EDS group, middle dose (1.5 μmol/L) of EDS group, low dose (1 μmol/L) of EDS group, and H₂O₂ group. H9c2 cardiomyocytes in H₂O₂ group and high, middle and low doses of EDS groups were exposed to H₂O₂ for 6 h to establish the model of oxidative stress. The viability of the H9c2 cells was detected by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis of H9c2 cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The levels of lactate dehydogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) in the culture medium, and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the H9c2 cells were measured by colorimetry. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 in the H9c2 cells were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Ecdysterone at the selected concentrations had no effect on the viability of H9c2 cells. Compared with control group, the levels of LDH, CK-MB, ROS and MDA, and the apoptotic rates of the H9c2 cells were significantly increased after treated with H₂O₂, but were decreased by EDS treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The levels of SOD and mitochondrial membrane potential of the H9c2 cells in H₂O₂ group were reduced significantly compared with control group, but high, middle and low doses of EDS treatments up-regulated the levels of SOD and mitochondrial membrane potential in H₂O₂-treated H9c2 cells. The protein levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in the H9c2 cells in H₂O₂ group showed significant elevation in comparison with control group, and the protein expression of Bcl-2 declined in H₂O₂ group compared with control group, but high, middle and low doses of ecdysterone treatments down-regulated the protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 in H₂O₂-treated H9c2 cells. CONCLUSION: Ecdysterone attenuates the effect of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress on H9c2 cardiomyocytes. The mechanism may be involved in scavenging oxidative stress products, increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and improving mitochondrial function.     

Adiponectin activates AKT and protects rat cardiomyocytes against H2O2-induced apoptosis

AIM: To study the effect of adiponectin on H₂O₂-induced apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes (H9c2 cells). METHODS: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to determine H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cells in the absence or presence of adiponectin. The content of caspase-3 and Akt (protein kinase B, PKB) was examined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Adiponectin significantly inhibited H₂O₂-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells (P<0.01). Adiponectin increased basal and H₂O₂-induced Akt activity and significantly inhibited H₂O₂-induced activation of caspase-3 (P<0.01). Pretreatment with LY294002, a specific inhibitor of Akt upstream kinase PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase), not only increased H₂O₂-induced H9c2 cell apoptosis, but also abrogated the anti-apoptotic effect of adiponectin. CONCLUSION: Adiponectin protects H9c2 cells against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis by activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.     

Effects of lentivirus-mediated caspase-3 silencing on proliferation and apoptosis of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

AIM：To investigate the effects of caspase-3 gene silencing on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS：A lentiviral vector expressing caspase-3 shRNA was constructed and transfected into rat bone marrow MSCs．The expression of caspase-3 at mRNA and protein levels was detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Cell proliferation and cell cycle were evaluated by MTS assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of bcl-2 and bax mRNA was detected by real-time PCR. The apoptosis of the cells was evaluated by Hoechst 33258 staining. RESULTS：Recombinant lentivirus was successfully transfected into MSCs. The proliferation of the MSCs transfected with caspase-3 shRNA was significantly promoted (P<0.05) and the proportion of the cells in S phase was increased to (52.66±0.30) %. Compared with control groups, caspase-3 silencing up-regulated the mRNA level of bcl-2 and down-regulated the mRNA level of bax, and the ratio of bcl-2 to bax increased (P<0.05). The apoptotic rate in MSCs-shRNA group was (15.01±1.73) %, which was significantly lower than those in MSCs and MSCs-vector group ［(23.67±1.16) % and (25.67±3.05) %, respectively; P<0.05］. CONCLUSION: Caspase-3 silencing regulates cell cycle, promotes the proliferation and attenuates the apoptosis of rat bone marrow MSCs.     

Construction of Pax-8 gene recombinant plasmid and study of its function

AIM: To investigate the effects of over-expression of Pax-8 gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of H9c2 cells(a cardiomyocyte cell line). METHODS: The full length of rat Pax-8 gene was restrictively digested by Kpn I and Not I from the pCMV sport6-Pax-8 vector, and then inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1(+). The recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-Pax-8 was confirmed by restriction endonuclease digestion and sequencing. The pcDNA3.1(+)-Pax-8 was transfected into H9c2 cells. The expression of Pax-8 at mRNA and protein levels was identified after transfection by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8. Cell apoptosis was induced by serum deprivation in H9c2 cells transfected with Pax-8 gene. The apoptosis rate of the cells was determined by flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide double staining. The protein expression of activated caspase-3 was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: The full length of Pax-8 gene was successfully cloned into pcDNA3.1(+) expression vector and over-expression of Pax-8 at mRNA and protein levels was observed in H9c2 cells transfected with Pax-8 gene as compared to the wild-type cells and the cells transfected with an empty vector (both P<0.05). Transfection of Pax-8 gene promoted the proliferation of the cardiomyocytes (P<0.05) and inhibited the apoptosis rates induced by serum deprivation (P<0.01). The expression level of activated caspase-3 was increased by serum deprivation and attenuated by Pax-8 transfection (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The pcDNA3.1(+)-Pax-8 expression vector was successfully constructed and over-expression of Pax-8 gene in cardiomyocytes is obtained. Pax-8 gene acts as an anti-apoptotic factor in cardiomyocytes by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis.     

Oxidative stress induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells

AIM: Direct exposure of cells to reactive oxygen species can induce apoptosis. In this study we investigate how oxidative stress induces cell death in HepG2 cells and characterize the molecular events involved.METHODS: Oxidative stress was created by exposing HepG2 cells to 2 mmol/L H2O2. Apoptosis was determined by analysis of DNA fragmentation by agarose gel electorphoresis. The mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed using DePsipher fluorescent staining and the expression of cytochrome c in the cytosolic fraction was measured by Western blotting analysis. The caspase activity was detected using fluorometric assay kit by a fluorescence microplate reader.RESULTS: When HepG2 cells were treated with 2 mmol/L H2O2, the cells displayed DNA fragmentation, a typical feature of apoptosis, after 12 h. The mitochondrial membrane potential appeared different in two group of cells. H2O2-treated cells appeared green fluorescence as early as 4 h, which represents de-energized mitochondria, the untreated cells appeared red fluorescence, a feature of mitochondria with intact membrane potential. In treated cells, the expression of cytochrome c increased and accumulated in cytosolic fraction with treatment time, caspase-3 activity increased by 6.7-fold (P<0.01) at 8 h and caspase-9 activity increased by 3.6-fold (P<0.01) at 12 h, respectively, however, the activity of caspase-8 remained unchanged.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that oxidative stress can induce apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells, and the mechanism is related to mitochondrial pathway, which activates caspase-9 and-3, but not caspase-8.     

Effect of biological clock gene Timeless silencing on apoptosis and invasion of ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells

AIM:To evaluate the effect of biological clock gene Timeless (TIM) silencing on the apoptosis and invasion ability of human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells. METHODS:The protein expression of TIM in the ovarian cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between the protein expression of TIM in ovarian cancer tissues and the pathological features was analyzed. The ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were transfected with PBS (blank control group), control siRNA (siRNA control group) or TIM siRNA (TIM siRNA group). The protein expression of TIM, Bcl-2, Bax, MMP-2, MMP-9, caspase-3 and caspase-9 was determined by Western blot. The apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The invasion ability was measured by Transwell chamber test. RESULTS:The positive expression rate of TIM in the ovarian cancer tissues (84.0%) was significantly higher than that in the normal ovarian tissues (10.0%; P<0.01). TIM expression was associated with ovarian cancer differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05), but was not associated with age and pathological type (P>0.05). The protein expression levels of TIM, MMP-2, MMP-9 and Bcl-2 in TIM siRNA group were significantly decreased as compared with control group and siRNA control group (P<0.01), and the protein expression of Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 in TIM siRNA group was significantly increased as compared with blank control group and siRNA control group (P<0.01). No significant difference of the protein expression of TIM, MMP-2, MMP-9, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 between blank control group and siRNA control group was observed (P>0.05). The apoptotic rate in TIM siRNA group was significantly higher than that in blank control group and siRNA control group (P<0.01), and that in blank control group and siRNA control group was not significantly different (P>0.05). The penetrated cell number in TIM siRNA group was significantly less than that in blank control group and siRNA control group (P<0.01), and that in blank control group and siRNA control group was not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSION:Silencing of TIM gene in ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells by siRNA promotes apoptosis, and inhibits cell invasion.     

Effect of glycine liposomes on mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes

AIM: To observe the effect of glycine liposomes on the mitochondrial membrane potential and the apoptosis rate in cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. METHODS: A cardiomyocyte injury model was established by using hypoxia/reoxygenation. DiOC6(3) as fluorescence molecular probe was used to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential in each group. The method of Annexin V associated with PI was used to detect the apoptosis ratio in each group. RESULTS: (1) The result of flow cytometry showed that the mitochondrial membrane potential of cardiomyocytes in H/R group was obviously lower than that in control group (P<0.01). The decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential in Gly-liposome group was the lowest, the percentage of cells about the part of hypofluorescence was (9.61±0.76)%, which was lower than that in glycine group (P<0.01). (2) The apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes in H/R group was higher than that in control group (20.78±1.58)%,P<0.01. After the treatment of Gly-liposome, the apoptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was lower than that in glycine group (P<0.01). No difference in the apoptosis ratios between blank-liposome group and H/R group was observed(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Glycine liposomes protect cultured cardiomyocytes against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. Glycine liposomes produce the better protective effects than glycine.