Recently, survival benefit by chemotherapy using paclitaxel (PTX) and the induction of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) by PTX have been reported in several solid tumors. On the other hand, TP confers antiapoptotic effect on tumor cells through inhibition of caspase-8 activation in vitro. On the basis of these previous observations, we hypothesized that (a) TP can be induced after PTX treatment in ...

Keratins 8 (K8) and 18 (K18) are major components of intermediate filaments (IFs) of simple epithelial cells and tumors derived from such cells. Structural cell changes during apoptosis are mediated by proteases of the caspase family. During apoptosis, K18 IFs reorganize into granular structures enriched for K18 phosphorylated on serine 53. K18, but not K8, generates a proteolytic fragment duri...

Escherichia coli is a major environmental pathogen causing bovine mastitis, characterized by cell death and mammary tissue damage. Apoptosis, form of death, has an important role in the pathogenesis mastitis. Selenium, essential trace element, protects against mastitis acting through several biochemical pathways, potentially including prevention apoptosis. Our objective was to investigate wheth...

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck malignant tumor rare throughout most of the world but common in Southern China. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor has been shown to play important role in the development and progression of human cancers. We have previously found that FoxM1 was overexpressed in NPC patients and was associated with development of NPC. However, the exac...

Unidirectional laminar flow is atheroprotective, in part by inhibiting cytokine-mediated endothelial cell (EC) inflammation and apoptosis. Previously, we showed that flow inhibited TNFsignaling by preventing activation of JNK. Recently, PKC was identified as the PKC isoform most strongly regulated by flow pattern, with increased PKC activity in regions of disturbed flow versus unidirectional fl...

To study the protective effect of prostacyclin (PGI2) we increased PGI2 production by infected NRK-52E cells with an adenovirus carrying cyclooxygenase-1 and prostacyclin synthase. PGI2 overexpression protected these cells from gentamicin-induced apoptosis by reducing cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9, cytochrome c, and decreasing generation of reactive oxygen species. Expression of the nuclear r...

Testicular torsion/detorsion causes severe tissue damage due to ischemia/reperfusion injury. The present study investigated the protective effect of erythropoietin and sildenafil against ischemia/reperfusion injury following unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion in adult rats. A total of 28 adult male rats were included, and were divided into the following groups: Group A (n=5), sham operated...

Caspase-7 is an obligate dimer of catalytic domains, with generation of activity requiring limited proteolysis within a region that separates the large and small chains of each domain. Using hybrid dimers we distinguish the relative contribution of each domain to catalysis by the whole molecule. We demonstrate that the zymogen arises from direct dimerization and not domain swapping. In contrast...

Background: Quercetin has been reported to modulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. The present study aimed at identifying whether treatment of ionizing radiation (IR) combined with quercetin induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were plated at an appropriate density according to each experimental scale and irradiated with 1, 5 and 10 Gy gamma-rays from a 60Co s...

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of rhein on cerebral ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. The present study focused on the effect of rhein on oxidative stress and apoptotic factors, which are considered to serve an important role in the onset of I/R injury. Sprague‑Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neurological functional scores ...