title: Ceramide generation in nitric oxide-induced apoptosis. Activation of magnesium-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase via caspase-3.
abstract: Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, has been recognized as an inducer of apoptosis in various cell lines. Here, we demonstrated the intracellular formation of ceramide, a lipid signal mediator, in SNP-induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells and investigated the mechanisms of ceramide generation. The levels of intracellular ceramide increased to, at most, 160% of the control level in a time- and dose-dependent manner when the cells were treated with 1 mM SNP. SNP also decreased the sphingomyelin level to approximately 70% of the control level and increased magnesium-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) activity to 160% of the control activity 2 h after treatment. Neither acid SMase nor magnesium-independent N-SMase was affected by SNP. Caspases are thought to be key enzymes in apoptotic cell death. Acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde, a synthetic tetrapeptide inhibitor of caspases, inhibited magnesiumdependent N-SMase, ceramide generation, and apoptosis. Moreover, recombinant purified caspase-3 increased magnesium-dependent N-SMase in a cell-free system. These results suggest that the findings that SNP increased ceramide generation and magnesium-dependent N-SMase activity via caspase-3 are interesting to future study to determine the relation between caspases and sphingolipid metabolites in NO-mediated signaling.
authors: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Clinical Sciences for Pathological Organs, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharamachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8397, Japan.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Takeda
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Tashima
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Takahashi
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Uchiyama
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Okazaki
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009842:Oligopeptides; D013109:Sphingomyelins; C108637:aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartal; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D008274:Magnesium