title: The activity of caspase-3-like proteases is elevated during the development of colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: Activated caspase-3-like proteases promote apoptotic cell death by cleaving cellular substrates. Caspase-3-like activity was measured in colonic carcinomas and in matched normal colonic mucosa from 31 patients and was significantly elevated in 25/ 31 colonic carcinomas and adenomas when compared to normal mucosa (P < 0.0001). Caspase-3-like activity was much higher in normal mucosa and tumours of female subjects than of males (P < 0.0001). No correlation was obtained between caspase-3-like activity and location of the tumour, tumour grade, stage, or patient age. The marked increase in caspase-3-like activity in colorectal carcinomas may reflect an increase in the proportion of cells undergoing spontaneous apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Adelaide, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leonardos
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hewett
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Zalewski
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cowled
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D003374:Coumarins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009842:Oligopeptides
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D003374:Coumarins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D009842:Oligopeptides; C106566:benzyloxycarbonyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartyl-7-amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases