title: Fas-mediated apoptosis is enhanced by glycyrrhizin without alteration of caspase-3-like activity.
abstract: We demonstrate that glycyrrhizin (GL) enhanced Fas-mediated apoptotic body formation and DNA fragmentation in T cell lines although GL alone did not induce apoptosis. The enhancement effect of Fas-mediated apoptosis by GL was dose-dependent above 0.3 microM. Time course study revealed that simultaneous co-treatment of GL and anti-Fas antibody was crucial for the enhancement of apoptosis and pretreatment with GL was not effective. Anti-Fas antibody elicited caspase-3-like activity. However caspase-3-like activity with co-treatment of GL and anti-Fas antibody was the same level as the antibody alone. Glycyrrhetic acid, the aglycon of GL, did not enhance Fas-mediated apoptosis. The amphipathic property of GL might enable it to interact with the plasma membrane and lead to the enhancement of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishiwata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niizeki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomioka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizugaki
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D019014:fas Receptor; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases