title: Sequential activation of caspase-1 and caspase-3-like proteases during apoptosis in myelodysplastic syndromes.
abstract: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of hematopoietic disorders characterized by the concomitant presence of peripheral cytopenias and normocellular to hypercellular BM. This paradox has been proposed to be due to the presence of excessive proliferation matched by excessive intramedullary apoptosis of hematopoietic cells. When cultured in vitro MDS BM mononuclear cells (BMMC) undergo apoptosis within 4 h. We measured caspase-1-like and caspase-3-like activity in 22 MDS and 4 normal BM immediately following cell separation or after 4 h culture. When cultured in vitro, MDS BMMC demonstrated an increased apoptotic index within 4 h as measured by in situ end-labeling of fragmented DNA that was matched by a concurrent increase in caspase-3-like specific activity, and the two were significantly correlated. During the 4 h culture, a sequential activation of caspase-1-like and caspase-3-like activities was detected. Caspase-1-like specific activity was detected early and transiently at approximately 15 min, followed by a gradual increase in caspase-3-like-specific activity peaking at 2 h. When the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD.FMK, was included in the MDS BM aspirate 4 h culture, apoptosis was attenuated. We conclude that sequential activation of caspase-1-like and caspase-3-like activities may form the central biochemical pathway of apoptosis in BMMC from some MDS patients, and prevention of this process by caspase inhibitors may be of significant therapeutic value for these patients, in whom supportive care continues to be the mainstay of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Rush Cancer Institute, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Mundle
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ragasa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Mativi
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cartlidge
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azharuddin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qawi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raza
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D020170:Caspase 1