title: Induction of apoptosis in human hematopoietic U937 cells by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor: possible existence of caspase 3-like pathway.
abstract: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) induced apoptosis in human hematopoietic U937 cells by itself and in a synergistic manner with tumor necrosis factor (TNF). GM-CSF-induced apoptosis was not inhibited by caspase inhibitors YVAD-CMK, DEVD-CHO and z-VAD-FMK, under the condition that these inhibitors potently suppressed TNF-induced apoptosis. Both GM-CSF and TNF induced caspase 3-like activity in this cell line though the time course was distinct between two cytokines, and combined stimulation of cells with GM-CSF plus TNF induced additive or synergistic activation of caspase 3-like activity. Amount of immunoreactive cleaved forms of caspase 3 recognized by specific antibody was completely dissociated with its enzymatic activity when the cells were stimulated with GM-CSF, but not with TNF. These results indicate that GM-CSF induces apoptosis of U937 cells via unknown pathway, which seems to be mediated by caspase 3-like activity, yet not caspase 3 itself, resistant to the caspase inhibitors, and synergistically interacts with conventional caspase 3 pathway of TNF. Possible involvement of caspases 1 and 8 (-like activity) but not caspase 7 in this pathway was also suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Research Institute, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okuma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizaka
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yasugi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yuo
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D020298:U937 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases