title: Distribution of activated caspase-3 in relation with apoptosis in human malignant gliomas.
abstract: Activated caspase-3has been immunohistochemically studied in 30glioblastomas. Its distribution has been compared with that of apoptotic nuclei demonstrated by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and morphology. The best procedure for the demonstration of caspase-3 requires formalin fixation, followed by Carnoy fixation, with microwave irradiation. The number of positive cells is lower than that of apoptotic nuclei shown by TUNEL technique, especially in perinecrotic pseudo-palisadings, and there are also qualitative variations. Positive staining occurs in nuclei, cytoplasms or in both cell compartments. The interpretation of Caspase-3 positive staining is based on its crucial position in the final pathway to apoptosis and on the mechanisms by which it cleaves cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins among which inhibitory/caspase-activated DNase system is included.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco, 15, 10126, Turin, Italy. schiffer@medfarm.unito.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schiffer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fiano
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiadò-Piat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mortara
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Richiardi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavalla
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005910:Glioma / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling
chemical_list: C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases