title: Prolonged activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases during NSAID-induced apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells.
abstract: The mechanisms of the antineoplastic effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) still are unknown, but the induction of apoptosis is one of the possible mechanisms. We attempted to demonstrate the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, generally considered to be important mediators of proliferative and apoptotic signals, in NSAID-induced colon cancer cell apoptosis. Apoptosis was detected by demonstration of DNA fragmentation in agarose gel electrophoresis. Cell death was assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion method. MAP kinase activation was assessed by Western blot using phosphospecific antibodies to MAP kinases. Kinase assay using activating transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) fusion protein as a substrate was also performed for measuring p38 MAP kinase activity. For the inhibition of p38 MAP kinase, pyridinylimidazole compound (SB203580) was utilized. Caspase-3 activity was measured using the tetrapeptide fluorogenic substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC. Treatment of HT-29 cells with NSAIDs results in time- and dose-dependent induction of apoptosis, accompanied by sustained activation of all three MAP kinase subfamilies. The SB203580, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, reduced indomethacin-induced cell death by 43%, while PD098059, a MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK)1 inhibitor, did not affect cell death. p38 MAP kinase and caspase-3 activation were not significantly interlinked in indomethacin-induced apoptosis. From these results, we conclude that NSAIDs can induce prolonged activation of MAP kinases in colon cancer cells and that, of these, p38 MAP kinase may play a partial but significant role in indomethacin-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kimwonho@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002074:Butanones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D019073:HT29 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000077430:Nabumetone; D013467:Sulindac / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D002074:Butanones; D013467:Sulindac; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D000077430:Nabumetone; D007213:Indomethacin