title: The antiangiogenic agent Neovastat (AE-941) induces endothelial cell apoptosis.
abstract: Neovastat (AE-941), a naturally occurring multifunctional antiangiogenic agent, has been shown to inhibit key components of the angiogenic process, including matrix metalloproteinases and vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated signaling events. In this study, we report the presence of a proapoptotic activity within this compound. Neovastat treatment of bovine aortic endothelial cells caused cell death with characteristics of apoptosis, including chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. Neovastat markedly induced caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activities, at similar levels to those measured in cells treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Activation of caspases by Neovastat appears to be essential for its proapoptotic effects because all apoptotic features were blocked by zVAD-fmk, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor. The activation of caspases was correlated with the cleavage of the nuclear substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and by a concomitant release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Neovastat-induced apoptosis appears to be specific to endothelial cells because treatment of other cell types such as U-87, COS-7, NIH-3T3, and SW1353 did not result in increased caspase-3 activity. These results demonstrate that Neovastat contains a proapoptotic factor that specifically induces the activation of caspases in endothelial cells and the resulting apoptosis of these cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de médecine moléculaire, Hôpital Ste-Justine-Université du Quebec à Montréal, Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital Ste-Justine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gendron
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beaulieu
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gingras
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Béliveau
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000378:metabolism; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019556:COS Cells; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D002843:Chromatin; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; C111481:shark cartilage extract; D004247:DNA; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; C505526:Casp8 protein, mouse; C506434:Casp9 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases