title: [Caspase-3-mediated alpha-smooth muscle actin cleavage during staurosporine-induced myofibroblast apoptosis].
abstract: To examine the possibility that staurosporine is applicable for the treatment of abnormal scar formation such as hypertrophic scar and keloid, the cellular process during staurosporine-induced apoptosis was analyzed in myofibroblasts isolated from a rat granulation tissue pouch. Staurosporine induced myofibroblast apoptosis in a time- and a dose-dependent manner with typical morphological changes. Staurosporine activated caspase-3 up to 3.6-fold by cleaving pro-caspase-3 to active forms. Alpha-smooth muscle actin was degraded during staurosporine-induced apoptosis. The degradation of alpha-smooth muscle actin was detected at an early stage of staurosporine-induced apoptosis. Recombinant active caspase-3 and staurosporine-stimulated caspase-3 both cleaved purified alpha-smooth muscle actin in vitro. These results suggested that alpha-smooth muscle actin is directly degraded by caspase-3 in response to apoptotic stimuli in myofibroblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakazono
authors.forename: Fumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takahashi-Yanaga
authors.forename: Masutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furue
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaguri
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D020169:Caspases; D019311:Staurosporine