title: Enhancement of TNF-alpha-mediated cell death in vascular smooth muscle cells through cytochrome c-independent pathway by the proteasome inhibitor.
abstract: There is substantial evidence that cytokines induce apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerosis. Its regulation, however, is not completely defined. The aim of this study is to investigate whether proteasome activity is related with apoptosis in VSMCs by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Rat aorta smooth muscle cells were treated with TNF-alpha and proteasome inhibitor MG132 and then cell death was determined by morphology, viability, and DNA fragmentation. MG132 or TNF-alpha alone did not induce cell death. In contrast, co-treatment of TNF-alpha and proteasome inhibitor induced death and DNA degradation in VSMCs, suggesting proteasome inhibitor enhanced death activity of TNF-alpha. The death was not blocked by ascorbic acid but by nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. Both caspase-3 and -8 were activated during the death by the proteasome inhibitor and TNF-alpha. The death was effectively blocked by the caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk, suggesting a role of caspase-3 in the death. Nonetheless, there were no significant alterations in the level of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L), Bax and Bak by the proteasome inhibitor, nor any evidence of cytochrome (cyt) c release into cytosol from dying cells, suggesting that cyt c is not involved. These results suggest that proteasome inhibition potentiates TNF-mediated death in VSMCs in a cyt c-independent pathway. The present study proposes a new mechanism by which VSMCs undergo death by cytokines.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hak Hyung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Koanhoi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C494774:Bak1 protein, rat; C494828:Bax protein, rat; C494813:Bcl2l1 protein, rat; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007976:Leupeptins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde