title: Sodium salicylate induces apoptosis in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells through activation of p38MAPK.
abstract: Sodium salicylate is known to induce apoptosis in a variety of cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism for salicylate-induced apoptosis is yet unclear. Here we show that in HCT116 colon carcinoma cells, 10 mM sodium salicylate induces caspase-3 activation and degradation of its substrates, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), beta-catenin, and retinoblastoma (Rb). In contrast, sodium salicylate did not exert any significant effects on the expression of Fas L that is implicated in extrinsic apoptotic pathway and the levels of Bcl-2 family proteins, Bcl-2, Bcl-xsl, and Bad, which are involved in intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and anti-apoptotic molecules, c-IAP1 and HSP73. In addition, 10 mM salicylate induced p53 tumor suppressor protein that plays an important role in cell cycle arrest or apoptosis and the induction seemed to be linked to its phosphorylation at Set 15. To investigate the signal pathways for salicylate-induced apoptosis, we examined the effects of sodium salicylate on protein kinase activities. Sodium salicylate activated p38MAPK through phosphorylation at Thr 180/Tyr 182 and Akt/PKB at Ser 473, whereas it partially activated ERK1/2 through its phosphorylation at Thr 202/Tyr 204. We also show that SB203580 (a specific p38MAPK inhibitor), but not other protein kinase inhibitors (PD98059, LY294002, and wortmannin), significantly prevented salicylate-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that sodium salicylate-induced apoptosis in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells is mediated by p38MAPK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Pusan National University, Pusan 609-735, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye Geong
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ho Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012980:Sodium Salicylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D012980:Sodium Salicylate