title: Upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 and p21 confers resistance to apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells.
abstract: Both heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and p21(WAF1/Cip1) (p21) are involved in the pathogenesis of human cancer and their functions are closely associated with apoptosis. However, how these two molecules regulate apoptosis in human gastric cancer is unknown. In this study, we studied how HO-1 and p21 were regulated in two gastric cancer cell lines, MKN-45 with wild p53 and MKN-28 with mutant p53. The cells were treated with hemin and cadmium to induce HO-1. The result showed that HO-1 protein was significantly induced by hemin and cadmium in both cells tested. Following the HO-1 expression, p21 level was also markedly induced. The cells with increased HO-1 and p21 showed obviously resistantance to apoptotic stimuli. The levels of HO-1 and p21 induced were significantly inhibited by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) inhibitor (SB203580) and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (PD098059). Parallel to decreased HO-1 and p21 expression, the kinase inhibitors also significantly attenuated the resistance of the cells to apoptosis. The elevated HO-1 and p21 was further found to be associated with increase activity of the nuclear NF-kappaB and the inhibition of NF-kappaB led to the block of their induction. The elevated HO-1 and p21 were also demonstrated to be related to increased cellular inhibitor of caspase inbitory protein-2 (c-IAP2) and decreased caspapse-3 activity. It was noted that the above changes observed were not different between MKN-45 and MKN-28 cells, suggesting the functions of HO-1 and p21 were irrespective of the status of p53. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the resistance to apoptosis in gastric cancer cells with elevated HO-1 and p21 is independent of p53 status in a p38 MAPK- and ERK-mediated pathway with elevated c-IAP2 and decreased caspase-3 activity and that this pathway is sensitive to the inhibition of NF-kappaB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Zhi-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: George G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Enders K W
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Wai-Keung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Joseph J Y
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: S C Sydney
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D016193:G1 Phase / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006427:Hemin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D005419:Flavonoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011506:Proteins; D011725:Pyridines; D002104:Cadmium; D006427:Hemin; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; C093642:SB 203580; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one