title: JNK/SAPK is required in nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in osteoblasts.
abstract: Nitric oxide(NO) induces apoptosis in human osteoblasts. Treatment with exogenous NO donors, SNAP (S-Nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine) and SNP (sodium nitroprusside), to MG-63 osteoblasts resulted in apoptotic morphological changes, as shown by a bright blue-fluorescent condensed nuclei and chromatin fragmentation by fluorescence microscope of Hoechst 33258-staining. The activities of caspase-9 and the subsequent caspase-3-like cysteine proteases were increased during NO-induced cell death. Pretreatment with Z-VAD-FMK (a pan-caspase inhibitor) or Ac-DEVD-CHO (a specific caspase-3 inhibitor) abrogated the NO-induced cell death. The NO donor markedly activated JNK, a stress-activated protein kinase in the human osteoblasts. This study showed that the inhibition of the JNK pathway markedly reduced NO-induced cell death. But neither PD98059 (MEK inhibitor) nor SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) had any effect on NO-induced death. Taken together, these results suggest that JNK/SAPK may be related to NO-induced apoptosis in MG-63 human osteoblasts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Soo-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chae
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases