title: Caspase-3 is dually regulated by apoptogenic factors mitochondrial release and by SAPK/JNK metabolic pathway in leukemic cells exposed to etoposide-ionizing radiation combined treatment.
abstract: Ionizing radiation induces a series of multiple intracellular events which can lead to activation of caspases, cytoplasmic proteases involved in the occurrence of apoptosis. The response of leukemic cells to ionizing radiation is amplified when they have been pre-treated with the anticancer drug etoposide, therefore the aim of this work has been to establish the lowest etoposide concentration combined with the lowest ionizing radiation dose to obtain the best antineoplastic response. Two leukemic cell lines, HL-60 and Jurkat, employed in this study demonstrated different sensitivities to ionizing radiation and to etoposide treatment, with Jurkat T cells requiring a higher dose (1 microM) to display cell cycle perturbation and apoptotic DNA damage similar to those seen in HL-60. We hypothesize that this kind of response could be mediated by mitochondrial release of apoptogenic factors and by SAPK/JNK metabolic pathway activation, both leading to caspase-3 cleavage. All in all these results provide insight into the sensitivity or resistance of leukemic cells to antineoplastic agents and identify molecular targets for rational therapeutic intervention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Dept Biomorphology, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Centurione
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sabatini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sancilio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garaci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cataldi
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; D005047:Etoposide; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases