title: Involvement of caspase-3 pathway in anti-apoptotic action of methionine enkephalin on CEM x 174 cells in prolonged infection with simian immunodeficiency virus in vitro.
abstract: The roles of methionine enkephalin, as an immunomodulator, on immunodeficiency virus-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes during prolonged infection are still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of methionine enkephalin on the viability, the profile of cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the expression of apoptosis-related genes in CEM x 174 cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus for 72 h. Our data demonstrated that methionine enkephalin maintains the viability of cells during the period of prolonged infection. Following co-incubation with the virus, CEM x 174 cells were arrested at S phase, with increased mortality as a result of apoptosis. Methionine enkephalin could abolish virus-induced over-expression of caspase-3. Taken together all findings, we conclude that methionine enkephalin may maintain the viability of SIV-infected cells via suppressing the expression of caspase-3, which may have clinical implications in opioid peptide therapy for AIDS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shuqin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weiyi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Pingfeng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D008233:Lymphotoxin-alpha; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases