title: Caspase cascade of Fas-mediated apoptosis in human normal endometrium and endometrial carcinoma cells.
abstract: Human endometrial epithelial cells undergo apoptosis immediately before the menstrual period. Apoptotic signalling was analysed using human endometrial tissue and a human endometrial carcinoma cell line (HHUA). Activity levels of caspase-3, -8, and -9 were elevated in human endometrium during the late secretory phase and in HHUA cells incubated with an anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb). Fas-mediated apoptosis of HHUA cells was blocked by prior exposure to inhibitors of caspase-9, -8 and -3. In HHUA cells treated with anti-Fas mAb, a release of cytochrome c was detected in the cytosolic fraction, in addition a full-length Bid was degraded. Full-length FLIP(L) (p55) was degraded during apoptosis, and p29 (regarded as the product of p55 cleavage) appeared instead of FLIP(L). In normal human endometrial tissue, Bid degradation was also observed in a cyclic manner with a peak during the early secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, the release of cytochrome c was seen in the early secretory phase. However, expression of FLIP(S) was only observed during the menstrual cycle in normal endometrial tissue. We concluded that the main apoptotic signalling in both normal human endometrial tissue and HHUA cells exposed to anti-Fas mAb is the mitochondrial pathway via Bid degradation. Although the function of FLIP is still unknown on normal endometrial tissue, it may be regulated by FLIP(L) expression on HHUA cells derived from human endometrial carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Masa-Aki
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otsuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D019014:fas Receptor
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494814:BID protein, human; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; C491901:FAS protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C411023:anti-Fas monoclonal antibody; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D019014:fas Receptor; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D045304:Cytochromes c; D020169:Caspases