title: Critical role of oxidative stress and sustained JNK activation in aloe-emodin-mediated apoptotic cell death in human hepatoma cells.
abstract: Aloe-emodin (AE), one of the main bioactive anthraquinones of Rheum palmatum, possesses potent antitumor properties. Our previous proteomic study revealed that AE-induced apoptosis was associated with oxidative stress and oxidation of many redox-sensitive proteins. In this study, we aimed to further dissect the cell death-signaling pathways in AE-induced apoptosis. AE was found to cause redox imbalance and deplete the intracellular-reduced glutathione (GSH). Manipulation of the intracellular GSH with buthionine-L-sulfoximine (a GSH synthesis inhibitor) sensitized, and with glutathione monomethyl ester (a GSH donor) protected the AE-induced apoptosis, respectively. More importantly, AE treatment led to evident and sustained activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), an important stress-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Over-expression of antioxidant gene sod1 significantly reduced AE-induced JNK activation and cell death, suggesting that oxidative stress-mediated JNK is the effector molecule in AE-induced apoptosis. Such a notion was clearly supported by subsequent studies in which JNK activation was inhibited by JNK inhibitor, JNK small interfering RNA knockdown or over-expression of dominant-negative JNK. In addition, we provided evidence demonstrating the critical role of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, a well-established MAPK kinase kinase, in AE-induced JNK activation and apoptotic cell death. Finally, we showed that dissociation of inactive JNK-Glutathione S-transferase pi (GST-pi) complex was also involved in JNK activation through GST-pi oxidation. Taken together, these results suggest that AE-induced apoptotic cell death is mediated via oxidative stress and sustained JNK activation.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore.
authors: Guo Dong
authors: GD
authors: Lu
authors: Han-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Shen
authors: Maxey C M
authors: MC
authors: Chung
authors: Choon Nam
authors: CN
authors: Ong
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004642:Emodin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D005978:Glutathione; D004642:Emodin; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide