Synthesized esters of ferulic acid induce release of cytochrome c from rat testes mitochondria.
Ferulic acid plays a chemopreventive role in cancer by inducing tumor cells apoptosis. As mitochondria play a key role in the induction of apoptosis in many cells types, here we investigate the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and the release of cytochrome c induced by ferulic acid and its esters in rat testes mitochondria, in TM-3 and MLTC-1 cells. While ferulic acid, but not its esters, induced MPT and cytochrome c release in rat testes isolated mitochondria, in TM-3 cells we found that both ferulic acid and its esters induced cytochrome c release from mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a potential target of these compounds in the induction of cell apoptosis. The apoptosis induced by ferulic acid is therefore associated with the mitochondrial pathway involving cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation.
Cione
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E
Dipartimento Farmaco-Biologico, Laboratorio di Biochimica, Edificio Polifunzionale, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, CS, Italy.
Tucci
P
P
Senatore
V
V
Perri
M
M
Trombino
S
S
Iemma
F
F
Picci
N
N
Genchi
G
G
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004952:Esters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology*
D003373:Coumaric Acids; D004952:Esters; D045304:Cytochromes c; C004999:ferulic acid; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3