Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 expression in aging in adrenal zona reticularis after dexamethasone administration.
Adrenocortical cell death by apoptosis is a common finding when adrenocorticotropic hormone is suppressed. Despite the well-known final structural features exhibited by those cells, data on the mechanisms preceding these final events are lacking. In this study, after 3 days of dexamethasone administration to rats of different ages, rat adrenals were processed for immunocytochemical study. In the zona reticularis, there was evidence of the activation of Bcl-2 and caspase-3 proteins. Beyond a small age-related increase in labeled cells, the number of cells presenting colocalization for both proteins was noteworthy. The results confirm the involvement of Bcl-2 and caspase-3 proteins in the apoptotic pathway and suggest their simultaneous intervention.
Almeida
Henrique
H
Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Alameda Hernâni Monteiro, Porto, Portugal, PT 4200 319 Porto. almeidah@med.up.pt
Matos
Liliana
L
Neves
Delminda
D
D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D015385:Zona Reticularis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D003907:Dexamethasone; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3