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.
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
Henrique
H
Almeida
Liliana
L
Matos
Delminda
D
Neves
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