title: Caspase- and p53-dependent apoptosis in breast carcinoma cells induced by a synthetic selenadiazole derivative.
abstract: Selenadiazole derivative is one kind of synthetic organoselenium compounds with potent and broad-spectrum antitumor activity. In this study, we showed that anthrax [1,2-c] [1,2,5] selenadiazolo-6,11-dione (ASDO), an novel selenadiazole derivative, induced time- and dose-dependent apoptotic cell death in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells, as indicated by accumulation of sub-G1 cell population, DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation, caspase activation and PARP cleavage. ASDO-induced apoptosis was significantly inhibited by a general caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, demonstrating the important role of caspases in ASDO-induced apoptotic pathway. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with ASDO resulted in a rapid depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo through up-regulation of Bax, Bad and PUMA expression and down-regulation of Bcl-xl expression. Moreover, ASDO treatment up-regulated the expression levels of total p53 and its target gene p21Waf1. Silencing of p53 activation with RNA interference effectively blocked the ASDO-induced cell PARP cleavage, DNA fragmentation and caspase activation. Furthermore, ASDO-induced apoptosis was interestingly found to be independent of reactive oxygen species production. Taken together, we conclude that ASDO induces MCF-7 cell apoptosis through a p53-dependent and mitochondria-mediated pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Tianfeng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yum-Shing
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006576:Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings; D016566:Organoselenium Compounds; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C540917:anthraceno(1,2-c)(1,2,5)selenadiazolo-6,11-dione; D020169:Caspases