Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate induces apoptosis in human acute myelogenous leukemic cells affecting NF-kappaB activity.

Pyrrolidindithiocarbamate (PDTC), is a metal chelator widely used to study the activation of redox sensitive transcription factors. Recently it has been demonstrated that it manifests pro-oxidant properties. The nuclear factor-Kappa B (NF-kappaB) transcription factor can both promote cell survival and induce apoptosis depending on cell type and context in response to genotoxic stress.

Significance of heme oxygenase in prolactin-mediated cell proliferation and angiogenesis in human endothelial cells.

Our objectives were to determine whether heme oxygenase-1 is a second messenger for prolactin-mediated angiogenesis. Endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis assay demonstrated that cell number and capillary formation were increased by prolactin (10 and 25 ng/ml). Both protein synthesis and mRNA analysis confirmed that HO-1 expression was induced by prolactin in cultured endothelial cells and occurred in a concentration-dependent manner.