APRIL, a new member of the tumor necrosis factor family, modulates death ligand-induced apoptosis.

APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) is a newly identified member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family. Tumor growth-promoting as well as apoptosis-inducing effects of APRIL have been described. Here, we report that five of 12 human malignant glioma cell lines express APRIL.

C2-ceramide signaling in glioma cells: synergistic enhancement of CD95-mediated, caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Most human malignant glioma cell lines are susceptible to CD95 ligand (CD95L)-induced apoptosis. Here, we report that glioma cells are also susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of exogenous C2-ceramide. This form of cell death exhibits some morphological features of apoptosis as assessed by electron microscopy, but is unaffected by the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, zVAD-fmk.

Identification of p21 as a target of cycloheximide-mediated facilitation of CD95-mediated apoptosis in human malignant glioma cells.

Human glioma cell lines differ in their requirement for the inhibition of protein synthesis to activate the CD95-dependent killing pathway. CD95 ligand (CD95L) induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release and processing of caspases 3, 7, 8 and 9 in LN-18 cells in the absence of an inhibitor of protein synthesis, cycloheximide (CHX). These biochemical changes were observed in LN-229 cells only in the presence of CHX.

CCNU-dependent potentiation of TRAIL/Apo2L-induced apoptosis in human glioma cells is p53-independent but may involve enhanced cytochrome c release.

Death ligands such as CD95 ligand (CD95L) or tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo2 ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) induce apoptosis in radiochemotherapy-resistant human malignant glioma cell lines. The death-signaling TRAIL receptors 2 (TRAIL-R2/death receptor (DR) 5) and TRAIL-R1/DR4 were expressed more abundantly than the non-death-inducing (decoy) receptors TRAIL-R3/DcR1 and TRAIL-R4/DcR2 in 12 human glioma cell lines. Four of the 12 cell lines were TRAIL/Apo2L-sensitive in the absence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CHX).

Processing of immunosuppressive pro-TGF-beta 1,2 by human glioblastoma cells involves cytoplasmic and secreted furin-like proteases.

TGF-beta is a putative mediator of immunosuppression associated with malignant glioma and other types of cancer. Subtilisin-like proprotein convertases such as furin are thought to mediate TGF-beta processing. Here we report that human malignant glioma cell lines express furin mRNA and protein, exhibit furin-like protease (FLP) activity, and release active furin into the cell culture supernatant.

Proteasome inhibitor-induced apoptosis of glioma cells involves the processing of multiple caspases and cytochrome c release.

The proteasome is a multiprotein complex that is involved in the intracellular protein degradation in eukaryotes. Here, we show that human malignant glioma cells are susceptible to apoptotic cell death induced by the proteasome inhibitors, MG132 and lactacystin. The execution of the apoptotic death program involves the processing of caspases 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9.

Dual effect of glucocorticoids on apoptosis of human autoreactive and foreign antigen-specific T cells.

The efficacy of glucocorticoids in the treatment of multiple sclerosis may involve the induction of T cell apoptosis. Here, we report that glucocorticoids have two different effects on the vulnerability of human antigen-specific T cells: (i) steroids induce T cell apoptosis in a CD95-independent, but caspase-dependent manner; (ii) steroids protect T cells from CD95-mediated apoptosis which, however, is also caspase-dependent. An increase in BCL-2 expression is observed upon incubation with steroids.

Sensitization to CD95 ligand-induced apoptosis in human glioma cells by hyperthermia involves enhanced cytochrome c release.

CD95L-induced apoptosis involves caspase activation and is facilitated when RNA and protein synthesis are inhibited. Here, we report that hyperthermia sensitizes malignant glioma cells to CD95L- and APO2L-induced apoptosis in the absence, but not in the presence, of inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis. Hyperthermia does not alter CD95 expression at the cell surface and does not modulate the morphology of CD95-mediated cell death on electron microscopy.

Proteasome inhibitors induce p53/p21-independent apoptosis in human glioma cells.

The proteasome is a multiprotein complex involved in the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins. Three proteasome inhibitors, calpain inhibitor I, lactacystin and MG132, induced apoptosis in several human malignant glioma cell lines. Although proteasome inhibitors induced p53 accumulation in a cell line retaining wild-type p53 activity, p53 activity was dispensable for apoptosis since transdominant-negative p53 abrogated p53-dependent p21 induction but did not modulate apoptosis.

Inhibition of drug-induced DNA fragmentation, but not cell death, of glioma cells by non-caspase protease inhibitors.

The role of non-caspase protease activation in drug-induced cell death of glioma cells was examined. Neither calpain inhibitors I or II, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), Nalpha -p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), E64, leupeptin nor pepstatin inhibit the cytotoxicity of vincristine, cisplatin, doxorubicin, cytarabine, camptothecin, BCNU or VM26 in two malignant glioma cell lines, T98G and LN-229. However, DNA fragmentation induced by VM26 is inhibited by calpain inhibitor I, PMSF, TLCK and TPCK, and that induced by camptothecin by calpain inhibitors I and II and TPCK.

Expression and biological activity of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) in human malignant glioma.

The inhibitor-of-apoptosis (IAP) proteins are a novel family of antiapoptotic proteins that are thought to inhibit cell death via direct inhibition of caspases. Here, we report that human malignant glioma cell lines express XIAP, HIAP-1 and HIAP-2 mRNA and proteins. NAIP was not expressed.

p53 enhances BAK and CD95 expression in human malignant glioma cells but does not enhance CD95L-induced apoptosis.

The temperature-sensitive murine p53val135 mutant was introduced into 3 human malignant glioma cell lines to examine the effects of the p53 status on BCL-2 family protein expression, CD95 expression, and sensitivity to CD95 ligand (CD95L)-induced apoptosis. p53val135 behaves as a dominant negative mutant at 38.5 degrees C but assumes p53 wild-type properties.

Betulinic acid-induced apoptosis in glioma cells: A sequential requirement for new protein synthesis, formation of reactive oxygen species, and caspase processing.

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpene, is an experimental cytotoxic agent for malignant melanoma. Here, we show that BA triggers apoptosis in five human glioma cell lines. BA-induced apoptosis requires new protein, but not RNA, synthesis, is independent of p53, and results in p21 protein accumulation in the absence of a cell cycle arrest.

Crm-A, bcl-2 and NDGA inhibit CD95L-induced apoptosis of malignant glioma cells at the level of caspase 8 processing.

Susceptibility to CD95 (Fas/APO-1)-mediated apoptosis in human glioma cells depends on CD95 expression and unknown factors that regulate signal transduction. Thus, LN-18 cells are highly sensitive to CD95 ligand (CD95L) whereas LN-229 cells require coexposure to inhibitors of RNA or protein synthesis for induction of apoptosis. Here, we report that caspase 8 and 3 activation, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase cleavage and apoptosis are inhibited by the lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaretic acid (NDGA), or ectopic expression of crm-A or bcl-2.

Interferon-alpha enhances CD95L-induced apoptosis of human malignant glioma cells.

CD95 ligand (CD95L)-induced apoptosis is a novel immunotherapeutic approach to malignant glioma. Here, we report that interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) sensitizes LN-229 and T98G human malignant glioma cells to CD95L-induced apoptosis. In contrast to the effects of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha which sensitize glioma cells to CD95 antibody-induced apoptosis in part by enhancing CD95 expression, IFN-alpha has no effect on CD95 expression at the cell surface of LN-229 and T98G cells.

Taxol-mediated augmentation of CD95 ligand-induced apoptosis of human malignant glioma cells: association with bcl-2 phosphorylation but neither activation of p53 nor G2/M cell cycle arrest.

The anti-tumour alkaloid taxol shows strong cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity in two human malignant glioma cell lines, T98G and LN-229. CD95 (Fas/APO-1) ligand is a novel cytotoxic cytokine of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) family that exerts prominent antiglioma activity. At clinically relevant taxol concentrations of 5-100 nM, taxol and CD95 ligand showed significant synergistic cytotoxicity and growth inhibition.

Lipoxygenase inhibitors block CD95 ligand-mediated apoptosis of human malignant glioma cells.

CD95 ligand is a cytotoxic cytokine that induces apoptosis. Here we report that CD95-mediated apoptosis of human malignant glioma cells is associated with arachidonic acid (AA) release. Inhibitors of phospholipase A2, phospholipase C or diacylglycerol lipase have minor effects on AA release and fail to modulate apoptosis.

Calcium depletion and repletion in cultured chick heart muscle cells.

Calcium-free incubation followed by exposure to calcium damages naturally occurring cardiac muscle preparations irreversibly. Whether the observed calcium overload during calcium repletion is a primary cause for, or a secondary consequence of, sarcolemmal disruption and cell injury is controversial. We used cultured embryonic chicken heart muscle cells to correlate ionic, metabolic, and ultrastructural changes during calcium depletion (0Ca, 1 mM EGTA) and repletion.

Alterations of beta-receptor-adenylyl cyclase coupling by long-term ATP depletion in cultured rat cardiomyocytes.

In cultured rat heart muscle cells, reversible long-term ATP depletion induces a decrease in beta-adrenoceptor density and a fall in isoproterenol- as well as forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation. However, isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in membrane preparations is not reduced after ATP depletion. These results suggest that the decreased responsiveness to catecholamines during myocardial ischemia cannot be explained by alterations of the beta-adrenoceptor-adenylyl cyclase system alone.

Adenine nucleotide degradation in cultured chick heart muscle cells.

Cultured chick heart muscle cells degrade ATP during metabolic inhibition via ADP to AMP. Whether AMP is primarily deaminated to IMP or dephosphorylated to adenosine depends on the 'metabolic block' (glycolysis vs. oxidative phosphorylation).

Cardiac glycoside receptors in cultured heart cells--II. Characterization of a high affinity and a low affinity binding site in heart muscle cells from neonatal rats.

The binding of [3H]ouabain has been studied in (Na+ + K+)-ATPase enriched cardiac cell membranes, as well as in cardiac muscle and non-muscle cells in culture--all obtained from hearts of neonatal rats. The binding has been correlated with ouabain-induced inhibition of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase (cardiac cell membranes) and the inhibition of active (86Rb+ + K+)-influx (cardiac muscle and non-muscle cells in culture). Furthermore, the effect of ouabain on the amplitude of cell-wall motion and contraction velocity has been studied in electrically driven cardiac muscle cells.

Cardiac glycoside binding sites in cultured heart muscle cells.

Binding of (3H)-ouabain to cultured cardiac muscle and non muscle cells from chicken embryos and neonatal rats has been characterized and correlated with ouabain-induced inhibition of the sodium pump, as well as with the positive inotropic action of the drug. Cardiac muscle and non muscle cells from 10-12 day-old chicken embryos are characterized by a single class of ouabain binding sites (muscle cells: dissociation constant KD = 1.5 X 10(-7) M; binding capacity B = 2.

Cardiac glycoside receptors in cultured heart cells--I. Characterization of one single class of high affinity receptors in heart muscle cells from chick embryos.

Binding of (3H)-ouabain and ouabain-induced inhibition of the sodium pump and of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase have been characterized in cultured cardiac muscle and non muscle cells, as well as in cardiac cell membranes--all obtained from chick embryos. In both cell types, ouabain binds to a single type of binding sites in a temperature-dependent manner. The association rate but not the dissociation rate, is lowered by K+; specific binding is lost after heat-denaturation of the cells.