Cancer research
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We studied the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP and whether overexpression of caspase activity could force this cell line to undergo apoptosis. The inhibitor of phosphomevalonate decarboxylase, sodium phenylacetate, and the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine induced (a) release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol; (b) reduction in mitochondrial transmembrane potential; (c) proteolytic processing of caspase-3 and -7 but not -2; (d) cleavage of the DEVD substrate and the death substrates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA fragmentation factor; and (e) apoptosis. The panspecific inhibitor of caspase activation N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-FMK) prevented all of these events except release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol. ⋯ These studies have demonstrated that caspase-7 and -3 are critical mediators of apoptosis in LNCaP cells. Caspase-7 was proteolytically activated in every model of apoptosis that we have developed, and the overexpression of it induced apoptosis of LNCaP and LNCaP-Bcl-2 cells. Thus, adenoviral-mediated transfer of caspase-7 may offer a new effective approach for the treatment of prostate cancer.
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Fenretinide (N-[4-hydroxyphenyl]retinamide (4HPR)) is a retinoid analogue with antitumor and chemopreventive activities. The mechanism of action of 4HPR is not fully understood, but it is hypothesized that this compound acts independently of the nuclear retinoid receptor pathway. To test this hypothesis directly, we have analyzed the activity of 4HPR on a panel of F9 embryonal carcinoma cell lines, which includes wild-type and mutant lines that lack expression of retinoic acid receptor gamma, retinoid X receptor alpha, or both. 4HPR (10 microM) treatment resulted in a rapid induction of cell death in F9 cells, which was responsible for their near elimination by 48 h. ⋯ Treatment of the wild-type cells for 4 days with 1 microM 4HPR also resulted in a primitive endodermal differentiated phenotype that is normally seen upon all-trans-retinoic acid treatment and is characterized by the up-regulation of laminin B1 and type IV collagen. This differentiation response did not occur in the receptor-null cells. Therefore, two distinct effects of 4HPR were identified in this system: a rapid induction of cell death and a slower induction of differentiation, which are likely to be receptor independent and dependent, respectively.