Epstein-Barr virus interactions with the Bcl-2 protein family and apoptosis in human tumor cells

Epstein-Barr virus(EBV),a human gammaherpesvirus carried by more than 90% of the world’s population,is associated with malignant tumors such as Burkitt’s lymphoma(BL),Hodgkin lymphoma,post-transplant lymphoma,extra-nodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma,and nasopharyngeal and gastric carcinomas in immune-compromised patients.In the process of infection,EBV faces challenges:the host cell environment is harsh,and the survival and apoptosis of host cells are precisely regulated.Only when host cells receive sufficient survival signals may they immortalize.To establish efficiently a lytic or long-term latent infection,EBV must escape the host cell immunologic mechanism and resist host cell apoptosis by interfering with multiple signaling pathways.This review details the apoptotic pathway disrupted by EBV in EBV-infected cells and describes the interactions of EBV gene products with host cellular factors as well as the function of these factors,which decide the fate of the host cell.The relationships between other EBV-encoded genes and proteins of the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma(Bcl) family are unknown.Still,EBV seems to contribute to establishing its own latency and the formation of tumors by modifying events that impact cell survival and proliferation as well as the immune response of the infected host.We discuss potential therapeutic drugs to provide a foundation for further studies of tumor pathogenesis aimed at exploiting novel therapeutic strategies for EBV-associated diseases.     

运动与骨骼肌细胞凋亡关系的研究进展

运动能力的下降与骨骼肌中的细胞凋亡有着密切的联系，研究运动训练与细胞凋亡的关系及运动导致骨骼肌细胞凋亡的机制意义重大。运动强度与骨骼肌细胞凋亡及坏死的界限的关系，运动诱发骨骼肌细胞凋亡的基因调控及进一步研究骨骼肌细胞凋亡机制等几个方面都将是运动与细胞凋亡方面的研究热点。     

新城疫病毒感染对小鼠肉瘤S180细胞p53蛋白的表达及细胞周期的影响

目的:研究新城疫病毒(NDV)感染对小鼠肉瘤S180细胞p53蛋白的表达及细胞周期的影响。方法:通过NDV体外感染小鼠肉瘤S180细胞,经倒置显微镜观察细胞形态变化,噻唑蓝(MTT)比色法检测小鼠肉瘤S180细胞的增殖状况;经流式细胞仪分析检测NDV体内感染后荷瘤鼠腹水中S180细胞分裂周期各时相的变化、细胞凋亡情况及细胞表面p53蛋白的表达情况。结果:NDV体内、外感染对小鼠肉瘤S180细胞的杀伤作用明显,NDV体内感染后荷瘤鼠腹水中S180细胞高表达p53蛋白,细胞凋亡率增加,G2/S期细胞减少,增殖指数(PI)降低,与阴性对照组比较有显著性差异(P<0.05)。结论:NDV感染可增强小鼠肉瘤S180细胞p53蛋白的表达,影响其细胞周期,诱导其凋亡且有较强的杀瘤作用。     

Arylamine N-acetyltransferases: a new inhibitor of apoptosis in HepG2 cells

Objective  To explore how arylamine N-acetyltransferases (NATs) is related to cell apoptosis. Methods  NAT activity in apoptotic HepG2 cells was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells acted upon by an NAT inhibitor was measured using flow cytometry. Results  NAT activity was lowered in apoptotic HepG2 cells; apoptosis rate induced by camptothecin (CAM) increased after inhibition of NAT activity in HepG2 cells. Conclusion  NAT can inhibit apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30400591), the Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, China (Nos. D2004-13 and D200505), and the Young Scientist Fund of Harbin City, China (No. 2004AFQXJ035)     

细胞凋亡与心力衰竭

心力衰竭中心肌细胞数量减少、心肌细胞的丢失与多种因素作用引起心肌细胞凋亡有关,心肌细胞凋亡是导致心力衰竭的重要病理生理机制。     

Cordycepin induces apoptosis by enhancing JNK and p38 kinase activity and increasing the protein expression of Bcl-2 pro-apoptotic molecules

Objective  

To explore the molecular mechanism by which cordycepin inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells.     

Cardioprotective effects of anesthetic preconditioning in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury: propofol versus isoflurane

Objective: We compare the cardioprotective effects of anesthetic preconditioning by propofol and/or isoflurane in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods: Male adult Wistar rats were subjected to 60 min of anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Before the long ischemia, anesthetics were administered twice for 10 min followed by 5 min washout. Isoflurane was inhaled at I MAC (0.016) in I group, whereas propofol was inhaled intravenously at 37.5 mg/(kg.h) in P group. A combination ofisoflurane and propofol was administered simultaneously in I+P group. Results: In control (without anesthetic preconditioning, C group), remarkable myocardial infarction and apoptosis accompanied by an increased level of cardiac troponin T were noted 120 rain after ischemia-reperfusion. As compared to those of control group, I and P groups had comparable cardioprotection. In addition, I+P group shares with I and P groups the comparable cardioprotective effects in terms of myocardial infarction and cardiac troponin T elevation. Conclusion: A combination of isoflurane and propofol produced no ad-ditional cardioprotection.     

Spinal cord decompression reduces rat neural cell apoptosis secondary to spinal cord injury

Objective: To determine whether spinal cord decompression plays a role in neural cell apoptosis after spinal cord injury. Study design: We used an animal model of compressive spinal cord injury with incomplete paraparesis to evaluate neural cell apoptosis after decompression. Apoptosis and cellular damage were assessed by staining with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and immunostaining for caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax. Methods: Experiments were conducted in male Spragne-Dawley rats (n=78) weighing 300-400 g. The spinal cord was compressed posteriorly at T10 level using a custom-made screw for 6 h, 24 h or continuously, followed by decompression by removal of the screw. The rats were sacrificed on Day 1 or 3 or in Week 1 or 4 post-decompression. The spinal cord was removed en bloc and examined at lesion site, rostral site and caudal site (7.5 mm away from the lesion). Results: The numbers of TUNEL-positive cells were significantly lower at the site of decompression on Day l, and also at the rostral and caudal sites between Day 3 and Week 4 post-decompression, compared with the persistently compressed group. The numbers of cells between Day 1 and Week 4 were immunoreactive to caspase-3 and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X-protein (Bax), but not to Bcl-2, correlated with those of TUNEL-positive cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that decompression reduces neural cell apoptosis following spinal cord injury.     

Chlorella vulgaris triggers apoptosis in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatoctyes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats.