PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Wieder

Publications and source records attributed to T Wieder.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Inhibition of erythrocyte cation channels and apoptosis by ethylisopropylamiloride.

Even though lacking mitochondria and nuclei erythrocytes do undergo apoptotic cell death which is characterized by breakdown of phosphatidylserine asymmetry (leading to annexin binding), membrane blebbing and cell shrinkage. Previously, we have shown that erythrocyte apoptosis is triggered by osmotic shrinkage at least in part through activation of cell volume-sensitive cation channels and subsequent Ca2+ entry. The channels could not only be activated by cell shrinkage but as well by replacement of Cl- with gluconate. Both, channel activity and annexin binding were sensitive to high concentrations of amiloride (1 mM). The present study has been performed to search for more effective blockers. To this end channel activity has been evaluated utilizing whole-cell patch-clamp and annexin binding determined by FACS analysis as an indicator of erythrocyte apoptosis. It is shown that either, increase of osmolarity or replacement of Cl- by gluconate triggers the activation of the cation channel which is inhibited by amiloride at 1 mM but not at 100 microM. Surprisingly, the cation channel was significantly more sensitive to the amiloride analogue ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA, IC(50)=0.6+/-0.1 microM, n=5). Exposure of the cells to osmotic shock by addition of sucrose (850 mOsm) led to stimulation of annexin binding which was inhibited similarly by EIPA (IC(50)=0.2+/-0.2 microM, n=4). Moreover, annexin binding was inhibited by higher concentrations of HOE 642 (IC(50)=10+/-5 microM, n=5) and HOE 694 (IC(50)=12+/-6 microM, n=4). It is concluded that osmotic shock stimulates a cation channel which participates in the triggering of erythrocyte apoptosis. EIPA is an effective inhibitor of this cation channel and of channel mediated triggering of erythrocyte apoptosis.

Amiloride↗
PubMed2003

Cation channels trigger apoptotic death of erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes are devoid of mitochondria and nuclei and were considered unable to undergo apoptosis. As shown recently, however, the Ca(2+)-ionophore ionomycin triggers breakdown of phosphatidylserine asymmetry (leading to annexin binding), membrane blebbing and shrinkage of erythrocytes, features typical for apoptosis in nucleated cells. In the present study, the effects of osmotic shrinkage and oxidative stress, well-known triggers of apoptosis in nucleated cells, were studied. Exposure to 850 mOsm for 24 h, to tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (1 mM) for 15 min, or to glucose-free medium for 48 h, all elicit erythrocyte shrinkage and annexin binding, both sequelae being blunted by removal of extracellular Ca(2+) and mimicked by ionomycin (1 microM). Osmotic shrinkage and oxidative stress activate Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels and increase cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration. The channels are inhibited by amiloride (1 mM), which further blunts annexin binding following osmotic shock, oxidative stress and glucose depletion. In conclusion, osmotic and oxidative stress open Ca(2+)-permeable cation channels in erythrocytes, thus increasing cytosolic Ca(2+) activity and triggering erythrocyte apoptosis.

Amiloride↗
PubMed2002

Bax expression correlates with cellular drug sensitivity to doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and chlorambucil but not fludarabine, cladribine or corticosteroids in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

In B-CLL, non-proliferating B cells accumulate due to defective apoptosis. Cytotoxic therapies trigger apoptosis and deregulation of apoptotic pathways contributes to chemoresistance. Loss of the apoptosis-promoting Bax has been implicated in resistance to cytotoxic therapy. We therefore evaluated ex vivo drug sensitivity of CLL, producing chemoresponse data which are prognostic indicators for B-CLL, in particular in the case of purine nucleoside analogs. To analyze the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance, we compared endogenous Bax and Bcl-2 expression to ex vivo response to eight drugs, and to survival in 39 B-CLL patients. We found that reduced Bax levels correlated well with ex vivo resistance to traditional B-CLL therapies - anthracyclines, alkylating agents and vincristine (all P < 0.04). Surprisingly, no such relationship was observed for the purine nucleoside analogs or corticosteroids (all P > 0.5). Mutational analysis of p53 could not explain the loss of Bax protein expression. Levels of Bcl-2 were not associated with sensitivity to any drug. In contrast to the ex vivo data, neither Bax or Bcl-2 expression nor doxorubicin sensitivity were associated with increased survival whereas sensitivity to fludarabine correlated with better overall survival (P = 0.031). These findings suggest that the resistance to purine nucleoside analogs and corticosteroids in B-CLL is due to inactivation of pathways different from those activated by anthracyclines, vinca alkaloids and alkylating agents and may be the molecular rationale for the efficacy of purine analogs in this disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Overexpression of caspase-3 restores sensitivity for drug-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines with acquired drug resistance.

In this study, we asked whether overexpression of caspase-3, a central downstream executioner of apoptotic pathways, might sensitize breast cancer cells with acquired drug resistance (MT1/ADR) to drug-induced apoptosis. As control, we employed caspase-3 negative and caspase-3-transfected MCF-7 cells. Whereas mock-transfected MCF-7 cells were resistant to epirubicin, etoposide and paclitaxel (taxol), the same drugs led to breakdown of nuclear DNA in caspase-3-transfected MCF-7 cells. MT1/ADR cells express low levels of wild type caspase-3 but show defective caspase activation and apoptosis upon drug exposure. These cells also display a less efficient activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition. Caspase-3-transfected MT1/ADR clones showed a 2.8-fold increase in the protein level and a 3.7-fold higher specific enzyme activity. Procaspase-3 overexpression was not toxic and did not affect background apoptosis. Interestingly, procaspase-3-transfected MT1/ADR cells were more sensitive to cytotoxic drugs as compared with vector-transfected controls and DNA fragmentation nearly reached the levels of the original drug sensitive MT1 cells. Thus, overexpression of caspase-3 enhances chemosensitivity especially in situations where activation of the mitochondrial apoptosome is disturbed.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed2001

Activation of caspase-8 in drug-induced apoptosis of B-lymphoid cells is independent of CD95/Fas receptor-ligand interaction and occurs downstream of caspase-3.

The activation of caspase-8, a crucial upstream mediator of death receptor signaling, was investigated in epirubicin- and Taxol-induced apoptosis of B-lymphoma cells. This study was performed because the CD95/Fas receptor-ligand interaction, recruitment of the Fas-associated death domain (FADD) adaptor protein, and subsequent activation of procaspase-8 have been implicated in the execution of drug-induced apoptosis in other cell types. Indeed, active caspase-8 was readily detected after treatment of mature and immature B-lymphoid cells with epirubicin or Taxol. However, neither constitutive nor drug-induced expression of the CD95/Fas ligand was detectable in B-lymphoma cells. Furthermore, overexpression of a dominant-negative FADD mutant (FADDdn) did not block caspase-8 processing and subsequent DNA fragmentation, indicating that drug-induced caspase-8 activation was mediated by a CD95/Fas-independent mechanism. Instead, caspase-8 cleavage was slightly preceded by activation of caspase-3, suggesting that drug-induced caspase-8 activation in B-lymphoma cells is a downstream event mediated by other caspases. This assumption was confirmed in 2 experimental systems-zDEVD-fmk, a cell-permeable inhibitor of caspase-3-like activity, blocked drug-induced caspase-8 cleavage, and depletion of caspase-3 from cell extracts impaired caspase-8 cleavage after in vitro activation with dATP and cytochrome c. Thus, these data indicate that drug-induced caspase-8 activation in B-lymphoma cells is independent of death receptor signaling and is mediated by postmitochondrial caspase-3 activation.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2001

The kiss of death: promises and failures of death receptors and ligands in cancer therapy.

Death receptors and their ligands exert important regulatory functions in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and the physiological regulation of programmed cell death. Currently, six different death receptors are known including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-1, CD95 (Fas/APO-1), TNF receptor-related apoptosis-mediating protein (TRAMP), TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor-1 and -2, and death receptor-6 (DR6). The signaling pathways by which these receptors induce apoptosis are similar and rely on oligomerization of the receptor by death ligand binding, recruitment of an adapter protein through homophilic interaction of cytoplasmic domains, and subsequent activation of an inducer caspase which initiates execution of the cell death programme. The ability of these receptors and their ligands to kill malignant cells was discovered early and helped to coin the term 'tumor necrosis factor' for the first identified death ligand. This review summarizes the current and rapidly expanding knowledge about the signaling pathways triggered by death receptor/ligand systems, their potency in experimental cancer therapy, and their therapeutic limitations, especially regarding their toxicity for non-malignant cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2001

Piceatannol, a hydroxylated analog of the chemopreventive agent resveratrol, is a potent inducer of apoptosis in the lymphoma cell line BJAB and in primary, leukemic lymphoblasts.

The stilbene phytochemicals resveratrol and piceatannol have been reported to possess substantial antitumorigenic and antileukemic activities, respectively. Although recent experimental data revealed the proapoptotic potency of resveratrol, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antileukemic activity have not yet been studied in detail. In the present study, we show that resveratrol, as well as the hydroxylated analog piceatannol, are potent inducers of apoptotic cell death in BJAB Burkitt-like lymphoma cells with an ED50 concentration of 25 microM. Further experiments revealed that treatment of BJAB cells with both substances led to a concentration-dependent activation of caspase-3 and mitochondrial permeability transition. Using BJAB cells overexpressing a dominant-negative mutant of the Fas-associated death domain (FADD) adaptor protein to block death receptor-mediated apoptosis, we demonstrate that resveratrol- and piceatannol-induced cell death in these cells is independent of the CD95/Fas signaling pathway. To explore the antileukemic properties of both compounds in more detail, we extended our study to primary, leukemic lymphoblasts. Interestingly, piceatannol but not resveratrol is a very efficient inducer of apoptosis in this ex vivo assay with leukemic lymphoblasts of 21 patients suffering from childhood lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio determines the susceptibility of human melanoma cells to CD95/Fas-mediated apoptosis.

Defective cytochrome c release and the resulting loss of caspase-3 activation was recently shown to be essential for the susceptibility of human melanoma cells to CD95/Fas-induced apoptosis. Cytochrome c release from mitochondria is regulated by the relative amounts of apoptosis-promoting and apoptosis-inhibiting Bcl-2 proteins in the outer membrane of these organelles. The assignment of Bax/Bcl-2 ratios by quantitative Western blotting in 11 melanoma cell populations revealed a relation to the susceptibility to CD95-mediated apoptosis. We could show that a low Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was characteristic for resistant cells and a high Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was characteristic for sensitive cells. Low Bax expression was not a consequence of mutations in the p53 coding sequence. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was also in clear correlation with sensitivity to another cell death inducer, N-acetylsphingosine. Furthermore, Bcl-2 overexpression abolished apoptosis triggered by both apoptotic stimuli, confirming the critical role of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as a rheostat that determines the susceptibility to apoptosis in melanoma cells by regulating mitochondrial function. Interestingly, some chemotherapeutics lead to the activation of death pathways by CD95L upregulation, ceramide generation, direct activation of upstream caspases, or upregulation of proapoptotic genes. Taken together, these signals enter the apoptotic pathway upstream of mitochondria, resulting in activation of this central checkpoint. We therefore assumed that apoptosis deficiency of malignant melanoma can be circumvented by drugs directly influencing mitochondrial functions. For this purpose we used betulinic acid, a cytotoxic agent selective for melanoma, straightly perturbing mitochondrial functions. In fact, betulinic acid induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release and DNA fragmentation in both CD95-resistant and CD95-sensitive melanoma cell populations, independent of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed2000

Resistance to CD95/Fas-induced and ceramide-mediated apoptosis of human melanoma cells is caused by a defective mitochondrial cytochrome c release.

Intracellular CD95/Fas-signaling pathways have not been investigated in melanoma yet. Two different CD95 receptor-induced apoptotic pathways are presently known in other cell types: (i) direct activation of caspase-8 and (ii) induction of ceramide-mediated mitochondrial activation, both leading to subsequent caspase-3 activation. In the present study, five of 11 melanoma cell populations were shown to release cytochrome c from mitochondria, which activates caspase-3 and finally results in DNA fragmentation upon treatment with the agonistic monoclonal antibody CH-11. In contrast, this apoptotic pathway was not activated in the remaining six melanoma cell populations. Interestingly, the susceptibility of melanoma cells to CD95L/FasL-triggered cell death was clearly correlated with N-acetylsphingosine-mediated apoptosis. Our results are in line with a defect upstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release in resistant cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2000

GDP dissociation inhibitor D4-GDI (Rho-GDI 2), but not the homologous rho-GDI 1, is cleaved by caspase-3 during drug-induced apoptosis.

Different cytotoxic drugs induce cell death by activating the apoptotic programme; a family of cysteinyl aspartate proteases named caspases has been shown to be involved in the initiation as well as the execution of this kind of cell death. In the present study, cleavage of D4-GDI (Rho-GDI 2), an abundant haemopoietic-cell GDP dissociation inhibitor for the Ras-related Rho family GTPases, was demonstrated after treatment of BJAB Burkitt-like lymphoma cells with taxol or epirubicin. The cleavage of D4-GDI occurred simultaneously with the activation of caspase-3 but preceded DNA fragmentation and the morphological changes associated with apoptotic cell death. By using high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis it was shown that this cleavage is specific: whereas the level of the homologous protein Rho-GDI 1 was not significantly altered during drug-induced apoptosis and in cytochrome c/dATP-activated cellular extracts, D4-GDI disappeared owing to proteolytic cleavage. Inhibitor experiments with Z-DEVD-fmk (in which Z stands for benzyloxycarbonyl and fmk for fluoromethyl ketone) and microsequencing of the D4-GDI fragment revealed that this occurs at the caspase-3 cleavage site. Our results strongly suggest the differential regulation of the homologous GDP dissociation inhibitors Rho-GDI 1 and D4-GDI during drug-induced apoptosis by proteolysis mediated by caspase-3 but not by caspase-1. Owing to their crucial role as modulators of Rho GTPases, this might in turn have a significant impact on the mechanisms that induce the cytoskeletal and morphological changes in apoptotic cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Relapse in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with a decrease of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and loss of spontaneous caspase-3 processing in vivo.

Dysfunction of the p53/Bax/caspase-3 apoptosis signaling pathway has been shown to play a role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, ie the development of acquired drug resistance. Low expression of the apoptosis inducer Bax correlates with poor response to therapy and shorter overall survival in solid tumors. In the present study, we analyzed the p53/Bax/caspase-3 pathway in a paired and an unpaired sample series of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at initial diagnosis and relapse. The data demonstrate that both Bax expression levels and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio are significantly lower in samples at relapse as compared with samples at initial diagnosis (P=0.013, Wilcoxon signed rank test (paired samples); P=0.0039, Mann-Whitney U test (unpaired samples)). The loss of Bax protein expression was not a consequence of Bax frameshift mutations of the G8 tract and could not be attributed to mutations of the p53 coding sequence (exons 5 to 8) which were detected to a similar extent in de novo ALL samples and at relapse. Analysis of the downstream effector caspase-3 showed loss of spontaneous caspase-3 processing at relapse. Whereas nine out of 14 (64%, paired samples) or 37 out of 77 (48%, unpaired samples) ALL patients at initial diagnosis displayed spontaneous in vivo processing of caspase-3, this was completely absent in patients at relapse (paired samples) or detected in only one out of 34 patients at relapse (2.9%, unpaired samples). We therefore conclude that in ALL relapse a severe disturbance of apoptotic pathways occurs, both at the level of Bax expression and caspase-3 activation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Structure-dependent effects of glucose-containing analogs of platelet activating factor (PAF) on membrane integrity.

Synthetic choline-containing phospholipids comprise a new class of compounds with antineoplastic properties. We have investigated the effect of recently synthesized glucose-containing analogs of lysophosphatidylcholine (glyceroglucophospholipid, Glc-PC) and of lysoplatelet activating factor (Glc-PAF) and its C16, C14 and C12 derivatives (ET-16, ET-14, and ET-12) on proliferation of immortalized human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The data were compared to the ability of the compounds to intercalate into phosphatidylserine liposomes and to form lesions in planar bilayer membranes. A correlation between bioactivity and membrane activity was found. The number of molecules that intercalated into phosphatidylserine liposomes depended on the chemical structure of the compounds and was in the order Glc-PAF approximately ET-16 approximately ET-14 > Glc-PC > ET-12. All compounds induced membrane lesions, and the lesion forming activity was in the same order. Similar activity rankings were found for the release of lactate dehydrogenase from HaCaT cells as a measure of lytic activity and for the influence on cell number as a measure of proliferation. In the latter test, however, proliferation was already inhibited at non-toxic concentrations. From these findings, it may be concluded that the intercalation of the compounds at toxic concentrations leads to the formation of membrane lesions and finally results in membrane rupture leading to cell death.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1998

Induction of ceramide-mediated apoptosis by the anticancer phospholipid analog, hexadecylphosphocholine.

The prototype of a new class of antiproliferative phospholipid analogs, hexadecylphosphocholine (HePC), has been shown to inhibit tumor growth and is currently used for the treatment of cutaneous metastases of mammary carcinomas. Although several cellular targets of HePC, e.g. protein kinase C and CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase, have been proposed, the mechanisms of HePC-induced anticancer activity are still unclear. Considering that the antiproliferative effect of HePC correlates with inhibition of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis, which is tightly coupled to sphingomyelin biosynthesis, we tested the hypothesis that treatment of cells with the anticancer drug leads to increased cellular ceramide and subsequently to apoptotic cell death. In the present study, we showed that 25 micromol/liter HePC induced apoptosis. In further experiments, we demonstrated that HePC inhibited the incorporation of radiolabeled choline into phosphatidylcholine and at a later time point into sphingomyelin. This was confirmed by metabolic labeling of the lipid backbone using radiolabeled serine, and it was shown that HePC decreased the incorporation of serine into sphingomyelin by 35% and simultaneously increased the incorporation of serine into ceramide by 70%. Determination of the amount of ceramide revealed an increase of 53% in HePC-treated cells compared with controls. In accordance with the hypothesis that elevated ceramide levels may be the missing link between the metabolic effects of HePC and its proapoptotic properties, HePC-induced apoptosis was blocked by fumonisin B1, an inhibitor of ceramide synthesis. Furthermore, we found that membrane-permeable ceramides additively increased the apoptotic effect of HePC.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Expression and regulation of phospholipase D in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT.

The generation of lipid second messengers via phosphatidylcholine (PC)-specific phospholipase D (PLD) has emerged as an important step leading to transduction of extracellular signals. In the present investigation the expression of human cytosolic PLD isoenzymes in the immortalized human keratinocyte cell line HaCat was determined. At the mRNA level we found the expression of hPLD1b and for the first time in human cells also the expression of hPLD2. For further analysis of enzyme expression at the protein level, hPLD1 peptide fragments were synthesized and specific antibodies were generated (rabbit) to be used for detection of hPLD1 in Western blot experiments. Furthermore, small G-proteins were found to be involved in the regulation of PLD activity in HaCaT cells using the guanine nucleotide analogue GTPgammaS.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Induction of apoptosis by synthetic ceramide analogues in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT.

In contrast to extracellular, long chain ceramides which comprise a structural component of the epidermal water barrier, intracellular ceramides originating from sphingomyelin hydrolysis have been shown to inhibit proliferation and to induce apoptosis in different cell populations. To further elucidate the possible role of intracellular ceramides in human epidermis, two new cell-permeable ceramide analogues, N-thioacetylsphingosine (C2-Cer=S) and 4-dodecanoylamino-decan-5-ol (FS-5), were synthesized and tested for their ability to suppress cell growth and to induce apoptosis in immortalized human keratinocytes. It was shown that the well-investigated ceramide analogue N-acetylsphingosine (C2-Cer=O), as well as the new compound C2-Cer=S inhibited proliferation of HaCaT cells with half-inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 20 microg/ml and 10 microg/ml, respectively, whereas FS-5 has been potent with an IC50>40 microg/ml. Overall, all three ceramide analogues induced apoptosis in HaCaT cells as assessed by DNA-fragmentation using ELISA technique and in situ nick end labelling, thereby confirming the importance of ceramide signalling in keratinocytes.

Amides↗
PubMed1997

Bcl-2 antagonizes apoptotic cell death induced by two new ceramide analogues.

Ceramides which arise in part from the breakdown of sphingomyelin comprise a class of antiproliferative lipids and have been implicated in the regulation of programmed cell death better known as apoptosis. In the present study, two new synthetic ceramide analogues, N-thioacetylsphingosine and FS-5, were used in Molt 4 cells to induce cell death. Besides their cytotoxic effects at concentrations > or = 14 microM the data obtained clearly show that both analogues induced apoptosis at concentrations below this critical concentration as assessed by trypan blue exclusion and cleavage of the death substrate poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Additional experiments in bcl-2-transfected Molt 4 cells revealed that the apoptotic but not the lytic effects of the analogues were antagonized by the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2. Furthermore, neither N-thio-acetylsphingosine nor FS-5 induced PARP cleavage in bcl-2-transfected Molt 4 cells indicating that the induction of apoptotic cell death by cell permeable ceramides is not due to unspecific disturbance of the cell membrane.

Amides↗
PubMed1997

1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 induces sphingomyelin hydrolysis in HaCaT cells via tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Treatment of the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT with 1alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) resulted in the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin with peak elevations of ceramide levels after 2-3 h (Geilen, C. C., Bektas, M., Wieder, Th., and Orfanos, C. E. (1996) FEBS Lett. 378, 88-92). In the present paper, the mechanism underlying the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on sphingomyelin hydrolysis was investigated. Using the cell culture supernatant of HaCaT cells treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 for 2 h, it was possible to induce sphingomyelin hydrolysis as early as 30-60 min after addition to resting cells. Several lines of experimental evidence indicated that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) mediates sphingomyelin hydrolysis after 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment: (i) 1,25-(OH)2D3 stimulated TNFalpha mRNA expression after 1 h, (ii) newly synthesized TNFalpha occurred 2 h after 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment, (iii) indirect activation of sphingomyelin hydrolysis by the supernatant of 1, 25-(OH)2D3-treated HaCaT cells was abolished by preincubation of the supernatant with antibodies directed against TNFalpha, and (iv) preincubation of HaCaT cells with neutralizing antibodies directed against the 55-kDa receptor of TNFalpha blocked the ability of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 to induce sphingomyelin hydrolysis in HaCaT cells. These data demonstrate that 1,25-(OH)2D3 activated sphingomyelin hydrolysis by an autocrine mechanism via TNFalpha expression. Furthermore, this indirect mode of action may serve as an explanation for the delayed induction of sphingomyelin hydrolysis by vitamin D3.

Calcitriol↗