Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 75 in total

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  1. Tan EW, Simon SE, Numan A, Khalid M, Tan KO
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2024 Mar;235:113793.
    PMID: 38364521 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113793
    Breast cancer is a global health concern that requires personalized therapies to prevent relapses, as conventional treatments may develop resistance over time. Photothermal therapy using spectral radiation or intense light emission is a broad-spectrum treatment that induces hyperthermia-mediated cancer cell death. MXene, a two-dimensional material, has been reported to have potential biological applications in photothermal therapy for cancer treatment. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic activity of MXene and UV-irradiated MXene in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by treating them with varying concentrations of MXene. The cytotoxicity of MXene and UV was evaluated by analyzing cellular morphology, nuclei condensation, caspase activation, and apoptotic cell death. We also assessed the effect of the combined treatment on the expression and cellular distribution of Tubulin, a key component of microtubules required for cell division. At low concentrations of MXene (up to 100 µg/ml), the level of cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells was low. However, the combined treatment of MXene and UV resulted in a synergistic increase in cytotoxicity, causing rounded cellular morphology, condensed nuclei, caspase activation, and apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, the treatment reduced Tubulin protein expression and cellular distribution, indicating a potent inducer of cell death with potential application for cancer treatment. The study demonstrates that the combined treatment of MXene and UVB irradiation is a promising strategy for inducing apoptotic cell death in breast cancer cells, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic intervention for breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  2. Goh Y, Sadikan MZ, Jaiprakash H, Nasir NAA, Agarwal R, Iezhitsa I, et al.
    BMC Complement Med Ther, 2024 Aug 30;24(1):322.
    PMID: 39215295 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04614-y
    BACKGROUND: Tocotrienol is a vitamin E analogue that is known to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Hence, in the current study, the effects of TRF on the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat retinas were investigated. The effect of TRF on the visual behaviour of rats was also studied.

    METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and was confirmed by a blood sugar level of at least 20 mmol/L, 48 h, post-injection. Diabetic rats were divided into a group treated with vehicle (DV) and the other treated with TRF (100 mg/kg; DT). A group of non-diabetic rats treated with vehicle (N) served as the control group. All treatments were administered orally for 12 weeks. Rats were then subjected to an assessment of general behaviour in an open field arena and a two-chamber mirror test to assess their visual behaviour. At the end of the experimental period, rats were sacrificed, and their retinas were isolated to measure the expression of pro- (Casp3, Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl2) markers using RT-qPCR and ELISA. TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptotic retinal cells.

    RESULTS: Treatment with TRF lowered the retinal expression of Casp3 protein by 2.26-folds (p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  3. Ismail NI, Othman I, Abas F, H Lajis N, Naidu R
    Molecules, 2020 Aug 20;25(17).
    PMID: 32825505 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173798
    The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of turmeric (Curcuma longa) on colon cancer have been well documented but specific structural modifications of curcumin have been shown to possess greater growth-suppressive potential on colon cancer than curcumin. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the anti-cancer properties of curcumin analogue-MS13, a diarylpentanoid on the cytotoxicity, anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity of primary (SW480) and metastatic (SW620) human colon cancer cells. A cell viability assay showed that MS13 has greater cytotoxicity effect on SW480 (EC50: 7.5 ± 2.8 µM) and SW620 (EC50: 5.7 ± 2.4 µM) compared to curcumin (SW480, EC50: 30.6 ± 1.4 µM) and SW620, EC50: 26.8 ± 2.1 µM). Treatment with MS13 at two different doses 1X EC50 and 2X EC50 suppressed the colon cancer cells growth with lower cytotoxicity against normal cells. A greater anti-proliferative effect was also observed in MS13 treated colon cancer cells compared to curcumin at 48 and 72 h. Subsequent analysis on the induction of apoptosis showed that MS13 treated cells exhibited morphological features associated with apoptosis. The findings are also consistent with cellular apoptotic activities shown by increased caspase-3 activity and decreased Bcl-2 protein level in both colon cancer cell lines. In conclusion, MS13 able to suppress colon cancer cell growth by inhibiting cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in primary and metastatic human colon cancer cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  4. Sangaran PG, Ibrahim ZA, Chik Z, Mohamed Z, Ahmadiani A
    Mol Neurobiol, 2021 May;58(5):2407-2422.
    PMID: 33421016 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02227-3
    Neuroinflammation, an inflammatory response within the nervous system, has been shown to be implicated in the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases. Recent in vivo studies showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preconditioning provides neuroprotection by activating Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), one of the members for pattern recognition receptor (PRR) family that play critical role in host response to tissue injury, infection, and inflammation. Pre-exposure to low dose of LPS could confer a protective state against cellular apoptosis following subsequent stimulation with LPS at higher concentration, suggesting a role for TLR4 pre-activation in the signaling pathway of LPS-induced neuroprotection. However, the precise molecular mechanism associated with this protective effect is not well understood. In this article, we provide an overall review of the current state of our knowledge about LPS preconditioning in attenuating apoptosis mechanism and conferring neuroprotection via TLR4 signaling pathway.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism*
  5. Huang TT, Chen CM, Lan YW, Lin SS, Choo KB, Chong KY
    Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Nov 28;23(23).
    PMID: 36499211 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314884
    E7050 is a potent inhibitor of c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase and has potential for cancer therapy. However, the underlying molecular mechanism involved in the anti-cancer property of E7050 has not been fully elucidated. The main objective of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor activity of E7050 in multidrug-resistant human uterine sarcoma MES-SA/Dx5 cells in vitro and in vivo, and to define its mechanisms. Our results revealed that E7050 reduced cell viability of MES-SA/Dx5 cells, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis and S phase cell cycle arrest. Additionally, E7050 treatment significantly upregulated the expression of Bax, cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-3, p21, p53 and cyclin D1, while it downregulated the expression of survivin and cyclin A. On the other hand, the mechanistic study demonstrated that E7050 inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Met, Src, Akt and p38 in HGF-stimulated MES-SA/Dx5 cells. Further in vivo experiments showed that treatment of athymic nude mice carrying MES-SA/Dx5 xenograft tumors with E7050 remarkably suppressed tumor growth. E7050 treatment also decreased the expression of Ki-67 and p-Met, and increased the expression of cleaved caspase-3 in MES-SA/Dx5 tumor sections. Therefore, E7050 is a promising drug that can be developed for the treatment of multidrug-resistant uterine sarcoma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  6. Ranneh Y, Abu Bakar MF, Md Akim A, Bin Baharum Z, S Ellulu M, Fadel A
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2023 Jul 01;24(7):2473-2483.
    PMID: 37505782 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.7.2473
    BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential anti-proliferative activities of a methanolic extract of cocoa leaves (CL) obtained through sequential partition and fractionation against MCF-7 breast cancer cells.  Methods: The methanolic extract of CL was partitioned in three separated solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol). Hexane partition was the most potent against MCF-7 cells growth with the lowest IC50 value. Then, it was subjected to two fractionation procedures, resulting in the identification of the CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) with potent toxicity against MCF-7 cells.

    RESULTS: Further investigation into CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) revealed significant dose-dependent growth inhibitory effects on MCF-7 cells, which were attributed to the induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by the presence of apoptotic bodies, fragmented DNA, and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, treatment with CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) upregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (DDIT3, GADD45G and HRK) and significantly increased the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9.

    CONCLUSION: Overall, this study suggests that bioactive fraction (II-F7) from CL extract has significant and selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells through inducing apoptosis and has potential as a therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment.

    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  7. Umar U, Ahmed S, Iftikhar A, Iftikhar M, Majeed W, Liaqat A, et al.
    Molecules, 2023 Jul 17;28(14).
    PMID: 37513325 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145453
    Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder defined as hyperglycemia and pancreatic β-cell deterioration, leading to other complications such as cardiomyopathy. The current study assessed the therapeutic effects of phenolic acids extracted from Jasminum sambac phenols of leaves (JSP) against diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy in rats. The rats were divided into four groups, with each group consisting of 20 rats. The rats were given intraperitoneal injections of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg) to induce diabetes. The diabetes-induced groups (III and IV) received treatment for six weeks that included 250 and 500 mg/kg of JSP extract, respectively. In the treated rats, the results demonstrated that JSP extract restored fasting glucose, serum glucose, and hyperlipidemia. Alloxan induced cardiomyopathy, promoted oxidative stress, and altered cardiac function biomarkers, including cardiac troponin I, proBNP, CK-MB, LDH, and IMA. The JSP extract-treated rats showed improved cardiac function indicators, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. In diabetic rats, the mRNA expression of caspase-3, BAX, and Bcl-2 was significantly higher, while Bcl-2, Nrf-2, and HO-,1 was significantly lower. In the treated groups, the expression levels of the BAX, Nrf-2, HO-1, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2 genes were dramatically returned to normal level. According to our findings, the JSP extract prevented cardiomyopathy and heart failure in the hyperglycemic rats by improving cardiac biomarkers and lowering the levels of hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress, apoptosis, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  8. Zhou Z, Zhao J, de Cruz CR, Xu H, Wang L, Xu Q
    Fish Physiol Biochem, 2023 Oct;49(5):951-965.
    PMID: 37665506 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01234-0
    The study investigated the alleviated effects of Alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) on the intestinal health of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio Songpu) caused by soy antigenic protein. The diets were formulated from fishmeal (CON), 50% soybean meal (SBM), the mixture of glycinin and β-conglycinin (11 + 7S) and adding 1% AKG in the 11 + 7S (AKG). Carp (~ 4 g) in triplicate (30 fish per tank) was fed to apparent satiation thrice a day for six weeks. Compared with CON, SBM treatment resulted in significantly poor growth performance (P  0.05). Gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) in proximal intestines (PI) and distal intestines (DI) were increased (P 3 in DI increased in SBM (P 3 and caspase-9 in DI increased in 11 + 7S (P 3, and caspase-9 in DI was decreased in AKG (P 
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  9. Ooi KL, Loh SI, Tan ML, Muhammad TS, Sulaiman SF
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2015 Mar 13;162:55-60.
    PMID: 25554642 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.030
    The juice of the entire fresh herb and infusion of dried sample of Murdannia bracteata are consumed to treat liver cancer and diabetes in Malaysia. However, no scientific evidence of these bioactivities has been reported.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  10. Atan R, Virzi GM, Peck L, Ramadas A, Brocca A, Eastwood G, et al.
    Blood Purif., 2014;37(4):296-303.
    PMID: 25096908 DOI: 10.1159/000363220
    To measure plasma pro-apoptotic and pro-necrotic activity in severe acute kidney injury (AKI) patients within a randomized controlled trial of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration with high cut-off filters (CVVH-HCO) versus standard filters (CVVH-Std).
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  11. Law BN, Ling AP, Koh RY, Chye SM, Wong YP
    Mol Med Rep, 2014 Mar;9(3):947-54.
    PMID: 24366367 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1878
    Neurodegenerative diseases remain a global issue which affects the ageing population. Efforts towards determining their aetiologies to understand their pathogenic mechanisms are underway in order to identify a pathway through which therapeutic measures can be applied. One such pathogenic mechanism, oxidative stress (OS), is widely considered to be involved in neurodegenerative disease. Antioxidants, most notably flavonoids, have promising potential for therapeutic use as shown in in vitro and in vivo studies. In view of the importance of flavonoids for combating OS, this study investigated the neuroprotective effects of orientin, which has been reported to be capable of crossing the blood‑brain barrier. The maximum non‑toxic dose (MNTD) of orientin against SH‑SY5Y neuroblastoma cells was determined using a 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The effects of the MNTD and the half MNTD (½MNTD) of orientin on cell cycle progression and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, as well as the activity of caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 after exposure to 150 µM of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were also determined using flow cytometry, a 2',7'‑dichlorodihydrofluorescein‑diacetate (DCFH‑DA) assay and caspase assay kits, respectively. The results revealed that orientin at ≤20 µM was not cytotoxic to SH‑SY5Y cells. After treatment with orientin at the MNTD, the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly reduced compared with that in cells treated with 150 µM H2O2 alone. The results also showed that, although orientin at the MNTD and ½MNTD did not reduce intracellular ROS levels, it significantly inhibited the activity of caspases 3/7. Caspase 9 was significantly inactivated with orientin at the MNTD. Findings from this study suggest that the neuroprotection conferred by orientin was the result of the intracellular mediation of caspase activity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  12. Al-Qubaisi M, Rosli R, Subramani T, Omar AR, Yeap SK, Ali AM, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2013;27(23):2216-8.
    PMID: 23767409 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2013.800979
    Goniothalamin is a biologically active styrylpyrone derivative isolated from various Goniothalamus species. The ability of goniothalamin to induce apoptosis via caspase-3 activation against hepatoblastoma (HepG2) and normal liver cells (Chang cells) was studied using morphological and biochemical evaluations. HepG2 and Chang cells were treated with goniothalamin for 72 h and analysed by TUNEL and Annexin-V/PI staining. Furthermore, the post-mitochondrial caspase-3 was quantified using ELISA. In view of our results, goniothalamin induced apoptosis on treated cells via alteration of cellular membrane integrity and cleavage of DNA. On the other hand, post-mitochondrial caspase-3 activity was significantly elevated in HepG2 cells treated with goniothalamin after 72 h. These findings suggest that goniothalamin induced apoptosis on HepG2 liver cancer cells via induction of caspase-3 with less sensitivity on the cell line of Chang cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism*
  13. Navanesan S, Abdul Wahab N, Manickam S, Sim KS
    PLoS One, 2015;10(8):e0135995.
    PMID: 26287817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135995
    Leptospermum flavescens Sm. (Myrtaceae), locally known as 'Senna makki' is a smallish tree that is widespread and recorded to naturally occur in the montane regions above 900 m a.s.l from Burma to Australia. Although the species is recorded to be used traditionally to treat various ailments, there is limited data on biological and chemical investigations of L. flavescens. The aim of the present study was to investigate and understand the ability of L. flavescens in inducing cell death in lung cancer cells. The cytotoxic potentials of the extraction yields (methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate and water extracts as wells as a semi pure fraction, LF1) were evaluated against two human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines (A549 and NCI-H1299) using the MTT assay. LF1 showed the greatest cytotoxic effect against both cell lines with IC50 values of 7.12 ± 0.07 and 9.62 ± 0.50 μg/ml respectively. LF1 treated cells showed a sub-G1 region in the cell cycle analysis and also caused the presence of apoptotic morphologies in cells stained with acridine orange and ethidium bromide. Treatment with LF1 manifested an apoptotic population in cells that were evaluated using the Annexin V/ propidium iodide assay. Increasing dosage of LF1 caused a rise in the presence of activated caspase-3 enzymes in treated cells. Blockage of cell cycle progression was also observed in LF1-treated cells. These findings suggest that LF1 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in treated lung cancer cells. Further studies are being conducted to isolate and identify the active compound as well to better understand the mechanism involved in inducing cell death.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  14. Tan BL, Norhaizan ME, Huynh K, Heshu SR, Yeap SK, Hazilawati H, et al.
    PMID: 26122204 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0730-4
    Brewers' rice, is locally known as temukut, is a mixture of broken rice, rice bran, and rice germ. The current study is an extension of our previous work, which demonstrated that water extract of brewers' rice (WBR) induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells. We also identified that brewers' rice was effective in reducing the tumor incidence and multiplicity in azoxymethane (AOM)-injected colon cancer rats. Our present study was designed to identify whether WBR confers an inhibitory effect via the regulation of upstream components in the Wnt signaling pathway in HT-29 cells. To further determine whether the in vitro mechanisms of action observed in the HT-29 cells inhibit the downstream signaling target of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, we evaluated the mechanistic action of brewers' rice in regulating the expressions and key protein markers during colon carcinogenesis in male Sprague-Dawley rats.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism*
  15. Othman N, Nagoor NH
    Int J Oncol, 2017 Dec;51(6):1757-1764.
    PMID: 29075783 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4174
    Lung cancer remains a major health problem with a low 5-year survival rate of patients. Recent studies have shown that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) are prevalent in lung cancer and these aberrations play a significant role in the progression of tumour progression. In the present study, bioinformatics analyses was employed to predict potential miR-608 targets, which are associated with signaling pathways involved in cancer. Luciferase reporter assay identified AKT2 as a novel target of miR-608, and suppression of its protein levels was validated through western blot analysis. Zebrafish embryos were microinjected with cells transfected with miR-608 to elucidate the role of miR-608 in vivo, and immunostained with antibodies to detect activated caspase-3. We present the first evidence that miR-608 behaves as a tumour suppressor in A549 and SK-LU-1 cells through the regulation of AKT2, suggesting that selective targeting of AKT2 via miR-608 may be developed as a potential therapeutic strategy for miRNA-based non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  16. Waziri PM, Abdullah R, Yeap SK, Omar AR, Abdul AB, Kassim NK, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2016 Dec 24;194:549-558.
    PMID: 27729282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.030
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Clausena excavata Burm.f. is used locally in folk medicine for the treatment of cancer in South East Asia.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the mechanism of action of pure clausenidin crystals in the induction of hepatocellular carcinoma (hepG2) cells apoptosis.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pure clausenidin was isolated from Clausena excavata Burm.f. and characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. Clausenidin-induced cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. The morphology of hepG2 after treatment with clausenidin was determined by fluorescence and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The effect of clausenidin on the apoptotic genes and proteins were determined by real-time qPCR and protein array profiling, respectively. The involvement of the mitochondria in clausenidin-induced apoptosis was investigated using MMP, caspase 3 and 9 assays.

    RESULTS: Clausenidin induced significant (p<0.05) and dose-dependent apoptosis of hepG2 cells. Cell cycle assay showed that clausenidin induced a G2/M phase arrest, caused mitochondrial membrane depolarization and significantly (p<0.05) increased expression of caspases 3 and 9, which suggest the involvement of the mitochondria in the apoptotic signals. In addition, clausenidin caused decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl 2 and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax. This finding was confirmed by the downregulation of Bcl-2 gene and upregulation of the Bax gene in the treated hepG2 cells.

    CONCLUSION: Clausenidin extracted from Clausena excavata Burm.f. is an anti-hepG2 cell compound as shown by its ability to induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Clausenidin can potentially be developed into an anticancer compound.

    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  17. Zainal Abidin SA, Rajadurai P, Hoque Chowdhury ME, Othman I, Naidu R
    Molecules, 2018 06 08;23(6).
    PMID: 29890640 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23061388
    The aim of this study is to investigate the potential anti-cancer activity of l-amino acid oxidase (CP-LAAO) purified from the venom of Cryptelytrops purpureomaculatus on SW480 and SW620 human colon cancer cells. Mass spectrometry guided purification was able to identify and purify CP-LAAO. Amino acid variations identified from the partial protein sequence of CP-LAAO may suggest novel variants of these proteins. The activity of the purified CP-LAAO was confirmed with o-phenyldiamine (OPD)-based spectrophotometric assay. CP-LAAO demonstrated time- and dose-dependent cytotoxic activity and the EC50 value was determined at 13 µg/mL for both SW480 and SW620 cells. Significant increase of caspase-3 activity, reduction of Bcl-2 levels, as well as morphological changes consistent with apoptosis were demonstrated by CP-LAAO. Overall, these data provide evidence on the potential anti-cancer activity of CP-LAAO from the venom of Malaysian C. purpureomaculatus for therapeutic intervention of human colon cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  18. Tan JW, Tham CL, Israf DA, Lee SH, Kim MK
    Neurochem Res, 2013 Mar;38(3):512-8.
    PMID: 23224778 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0943-6
    L-Glutamate plays a crucial role in neuronal cell death, which is known to be associated with various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of biochanin A, a phytoestrogen compound found mainly in Trifolium pratense, against L-glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in a PC12 cell line. Exposure of the cells to 10 mM L-glutamate was found to significantly increase cell viability loss and apoptosis, whereas pretreatment with various concentrations of biochanin A attenuated the cytotoxic effects of L-glutamate. Specifically, the pretreatment led to not only decreases in the release of lactate dehydrogenase, the number of apoptotic cells, and the activity of caspase-3 but also an increase in the total glutathione level in the L-glutamate-treated PC12 cells. These results indicate that biochanin A may be able to exert neuroprotective effects against L-glutamate-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, our findings also imply that biochanin A may act as an antiapoptotic agent in order to perform its protective function.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
  19. Swamy M, Suhaili D, Sirajudeen KN, Mustapha Z, Govindasamy C
    PMID: 25395704
    BACKGROUND: Increased nitric oxide (NO), neuronal inflammation and apoptosis have been proposed to be involved in excitotoxicity plays a part in many neurodegenerative diseases. To understand the neuro-protective effects of propolis, activities of Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and caspase-3 along with NO and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were studied in cerebral cortex (CC), cerebellum (CB) and brain stem (BS) in rats supplemented with propolis prior to excitotoxic injury with kainic acid (KA).

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=6 rats per group) as Control, KA, Propolis and KA+Propolis. The control group and KA group have received vehicle and saline. Propolis group and propolis + KA group were orally administered with propolis (150 mg/kg body weight), five times every 12 hours. KA group and propolis +KA group were injected subcutaneously with kainic acid (15 mg/kg body weight) and were sacrificed after 2 hrs. CC, CB and BS were separated, homogenized and used for estimation of NOS, caspase-3, NO and TNF-α by commercial kits. Results were analyzed by one way ANOVA, reported as mean + SD (n=6 rats), and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

    RESULTS: The concentration of NO, TNF-α, NOS and caspase-3 activity were increased significantly (p<0.001) in all the three brain regions tested in KA group compared to the control. Propolis supplementation significantly (p<0.001) prevented the increase in NOS, NO, TNF-α and caspase-3 due to KA.

    CONCLUSION: Results of this study clearly demonstrated that the propolis supplementation attenuated the NOS, caspase-3 activities, NO, and TNF-α concentration and in KA mediated excitotoxicity. Hence propolis can be a possible potential protective agent against excitotoxicity and neurodegenerative disorders.

    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism*
  20. Yong FL, Wang CW, Roslani AC, Law CW
    Int J Mol Sci, 2014 Jul 02;15(7):11713-29.
    PMID: 24992592 DOI: 10.3390/ijms150711713
    Recent advances in microRNAome have made microRNAs (miRNAs) a compelling novel class of biomarker in cancer biology. In the present study, the role of miR-23a in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) was investigated. Cell viability, apoptosis, and caspase 3/7 activation analyses were conducted to determine the potentiality of apoptosis resistance function of miR-23a in CRC. Luciferase assay was performed to verify a putative target site of miR-23a in the 3'-UTR of apoptosis protease activating factor 1 (APAF1) mRNA. The expression levels of miR-23a and APAF1 in CRC cell lines (SW480 and SW620) and clinical samples were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot. We found that the inhibition of miR-23a in SW480 and SW620 cell lines resulted in significant reduction of cell viability and promotion of cell apoptosis. Moreover, miR-23a up-regulation was coupled with APAF1 down-regulation in CRC tissue samples. Taken together, miR-23a was identified to regulate apoptosis in CRC. Our study highlights the potential application of miR-23a/APAF1 regulation axis in miRNA-based therapy and prognostication.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caspase 3/metabolism
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