Clostridium difficile toxin B induces apoptosis in intestinal cultured cells

Toxigenic strains of the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile produce at least two large, single-chain protein exotoxins involved in the pathogenesis of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis. Toxin A (CdA) is a cytotoxic enterotoxin, while toxin B (CdB) is a more potent cytotoxin lacking enterotoxic activity. This study dealt with CdB, providing the first evidence that intestinal cells exposed to this toxin exhibit typical features of apoptosis in that a significant proportion of the treated cells displayed nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation. In keeping with ultrastructural data, CdB-treated cells showed the typical flow cytometric hallmark of apoptosis consisting of a distinct sub-G1 peak. The CdB-induced apoptotic response was dose and time dependent and not simply due to the actin-disrupting effect of the toxin or to the subsequent impairment of cell anchorage. Rather, the inhibition of proteins belonging to the Rho family due to CdB seems to play a role in the induction of apoptosis in intestinal cells. The origin of cells and the growth rate may also be cofactors relevant to such a response.     

Disruption of epithelial cell-matrix interactions induces apoptosis

Cell-matrix interactions have major effects upon phenotypic features such as gene regulation, cytoskeletal structure, differentiation, and aspects of cell growth control. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is crucial for maintaining appropriate cell number and tissue organization. It was therefore of interest to determine whether cell-matrix interactions affect apoptosis. The present report demonstrates that apoptosis was induced by disruption of the interactions between normal epithelial cells and extracellular matrix. We have termed this phenomenon "anoikis." Overexpression of bcl-2 protected cells against anoikis. Cellular sensitivity to anoikis was apparently regulated: (a) anoikis did not occur in normal fibroblasts; (b) it was abrogated in epithelial cells by transformation with v-Ha-ras, v-src, or treatment with phorbol ester; (c) sensitivity to anoikis was conferred upon HT1080 cells or v-Ha-ras-transformed MDCK cells by reverse-transformation with adenovirus E1a; (d) anoikis in MDCK cells was alleviated by the motility factor, scatter factor. The results suggest that the circumvention of anoikis accompanies the acquisition of anchorage independence or cell motility.     

Rotavirus infection of cultured intestinal epithelial cells induces secretion of CXC and CC chemokines

The extracellular glycoproteins fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LMN) are ubiquitously expressed in myocardial tissue. These glycoproteins are important for cellular attachment and differentiation of the cardiac myocytes. Utilizing specific antibodies for the detection of FN and LMN, respectively, the distribution of these extracellular proteins was examined in enzymatically isolated adult cardiac myocytes. Immunofluorescence staining of rod-shaped cardiac myocytes revealed only remnants of immunoreactive FN on the cellular surface and in the transverse tubular membrane system. LMN expression, however, was preserved in a raster-like pattern in the cardiac myocytes. In order to study the distribution of these glycoproteins at high resolution, scanning electron microscopy using the backscattered electron mode was combined with immunogold staining and silver-enhancement. In addition, to confirm the immunofluorescence microscopic observations it was shown that FN labelling was restricted to ill-defined extracellular material and that LMN was absent from the intercalated discs of the cardiac myocytes. The hypercontracted cells were characterized by numerous surface protrusions devoid of immunoreactive LMN. Thus, these results indicate that FN and LMN are differently affected by collagenase treatment, and that these changes of glycoprotein expression may influence the normal function of the cardiac myocytes as well as the membrane stability during the development of irreversible cellular lesions.     

Oxygen toxicity induces apoptosis in neuronal cells

1. A high oxygen atmosphere induced apoptosis in cultured neuronal cells including PC12 cells and rat embryonic cortical, hippocampal, and basal forebrain neurons associated with DNA fragmentation and nuclear condensation. 2. The sensitivity of CNS neurons to a high-oxygen atmosphere was the following order; cortex > basal forebrain > hippocampus. 3. Cycloheximide and actinomycin-D inhibited the apoptosis, indicating that it depends on new macromolecular synthesis. In contrast, cultured postnatal CNS neurons were resistant to oxidative stress. 4. Neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) blocked the apoptosis induced by a high-oxygen atmosphere.     

Drosophila grim induces apoptosis in mammalian cells

Genetic studies have shown that grim is a central genetic switch of programmed cell death in Drosophila; however, homologous genes have not been described in other species, nor has its mechanism of action been defined. We show here that grim expression induces apoptosis in mouse fibroblasts. Cell death induced by grim in mammalian cells involves membrane blebbing, cytoplasmic loss and nuclear DNA fragmentation. Grim-induced apoptosis is blocked by both natural and synthetic caspase inhibitors. We found that grim itself shows caspase-dependent proteolytic processing of its C-terminus in vitro. Grim-induced death is antagonized by bcl-2 in a dose-dependent manner, and neither Fas signalling nor p53 are required for grim pro-apoptotic activity. Grim protein localizes both in the cytosol and in the mitochondria of mouse fibroblasts, the latter location becoming predominant as apoptosis progresses. These results show that Drosophila grim induces death in mammalian cells by specifically acting on mitochondrial apoptotic pathways executed by endogenous caspases. These findings advance our knowledge of the mechanism by which grim induces apoptosis and show the conservation through evolution of this crucial programmed cell death pathway.     

Rubella virus induces apoptosis in culture cells

The replication of rubella virus (RUB) in Vero cells, an adherent cell line, results in apoptotic death of infected cells as detected by chromatin fragmentation assays. In infected cultures, virtually all of the cells that had become detached (a hallmark feature of RUB-induced cytopathology) were apoptotic; they were predominantly dead as shown by propidium iodide and trypan blue exclusion tests. In contrast, the majority of the cells in the infected monolayers that remained adherent were alive and contained intact chromatin. Thus simple counting of detached cells in the medium is a convenient way of measuring the extent of RUB-induced apoptosis. RUB-induced cytopathology was inhibited by z-VAD-fmk, an inhibitor of caspases that are involved in the execution stages of apoptosis, confirming the induction of apoptosis by RUB. The lack of apoptotic adherent cells (maximally 1% at any time point through 6 days postinfection) indicates that the induction of apoptosis is asynchronous since cells become uniformly virus antigen-positive by day 2 postinfection. To elucidate whether this asynchronicity and the ability of RUB to persistently infect Vero cells were due to a suppression of apoptosis, we examined whether RUB can suppress chemically induced apoptosis. Staurosporine (ST) was found to be an efficient inducer of apoptosis in Vero cells. ST treatment of RUB-infected and RUB persistently infected cells resulted in a much higher proportion of detached cells, higher even than in Vero cells treated with ST alone. This indicates that RUB does not suppress ST-induced apoptosis and, rather, that ST and RUB acted cumulatively in inducing apoptosis, possibly indicating that they use different induction pathways.     

3,3''-Diindolylmethane induces apoptosis in human cancer cells

Several recent reports presented conflicting data on the action of IL-4 and IL-13 in regulating the release of proinflammatory cytokines by human monocytes. Here we show that the regulation of cytokine release by IL-4 and IL-13 could be either inhibitory or stimulatory in LPS-treated murine peritoneal macrophages. When macrophages were treated with IL-13 or IL-4, between 6 and 24 hr prior to endotoxin challenge, TNF alpha and IL-6 levels were significantly augmented. On the other hand, when the cells were cotreated with LPS plus IL-13 or IL-4, the release of TNF alpha and IL-6 was inhibited. These effects of IL-4 and IL-13 were associated with the modulation of IL-10; pretreatment resulted in a decrease, whereas cotreatment gave rise to a dramatic increase in IL-10 levels. The inhibitory effect of IL-4 and IL-13 on the release of TNF alpha was partially reversed by neutralizing anti-IL10 antibody, and the inhibition of IL-6 release was completely reversed by the antibody. These data suggest that the mechanism of action of IL-13 and IL-4 in modulating macrophage TNF alpha and IL-6 release partially involves IL-10.     

Gliotoxin induces apoptosis in mouse L929 fibroblast cells

The effect of the fungal toxin gliotoxin on the adherence and viability of mouse L929 cultured cells was examined. Gliotoxin at concentrations below 2 microM had no effect on cell function. The initial effect of exposure (6 h) resulted in the loss of cell adherence, with the non-adhered cells retaining viability. However, prolonged exposure (24 h) did not significantly enhance gliotoxin's effect on cell adherence, though the majority of non-adhered cells were found to have died by apoptosis, as confirmed from (i) electron microscopic examination and (ii) agarose gel electrophoresis of isolated DNA. The addition of foetal bovine serum to the culture medium had no effect on gliotoxin's activity. Ethanol (gliotoxin's solvent) had no effect on the assayed cell functions suggesting that the observed effects are due to gliotoxin alone. These results demonstrate for the first time that gliotoxin can cause apoptosis in cells of non-haematopoietic origins.     

Monocrotaline pyrrole induces apoptosis in pulmonary artery endothelial cells

Eosinophilic myocarditis followed by fibrosis of the cardiac muscle was observed in addition to peripheral blood eosinophilia in CBA/J mice infected with Toxocara canis. The infected mice were used as an experimental model of eosinophilic endomyocarditis associated with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Effects of in vivo treatment with MoAbs to adhesion molecules on eosinophilic myocarditis were examined using this experimental model. Expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells of capillaries in myocardium were increased 1 and 2 weeks after infection. Infiltration of very late antigen (VLA)-4+ and/or CD11a+ cells into the cardiac muscles was also observed 1 and 2 weeks after infection. Infiltration of eosinophils into the heart was significantly suppressed by anti-CD18 MoAb and anti-VLA-4 MoAb, and focal fibrosis of the cardiac muscle was also significantly suppressed by combined administration of anti-CD18 and anti-ICAM-1 MoAbs. These results indicate that adhesion molecules may play important roles in eosinophilic myocarditis, and that blockade of interaction between adhesion molecules and their ligands may help to control it.     

Sulfur mustard induces apoptosis and necrosis in endothelial cells

Sulfur Mustard (SM) is a vesicant or blistering chemical warfare agent, for which there still is no effective therapy. Endothelial cells are one of the major cellular targets for SM. The mechanism of endothelial cell death during SM injury is poorly understood. We studied the effect of exposure of endothelial cells to 0-1000 microM SM over the time course of 2-24 hr to determine the role of apoptotic and necrotic patterns of cell death in endothelial injury induced by SM. SM concentrations < or = 250 microM induced exclusively apoptosis which was observed after 5 hr in 30% of endothelial cells. Exposure to SM concentrations > or = 500 microM caused apoptosis and necrosis to the same extent in 60-85% of all cells after 5 to 6 hr. Necrosis was accompanied by a significant (approximately 50%) depletion of intracellular ATP, while in apoptotic cells ATP remained at the level similar to healthy cells. Interestingly, disruption of the long actin filament stress fibers and rounding of cells preceded other features of apoptosis--DNA fragmentation, membrane budding, and apoptotic body formation. In apoptotic cells, microfilaments formed constricted perinuclear bands, which were not observed in necrotic cells. Pretreatment with 50 mM N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a sulfhydryl donor and antioxidant, nearly eliminated the apoptotic features of cell death but did not prevent necrosis in response to SM. NAC pretreatment alone induced reorganization of actin filaments into an enhanced network of long stress fibers instead of a dominant cortical band of actin. NAC pretreatment prevented loss of cell adherence and cell rounding following exposure to 250 microM SM. The effect of NAC on cytoskeletal organization and its ability to eliminate SM-induced apoptosis suggests that actin filament organization may be an important element in cellular susceptibility to apoptotic stimuli.     

Abrogation of c-Raf expression induces apoptosis in tumor cells

Signal transduction pathways involving the c-Raf protein kinase are frequently activated in tumor cells. We have addressed the relevance of this activation by a loss-of-function approach. An anti-sense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide (ODN) specifically targeted against c-raf mRNA (Monia et al., 1996a) was used to block c-Raf protein expression in four different cell lines derived from lung, cervical, prostate and colon carcinomas. Concomitant with the abrogation of c-Raf expression we observed the occurrence of classical apoptotic markers, including chromatin condensation, inter-nucleosomal DNA cleavage, annexin V binding and cleavage of PARP, which was followed by cell death, affecting most of the cell population. This induction of apoptosis occurred independent of the p53 status of the cell. These findings demonstrate that c-Raf can protect tumor cells from undergoing programmed cell death, and suggest that the interference with c-Raf expression or function by ODNs or specific drugs could represent a powerful means for improving the efficacy of anti-cancer therapy.     

5-Azacytidine induces toxicity in PC12 cells by apoptosis

5-Azacytidine (5 Az)is a potent inhibitor of DNA methylation, and it may allow inactive genes to become expressed. In a previous study, we demonstrated that 5 Az administered to the dam induced apoptosis in the brains of fetal mice. In this study, the 5 Az-induced apoptosis was further characterized in differentiated PC 12 cells as a model for neuronal apoptosis. Cell death, determined by the activity of released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) into the medium, occurred from 24 to 48 hrs after 5 Az treatment. Toxicity for differentiated PC 12 cells was observed on treatment with more than 10(-1) micrograms/ml of 5 Az, and it reached the maximal level at 10 micrograms/ml. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, prevented 5 Az toxicity, suggesting that this cell death required protein synthesis which could be related to the activation of a dormant gene(s). Electrophoresis of DNA from 5 Az-treated cells evoked ladder formation, indicating the cleavage of DNA into nucleosomes. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated bleb formation, the so-called apoptotic bodies on the cell surface. The biochemical and morphological findings indicated that 5 Az-induced cell death occurred in the form of apoptosis. 5 Az-induced cell death was prevented by treatment with cAMP but not by treatment with high K+ or deoxycytidine. These results suggest that a cAMP-sensitive mechanism is involved in 5 Az-induced cell death. PC 12 cells should be of value in elucidating the molecular mechanism of 5 Az-induced neuronal apoptosis.     

The endocytosis of transferrin by rat intestinal epithelial cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The transferrin receptor is a prominent protein on the basal and lateral membranes of intestinal epithelial cells, yet little is known of the function of the receptor in the intestine. The aim of the present study was to determine whether intestinal transferrin receptors were capable of facilitating transferrin internalization. METHODS: Using the rat as an experimental model, the uptake of radiolabeled transferrin by cells isolated from different regions along the crypt-villus axis of the proximal small intestine was studied. RESULTS: An intestinal epithelial cell fraction highly enriched in crypt cells bound most radiolabeled transferrin. Cells in this fraction were able to internalize transferrin and recycle it back to the cell surface. A high affinity, saturable pathway of transferrin uptake by these cells predominated at transferrin concentrations below 0.3 mumol/L, whereas at higher concentrations, most uptake was via a nonsaturable process. Intravenously injected radiolabeled transferrin could be detected within intestinal crypt cells, indicating that these cells are able to internalize transferrin in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that intestinal crypt cells have an active transferrin/transferrin receptor system. Transferrin may play an important role in iron delivery to and/or as a growth factor for the rapidly proliferating intestinal epithelium.     

Apoptosis of human intestinal epithelial cells after bacterial invasion

Epithelial cells that line the human intestinal mucosa are the initial site of host invasion by bacterial pathogens. The studies herein define apoptosis as a new category of intestinal epithelial cell response to bacterial infection. Human colon epithelial cells are shown to undergo apoptosis following infection with invasive enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella or enteroinvasive Escherichia coli. In contrast to the rapid onset of apoptosis seen after bacterial infection of mouse monocyte-macrophage cell lines, the commitment of human intestinal epithelial cell lines to undergo apoptosis is delayed for at least 6 h after bacterial infection, requires bacterial entry and replication, and the ensuing phenotypic expression of apoptosis is delayed for 12-18 h after bacterial entry. TNF-alpha and nitric oxide, which are produced as components of the intestinal epithelial cell proinflammatory program in the early period after bacterial invasion, play an important role in the later induction and regulation of the epithelial cell apoptotic program. Apoptosis in response to bacterial infection may function to delete infected and damaged epithelial cells and restore epithelial cell growth regulation and epithelial integrity that are altered during the course of enteric infection. The delay in onset of epithelial cell apoptosis after bacterial infection may be important both to the host and the invading pathogen since it provides sufficient time for epithelial cells to generate signals important for the activation of mucosal inflammation and concurrently allows invading bacteria time to adapt to the intracellular environment before invading deeper mucosal layers.     

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces apoptosis of human adipose cells

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by adipocytes is elevated in obesity, as shown by increased adipose tissue TNF-alpha mRNA and protein levels and by increased circulating concentrations of the cytokine. Furthermore, TNF-alpha has distinct effects on adipose tissue including induction of insulin resistance, induction of leptin production, stimulation of lipolysis, suppression of lipogenesis, induction of adipocyte dedifferentiation, and impairment of preadipocyte differentiation in vitro. Taken together, these effects all tend to decrease adipocyte volume and number and suggest a role for TNF-alpha in limiting increase in fat mass. The aim of the present study was to determine if TNF-alpha could induce apoptosis in human adipose cells, hence delineating another mechanism by which the cytokine could act to limit the development of, or extent of, obesity. Cultured human preadipocytes and mature adipocytes in explant cultures were exposed in vitro to human TNF-alpha at varying concentrations for up to 24 h. Apoptosis was assessed using morphological (histology, nuclear morphology following acridine orange staining, electron microscopy) and biochemical (demonstration of internucleosomal DNA cleavage by gel electrophoresis and of annexin V staining using immunocytochemistry) criteria. In control cultures, apoptotic indexes were between 0 and 2.3% in all experiments. In the experimental systems, TNF-alpha induced apoptosis in both preadipocytes and adipocytes, with indexes between 5 and 25%. Therefore, TNF-alpha induces apoptosis of human preadipocytes and adipocytes in vitro. In view of the major metabolic role of TNF-alpha in human adipose tissue, and the knowledge that adipose tissue is dynamic (with cell acquisition via preadipocyte replication/differentiation and cell loss via apoptosis), these findings describe a further mechanism whereby adipose tissue mass may be modified by TNF-alpha.