The roles of thymidylate synthase and p53 in regulating Fas-mediated apoptosis in response to antimetabolites

Fas (CD95/Apo-1) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family. Receptor binding results in activation of caspase 8, leading to activation of proapoptotic downstream molecules. We found that expression of Fas was up-regulated >10-fold in MCF-7 breast and HCT116 and RKO colon cancer cell lines after treatment with IC(60) doses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and raltitrexed (RTX). Combined treatment with the agonistic Fas antibody CH-11 and either 5-FU or RTX resulted in a highly synergistic induction of apoptosis in these cell lines. Similar results were obtained for another antifolate, Alimta. Induction of thymidylate synthase expression inhibited Fas induction in response to RTX and Alimta, but not in response to 5-FU. Furthermore, thymidylate synthase induction abrogated the synergy between CH-11 and both antifolates but had no effect on the synergistic interaction between 5-FU and CH-11. Inactivation of p53 in MCF-7 and HCT116 cell lines blocked 5-FU- and antifolate-mediated up-regulation of Fas. Furthermore, Fas was not up-regulated in response to 5-FU or antifolates in the p53-mutant H630 colon cancer cell line. Lack of Fas up-regulation in the p53-null and -mutant lines abolished the synergistic interaction between 5-FU and CH-11. Interestingly, synergy was still observed between the antifolates and CH-11 in the p53-null HCT116 and p53-mutant H630 cell lines, although this was significantly reduced compared with the p53 wild-type cell lines. Our results indicate that Fas is an important mediator of apoptosis in response to both 5-FU and antifolates.

Effect of p53 Status and STAT1 on Chemotherapy-Induced, Fas-Mediated Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer

We investigated the role of p53 and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in regulating Fas-mediated apoptosis in response to chemotherapies used to treat colorectal cancer. We found that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin only sensitized p53 wild-type (WT) colorectal cancer cell lines to Fas-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, irinotecan (CPT-11) and tomudex sensitized p53 WT, mutant, and null cells to Fas-mediated cell death. Furthermore, CPT-11 and tomudex, but not 5-FU or oxaliplatin, up-regulated Fas cell surface expression in a p53-independent manner. In addition, increased Fas cell surface expression in p53 mutant and null cell lines in response to CPT-11 and tomudex was accompanied by only a slight increase in total Fas mRNA and protein expression, suggesting that these agents trigger p53-independent trafficking of Fas to the plasma membrane. Treatment with CPT-11 or tomudex induced STAT1 phosphorylation (Ser727) in the p53-null HCT116 cell line but not the p53 WT cell line. Furthermore, STAT1-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited up-regulation of Fas cell surface expression in response to CPT-11 and tomudex in these cells. However, we found no evidence of altered Fas gene expression following siRNA-mediated down-regulation of STAT1 in drug-treated cells. This suggests that STAT1 regulates expression of gene(s) involved in cell surface trafficking of Fas in response to CPT-11 or tomudex. We conclude that CPT-11 and tomudex may be more effective than 5-FU and oxaliplatin in the treatment of p53 mutant colorectal cancer tumors by sensitizing them to Fas-mediated apoptosis in a STAT1-dependent manner.

Reduced sperm yield from testicular biopsies of vasectomized men is due to increased apoptosis

Objective: To compare sperm yields, apoptotic indices, and sperm DNA fragmentation from vasectomized men and fertile men undergoing vasectomy.

Design: Testicular biopsies from vasectomized (n 26) and fertile men (n 46), were milked to calculate sperm/gram and also formalin-?xed to determine the numbers of developing sperm and incidence and intensities of testicular FasL, Fas, Bax, and Bcl-2. Testicular sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed using the alkaline Comet assay.

Setting: An ART unit.

Patient(s): Twenty-six men attending for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and 46 men attending for vasectomies.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Spermatocyte, spermatid and sperm yields, Fas, FasL, and Bax staining.

Result(s): Sperm yields from men vasectomized 5 years previously were markedly reduced compared to fertile men. Increased intensities of FasL and Bax staining were observed in the seminiferous tubules of vasectomy men. FasL positivity (percentage) also increased in Sertoli cells, and both FasL and Fas positivity (percentage) increased in primary spermatocytes and round spermatids of vasectomized men. Sperm DNA fragmentation, an end point marker of apoptosis, increased signi?cantly in vasectomized men compared to fertile men.

Conclusion(s): Reduced sperm yields after vasectomy are associated with increased apoptosis through the Fas–FasL and Bax pathways. Sperm after vasectomy displayed increased DNA fragmentation. (Fertil Steril 2007;87:834–41. ©2007 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

Cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein regulates chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells

Combination treatment regimens that include topoisomerase-II-targeted drugs, such as doxorubicin, are widely used in the treatment of breast cancer. Previously, we demonstrated that IFN-� and doxorubicin co-treatment synergistically induced apoptosis in MDA435 breast cancer cells in a STAT1-dependent manner. In this study, we found that this synergy was caspase 8-dependent. In addition, we found that IFN-γ down-regulated the expression of the caspase 8 inhibitor c-FLIP. Furthermore, IFN-� down-regulated c-FLIP in a manner that was dependent on the transcription factors STAT1 and IRF1. However, IFN-� had no effect on c-FLIP mRNA levels, indicating that c-FLIP was down-regulated at a post-transcriptional level following IFN-� treatment. Characterisation of the functional significance of c-FLIP modulation by siRNA gene silencing and stable over-expression studies, revealed it to be a key regulator of IFN-γ- and doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in MDA435 cells. Analysis of a panel of breast cancer cell lines indicated that c-FLIP was an important general determinant of doxorubicin- and IFN-�-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, c-FLIP gene silencing sensitised MDA435 cells to other chemotherapies, including etoposide, mitoxantrone and SN-38. These results suggest that c-FLIP plays a pivotal role in modulating drug-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

CDK11(p58) protein kinase activity is associated with Bcl-2 down-regulation in pro-apoptosis pathway.

CDK11(p58), a G2/M-specific protein kinase, has been shown to be associated with apoptosis in many cell lines, with largely unknown mechanisms. Our previous study proved that CDK11(p58)-enhanced cycloheximide (CHX)-induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 hepatocarcinoma cells. Here we report for the first time that ectopic expression of CDK11(p58) down-regulates Bcl-2 expression and its Ser70, Ser87 phosphorylation in CHX-induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells. Overexpression of Bcl-2 counteracts the pro-apoptotic activity of CDK11(p58). Furthermore, we confirm that the kinase activity of CDK11(p58) is essential to the down-regulation of Bcl-2 as well as apoptosis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CDK11(p58) down-regulates Bcl-2 in pro-apoptosis pathway depending on its kinase activity, which elicits survival signal in hepatocarcinoma cells.