OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Maixinkang Capsule (MXK) on Ca2t concentration and mitochondrial membrane potential in liver cells of ApoE(-/-) mice.

METHODSLiver cells from ApoE(-/-) mice were separated using collagenase digestive method. After the primary cells were cultured for 8 days in vitro, the concentration of 10% MXK contained rat's serum was added into the culture fluid. The Ca2+ concentration and mitochondrial membrane potential in liver cells after 48-hr culture were measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy with Flou-3 and Jc-1 as probes.

RESULTSMXK could decrease Ca2+ concentration in liver cells, which was significantly different to that in the control group (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, MXK could significantly improve mitochondrial membrane potential in liver cells (P < 0.01). There was no obvious dose-effect relationship shown in both effects of MXK.

CONCLUSIONMXK can decrease Ca2+ concentration and improve the mitochondrial membrane potential in liver cells of ApoE(-/-) mice so as to regulate the lipids and prevent the occurrence and development of hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Calcium Channels ; drug effects ; Hepatocytes ; physiology ; Membrane Potentials ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; physiology

This study inquired into the mechanisms of co-immobilized cytokines and free cytokines-induced apoptosis on HeLa cells. With the use of photochemical fixed method, TNF-alpha/IFN-gamma were co-immobilized on a 24-well polystyrene culture plate. HeLa cells were stained with fluorescent probe JC-1 to detect the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential (deltapsim), and then were examined by flow cytometry. The results showed that co-immobilized cytokines could induce the apoptosis of HeLa cells in a dose-independent manner. When treated with low-dose of co-immobilized cytokines (20ng/ml), the mitochondrial membrane potential (deltapsim) of HeLa cells continually decreased in 6 days. These indicate that low dose co-immobilized cytokines have a long-term of apoptosis-inducing effect on HeLa cells. We assume that there is close relationship between the mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and the apoptosis of HeLa cells.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Immobilized Proteins ; pharmacology ; Interferon-gamma ; pharmacology ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; drug effects ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of resveratrol on the proliferation, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell morphology of human liver cancer cell line HepG2.

METHODSThe changes in HepG2 cell growth and proliferation in response to resveratrol treatment were evaluated by MTT assay, and resveratrol-induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells was investigated by flow cytometry. Inverted microscope and electron microscope were employed for observing morphological changes of the treated cells. The whole-cell mitochondrial membrane potential was measured in separate experiments using two fluorimetric probes, rhodamine123 and TMRE, respectively. HepG2 cells treated with rhodamine123 were analyzed by flow cytometry and cells treated with TMRE by confocal microscope.

RESULTSMTT assay showed that low concentrations of resveratrol produced no significant effect on the growth of HepG2 cells, whereas at high concentrations, resveratrol could obviously inhibit the cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol also induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells, and after a 24-hour treatment, resveratrol caused sharp increment of the mitochondria membrane potential.

CONCLUSIONResveratrol is capable of inhibiting the proliferation of HepG2 cells and inducing cell apoptosis by depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the intervention effect and the possibly mechanism of the glutamine (Gln) on the opening change of the permeability transition pore (PTP) in the myocardial mitochondrial membrane under the overtraining state.

METHODS30 SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10): control group (CG group), overtraining group (OG group) and supplementary (Gln) + overtraining group group). Spectrophotometry was used to test the openness of the permeability transition pore in the myocardial mitochondrial membrane. Electrochemistry was used to test the malondialdehyde (MDA) and the glutathione (GSH) content and the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity.

RESULTSOG group compared with the GOG group, the absorbance (A0) and the absorbance change (Delta A) were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Rh123 fluorescence (F0) intensity was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Rhodamine123 (Rh123) fluorescence change (delta F) was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the GOG, the mitochondrial GSH was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), the PLA2 activity and the content of MDA were significantly increased (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONOvertraining could lead to opening increase of permeability transition pore in the myocardial mitochondrial membrane, after overtraining, the production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and PLA2 activity were increased, GSH content was decreased. But added exogenous Gln had a significant intervention effect for these changes.

Animals ; Glutamine ; pharmacology ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; drug effects ; physiology ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; metabolism ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Permeability ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Cardiotoxin III (CTX III), a basic polypeptide with 60 amino acid residues isolated from Naja naja atra venom, has been reported to have anticancer activity. CTX III-induced K562 cell apoptosis was confirmed by DNA fragmentation (DNA ladder, sub-G1 formation) and phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization with an IC50 value of 1.7 mug/ml at 48 h. A mechanistic analysis demonstrated that CTX III-induced apoptotic cell death was accompanied by up-regulation of both Bax and endonuclease G (Endo G), and downregulation of Bcl-X(L). CTX III had no effect on the levels of Bcl-2, Bid, XIAP survivin, and AIF proteins. CTX III treatment caused loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi m), release of mitochondrial cytochrome c to the cytosol, and activation of both caspase-9 and -3. CTX III-induced apoptosis was significantly blocked by the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK. However, CTX III did not generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, including N-acetylcysteine and catalase, did not block CTX III-induced apoptosis in K562 cells. Modulation of Bax, Bcl-X(L), and the Endo G proteins, release of mitochondrial cytochome c, and activation of caspase-3 and -9 all are involved in the CTX III-triggered apoptotic process in human leukemia K562 cells.
bcl-X Protein/*metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/*metabolism ; Up-Regulation/drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism ; Mitochondrial Membranes/drug effects ; Membrane Potentials/drug effects ; K562 Cells ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins/metabolism ; Humans ; Endodeoxyribonucleases/*metabolism ; Down-Regulation/drug effects ; Direct Lytic Factors/*pharmacology ; Cytochromes c/metabolism ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects ; Caspases/metabolism ; Apoptosis/*drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of deltamethrin (DM) on the permeability of mitochondrial membrane and the expression of cytochrome C in brain tissue of rats.

METHODSWistar rats were randomizedly divided into five groups (including four treated groups and one control group). In the treated groups, DM of 12.5 mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally once in rats and the rats were sacrificed 5, 24, 48 and 72 hours later while in the control group, the salad oil of 5 mg/kg was administered intraperitoneally once. The mitochondria in brain tissue of rats were extracted to measure the membrane permeability and the activity of cytochrome C oxidase as well as the expression of cytochrome C in cortex and hippocampus.

RESULTSAfter the treatment the permeability of mitochondrial membrane was significantly increased in the treated groups compared with the control group. The expression of cytochrome C was increased in cortex and hippocampus CA1 and CA2 5 h, 24 h and 48 h groups and CA4 24 h group (0.57 +/- 0.04, 0.67 +/- 0.09, 0.58 +/- 0.04) and (0.81 +/- 0.18) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) while there was no significant difference in the expression of cytochrome C in cortex and hippocampus CA2 72 h group and CA3 and CA4 5 h, 48 h and 72 h groups between the treated groups and the control group (P > 0.05). The activity of cytochrome C oxidase was inhibited (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDeltamethrin can significantly increase the permeability of mitochondrial membrane and the expression of cytochrome C in brain tissue of rats.

Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Cytochromes c ; biosynthesis ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nitriles ; pharmacology ; Permeability ; drug effects ; Pyrethrins ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of water extract of Zuojin Pill ([characters: see text], ZJP) on inhibiting the growth of human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 and its potential mechanism.

METHODSEffects of ZJP on SGC-7901 cells growth were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, cell apoptosis and cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry, and apoptosis induction was detected by means of DNA gel electrophoresis. The cellular mechanism of drug-induced cell death was unraveled by assaying oxidative injury level of SGC-7901 cell, mitochondrial membrane potentials, expression of apoptosis-related genes, such as B cell lymphoma/lewkmia-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9.

RESULTSZJP exerted evident inhibitory effect on SGC-7901 cells by activating production of reactive oxygen species and elevating Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in SGC-7901 cells, leading to attenuation of mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA fragmentation.

CONCLUSIONSZJP inhibits the cancer cell growth via activating mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway. ZJP can potentially serve as an antitumor agent.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Colorimetry ; Comet Assay ; DNA Fragmentation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

A vast portion of human disease results when the process of apoptosis is defective. Disorders resulting from inappropriate cell death range from autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions to heart disease. Conversely, prevention of apoptosis is the hallmark of cancer and confounds the efficacy of cancer therapeutics. In the search for optimal targets that would enable the control of apoptosis, members of the BCL-2 family of anti- and pro-apoptotic factors have figured prominently. Development of BCL-2 antisense approaches, small molecules, and BH3 peptidomimetics has met with both success and failure. Success-because BCL-2 proteins play essential roles in apoptosis. Failure-because single targets for drug development have limited scope. By examining the activity of the BCL-2 proteins in relation to the mitochondrial landscape and drawing attention to the significant mitochondrial membrane alterations that ensue during apoptosis, we demonstrate the need for a broader based multi-disciplinary approach for the design of novel apoptosis-modulating compounds in the treatment of human disease.
Apoptosis/*drug effects/physiology ; BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein/physiology ; Drug Design ; Genes, bcl-2 ; Humans ; Mitochondria/physiology/ultrastructure ; Mitochondrial Membranes/*metabolism/physiology ; Multigene Family ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/*antagonists & inhibitors ; Signal Transduction

Apoptosis/*drug effects/physiology ; BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein/physiology ; Drug Design ; Genes, bcl-2 ; Humans ; Mitochondria/physiology/ultrastructure ; Mitochondrial Membranes/*metabolism/physiology ; Multigene Family ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/*antagonists & inhibitors ; Signal Transduction