Involvement of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase in cardiotoxin III-induced apoptosis of K562 cells.

Abstract	Cardiotoxin III (CTX III), a 60-amino acid basic polypeptide isolated from Naja venom, showed potential therapeutic activity toward cancer cells. Here we report that CTX III inhibited proliferation of human leukemia K562 cells by G2/M phase arresting and apoptosis which was associated with the activation of caspase-8 and cytochrome c release as well as the p38 and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) phosphorylation signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that daily administration of CTX III for 2 d to chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) bearing tumours derived from the CAM at E10 administration of K562 cells resulted in inhibition of the tumours in vivo. Importantly, this in vivo inhibition was also associated with caspase-8 activation and cytochrome c release. Our results suggest that CTX III-induced apoptosis is mediated via the p38 and JNK pathway as well as the caspase-8-dependent Bid-Bax pathway in human K562 cells.
Authors	Xing-Yong Chen, Hua-Xin Yang, Shou-Fang Qu, Jing Liu, Ping Lv, Jia-Ping Xu, Kang-Sen Xu
Journal	Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (Biol Pharm Bull) Vol. 32 Issue 4 Pg. 583-8 (Apr 2009) ISSN: 0918-6158 [Print] Japan
PMID	19336888 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
Chemical References	Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins Elapid Venoms cardiotoxin III, Naja naja atra Cytochromes c JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Caspase 8
Topics	Animals Apoptosis (drug effects) Blotting, Western Caspase 8 (physiology) Cell Cycle (drug effects) Cell Proliferation (drug effects) Chick Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane (cytology) Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins (pharmacology) Cytochromes c (metabolism) Elapid Venoms (pharmacology) Humans JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (physiology) K562 Cells Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 (physiology) Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 (physiology) Signal Transduction (drug effects) Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (physiology)

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