Role of caspase-3 in apoptosis of colon cancer cells induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

• Published in: International journal of colorectal disease 2000-04, Vol.15 (2), p.105-111
• Main Authors: WON HO KIM, YEO, M, MYUNG SOO KIM, SANG BAE CHUN, EIU CHEOL SHIN, JEON HAN PARK, IN SUH PARK
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Caspase 3; Caspases - drug effects; Caspases - genetics; Caspases - metabolism; Colorectal cancer; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Enzyme Precursors - drug effects; Enzyme Precursors - genetics; Enzyme Precursors - metabolism; Enzymes; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects; HT29 Cells - drug effects; HT29 Cells - enzymology; HT29 Cells - pathology; Humans; Indomethacin - pharmacology; Medical sciences; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Oligopeptides - pharmacology; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Transcription, Genetic - drug effects; Tumors
• ISSN: 0179-1958; 1432-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s003840050242

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the incidence of and mortality from colon cancer. In addition, NSAIDs reduce the number and the size of polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The mechanisms responsible for the antineoplastic effect of NSAIDs are not yet completely understood, but one of the possible mechanisms is an induction of apoptosis. We explored the role of caspase-3, a major apoptosis-executing enzyme, in NSAID-induced apoptosis of colon cancer cell line HT-29. Treatment of HT-29 cells with indomethacin induced a dramatic increase in caspase-3-like protease activity measured by a cleavage of the fluorogenic substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC. Western blot analysis showed that indomethacin treatment led both to decrease in procaspase-3 and to cleavage of its substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Furthermore, the caspase-3-like protease inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO attenuated indomethacin-induced DNA fragmentation dose dependently. However, mRNA expression of CASP genes was not affected by the addition of indomethacin, highlighting the importance of posttranslational modification of this enzyme for the activation. These results suggest that NSAIDs, including indomethacin, induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells through a caspase-3 dependent mechanism which may contribute to the chemopreventive functions of these agents.