Resveratrol triggers the ER stress-mediated intrinsic apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells coupled with suppression of Rho-dependent migration and consequently prolongs mouse survival

Neuroblastoma, the most common childhood tumor, are highly malignant and fatal because neuroblastoma cells extremely defend against apoptotic targeting. Traditional treatments for neuroblastomas are usually ineffective and lead to serious side effects and poor prognoses. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of resveratrol-induced insults to neuroblastoma cells and survival extension of nude mice with neuroblastomas, especially in the endoplasmic reticular (ER) stress-intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS) axis-mediated signals. Resveratrol specifically killed neuroblastoma cells mainly via apoptosis and autophagy rather than necrosis. As to the mechanisms, resveratrol time-dependently triggered productions of Grp78 protein and iROS in neuroblastoma cells. Attenuating the ER stress-iROS signaling axis significantly suppressed resveratrol-induced autophagy, DNA damage, and cell apoptosis. Successively, resveratrol decreased phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein and induced cell cycle arrest at the S phase, translocation of Bak protein to mitochondria, a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential, cascade activation of caspases-9, -3, and -6, and DNA fragmentation. Moreover, weakening the ER stress-iROS axis concomitantly overcome resveratrol-induced decreases in translocation of Rho protein to membranes and succeeding cell migration. Interestingly, administration of resveratrol did not cause significant side effects but could protect the neuroblastoma-bearing nude mice from body weight loss and consequently extended the animal survival. In parallel, resveratrol elevated levels of Grp78 and then induced cell apoptosis in neuroblastoma tissues. This study has shown that resveratrol could kill neuroblastoma cells and extend survival of animals with neuroblastomas by triggering the ER stress-iROS-involved intrinsic apoptosis and suppression of Rho-dependent cell migration. Our results imply the potential of resveratrol as a drug candidate for chemotherapy of neuroblastoma patients.

Dissociation of mitochondrial from sarcoplasmic reticular stress in Drosophila cardiomyopathy induced by molecularly distinct mitochondrial fusion defects

Mitochondrial dynamism (fusion and fission) is responsible for remodeling interconnected mitochondrial networks in some cell types. Adult cardiac myocytes lack mitochondrial networks, and their mitochondria are inherently "fragmented". Mitochondrial fusion/fission is so infrequent in cardiomyocytes as to not be observable under normal conditions, suggesting that mitochondrial dynamism may be dispensable in this cell type. However, we previously observed that cardiomyocyte-specific genetic suppression of mitochondrial fusion factors optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and mitofusin/MARF evokes cardiomyopathy in Drosophila hearts. We posited that fusion-mediated remodeling of mitochondria may be critical for cardiac homeostasis, although never directly observed. Alternately, we considered that inner membrane Opa1 and outer membrane mitofusin/MARF might have other as-yet poorly described roles that affect mitochondrial and cardiac function. Here we compared heart tube function in three models of mitochondrial fragmentation in Drosophila cardiomyocytes: Drp1 expression, Opa1 RNAi, and mitofusin MARF RNA1. Mitochondrial fragmentation evoked by enhanced Drp1-mediated fission did not adversely impact heart tube function. In contrast, RNAi-mediated suppression of either Opa1 or mitofusin/MARF induced cardiac dysfunction associated with mitochondrial depolarization and ROS production. Inhibiting ROS by overexpressing superoxide dismutase (SOD) or suppressing ROMO1 prevented mitochondrial and heart tube dysfunction provoked by Opa1 RNAi, but not by mitofusin/MARF RNAi. In contrast, enhancing the ability of endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum to handle stress by expressing Xbp1 rescued the cardiomyopathy of mitofusin/MARF insufficiency without improving that caused by Opa1 deficiency. We conclude that decreased mitochondrial size is not inherently detrimental to cardiomyocytes. Rather, preservation of mitochondrial function by Opa1 located on the inner mitochondrial membrane, and prevention of ER stress by mitofusin/MARF located on the outer mitochondrial membrane, are central functions of these "mitochondrial fusion proteins".

Low nanomolar thapsigargin inhibits the replication of vascular smooth muscle cells through reversible endoplasmic reticular stress

Thapsigargin (TG), an inhibitor of Ca(2+) ATPase pumps in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), inhibits replication of human vascular smooth muscle cell (hVSMC) at low nM concentrations. TG blocks replication of other cell types through promotion of ER stress (ERS). In order to determine whether ERS may mediate the cytostatic effect of TG in hVSMCs, the effect of TG on ERS in hVSMCs was studied by assessing markers of ERS: Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain Binding Protein (BiP), growth inhibitory transcription factor, GADD153, phosphorlylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (p-eIF2α) and phosphorlylated protein kinase R (p-PKR). hVSMCs derived from saphenous veins were rendered quiescent with serum-free medium for 96 h incubated with 10 nM TG at 37 °C for 24 h, then washed free of TG and incubated with 10% foetal calf serum (FCS) for a further 24 h. At selected times, BiP, GADD153, p-eIF2α, p-PKR and cyclin D1 expression was assessed. TG promoted a marked increase in BiP and GADD153, but suppressed cyclin D1 mRNA and protein expression. Under serum-free conditions p-eIF2α and p-PKR expression was not enhanced by TG. 15-24 h After removal of TG all these factors returned to levels seen in control cells. These data demonstrate that the inhibitory effect of 10nM TG on hVSMC replication is mediated through induction of ERS and associated factors that cessate replication and is reversible. These observations have implications in the aetiology and treatment of diseases that include atherogenesis, vein graft failure and restenosis.