cytochrome-c-t and allicin

Allicin, a major component of garlic, is regarded as a cardioprotective agent and is associated with increased endothelial function.. The effects of allicin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced vascular oxidative stress and inflammation in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the mechanisms underlying these effects were studied. The protective effects were measured using cell viability, a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and cell apoptosis as indicators, and the anti-oxidative activity was determined by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, oxidative products and endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities. HUVEC mitochondrial function was assessed by determining mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, cytochrome c production and mitochondrial ATP release. To investigate the potential underlying mechanisms, we also measured the expression of dynamic mitochondrial proteins using western blotting. Furthermore, we evaluated the Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathway using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. Our results demonstrated that allicin enhanced HUVEC proliferation, which was suppressed by LPS exposure, and LDH release. Allicin ameliorated LPS-induced apoptosis, suppressed ROS overproduction, reduced lipid peroxidation and decreased the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities in HUVECs. These protective effects were associated with the inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction as indicated by decreases in the MMP collapse, cytochrome c synthesis and mitochondrial ATP release. In addition, allicin attenuated the LPS-induced inflammatory responses, including endothelial cell adhesion and TNF-α and IL-8 production. Furthermore, allicin increased the expression of LXRα in a dose-dependent manner. Allicin-induced attenuation of inflammation was inhibited by LXRα siRNA treatment. Finally, allicin activated NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which controls the defense against oxidative stress and inflammation.. Taken together, the present data suggest that allicin attenuated the LPS-induced vascular injury process, which may be closely related to the oxidative stress and inflammatory response in HUVECs. Allicin modulated Nrf2 activation and protected the cells against LPS-induced vascular injury. Our findings suggest that allicin attenuated the LPS-induced inflammatory response in blood vessels.

Topics: Apoptosis; Cell Adhesion; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-8; Lipid Peroxidation; Lipopolysaccharides; Liver X Receptors; Malondialdehyde; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Neutrophils; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species; RNA Interference; Sulfinic Acids; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Cisplatin is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug that is commonly used in the clinic. Ototoxicity is one of the major side effects of this drug, which caused irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. Allicin, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, has been shown to exert various anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative activities in vitro and in vivo studies. We took advantage of C57 mice intraperitoneally injected with cisplatin alone or with cisplatin and allicin combined, to investigate whether allicin plays a protective role in vivo against cisplatin ototoxicity. The result showed that C57 mice in cisplatin group exhibited increased shift in auditory brainstem response, whereas the auditory fuction of mice in allicin + cisplatin group was protected in most frequencies, which was accordance with observed damages of outer hair cells (OHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the cochlea. Allicin markedly protected SGN mitochondria from damage and releasing cytochrome c, and significantly reduced pro-apoptosis factor expressions activated by cisplatin, including Bax, cleaved-caspase-9, cleaved-caspase-3and p53. Furthermore, allicin reduced the level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), but increased the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD). All data suggested that allicin could prevent hearing loss induced by cisplatin effectively, of which allicin protected SGNs from apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway while protected OHCs and supporting cells (SCs) from apoptosis through p53 pathway.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Cell Survival; Cisplatin; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; Hair Cells, Auditory; Hearing Loss; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitochondria; Neuroprotective Agents; Oxidative Stress; Random Allocation; Spiral Ganglion; Sulfinic Acids; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Here, we investigate the apoptotic effect of allicin, the predominant component of freshly crushed garlic, on neuroblastoma cells. In this paper, the authors have first assessed the effect of allicin on human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells and then investigated the underlying mechanism. The results indicate that allicin suppresses SK-N-SH cell growth in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner and that 5 μmol/l of allicin leads to a significant increase in apoptotic rate with annexin-V/PI double staining. Western blot analysis shows that treatment with allicin-induced apoptosis through activation of caspases-3 and 9. Phosphorylation of p38 MAPK contributes to allicin-induced apoptosis upstream of caspase activation. Using p38 MAPK inhibitor, the authors discovered that p38 MAPK activation subsequently induces the release of cytochrome-c from mitochondria into the cytosol. Taken together, the results demonstrate that allicin can activate the p38 MAPK pathway, which leads to mitochondrial release of cytochrome-c, thus inducing SK-N-SH cell apoptosis. Overall, this study suggests that allicin may be used as one of the novel pharmacological treatment strategies in neuroblastoma.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Caspase 3; Caspase 9; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; Enzyme Activation; Humans; Mitochondria; Neuroblastoma; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms; Sulfinic Acids

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder, and PD related neuronal injury is associated with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Allicin, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, has been shown to exert various anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic activities in in vitro and in vivo studies.. The present study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of allicin in an in vitro PD model induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in PC12 cells. The protective effects were measured by cell viability, decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and flow cytometry, and the anti-oxidative activity was determined by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation and the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities. Mitochondrial function in PC12 cells was detected by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, cytochrome c release, mitochondrial ATP synthesis, and the mitochondrial Ca(2+) buffering capacity. To investigate the potential mechanism, we also measured the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis factors, mitochondrial morphological dynamic changes, as well as detected mitochondrial dynamic proteins by western blot.. We found that allicin treatment significant increased cell viability, and decreased LDH release and apoptotic cell death after 6-OHDA exposure. Allicin also inhibited ROS generation, reduced lipid peroxidation and preserved the endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities. These protective effects were associated with suppressed mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by decreased MMP collapse and cytochrome c release, preserved mitochondrial ATP synthesis, and the promotion of mitochondrial Ca(2+) buffering capacity. In addition, allicin significantly enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis and prevented fragmentation of mitochondrial network after 6-OHDA treatment. The results of western blot analysis showed that the 6-OHDA induced decrease in the expression of optic atrophy type 1 (Opa-1), increase in mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis-1) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp-1) were all partially revised by allicin.. In summary, our data strongly suggested that allicin treatment can exert protective effects against PD related neuronal injury through inhibiting oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction with dynamic changes.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Adrenergic Agents; Animals; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Calcium; Cell Survival; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; Dynamins; Gene Expression; GTP Phosphohydrolases; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Lipid Peroxidation; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Mitochondrial Proteins; Neuroprotective Agents; Oxidative Stress; Oxidopamine; PC12 Cells; Rats; Reactive Oxygen Species; Sulfinic Acids

Allicin is an active compound derived from garlic that has been shown to have antitumor properties in vitro. The current study was designed to explore the effects and the underlying mechanism of allicin on gastric cancer cells. The MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy, Rh123 and propidium iodide staining, annexin V/FITC assay and the mitochondrial membrane potential were used to assess for the presence of apoptosis. Immunocytochemistry, western blot analysis, and Q-RT-PCR were used to detect gene expression. We found that allicin reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner, partly through induction of apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. At the molecular level, allicin induced cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and increased caspase-3, -8, and -9 activation, with concomitant upregulation of bax and fas expression in the tumor cells. Allicin treatment inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cancer cells. Both intrinsic mitochondrial and extrinsic Fas/FasL-mediated pathways of apoptosis occur simultaneously in SGC-7901 cells following allicin treatment. Data from the current study demonstrated that allicin should be further investigated as a novel cancer preventive or therapeutic agent in control of gastric cancer, with potential uses in other tumor types.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Agents; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; bcl-2-Associated X Protein; Caspase 3; Cell Survival; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Models, Biological; Signal Transduction; Stomach Neoplasms; Sulfinic Acids; Tumor Cells, Cultured

In this article, the effects of allicin, a biological active compound of garlic, on HL60 and U937 cell lines were examined. Allicin induced growth inhibition and elicited apoptotic events such as blebbing, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release into the cytosol, activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3 and DNA fragmentation. Pretreatment of HL60 cells with cyclosporine A, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), inhibited allicin-treated cell death. HL60 cell survival after 1 h pretreatment with cyclosporine A, followed by 16 h in presence of allicin (5 microM) was approximately 80% compared to allicin treatment alone (approximately 50%). Also N-acetyl cysteine, a reduced glutathione (GSH) precursor, prevented cell death. The effects of cyclosporine A and N-acetyl cysteine suggest the involvement of mPTP and intracellular GSH level in the cytotoxicity. Indeed, allicin depleted GSH in the cytosol and mitochondria, and buthionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor of GSH synthesis, significantly augmented allicin-induced apoptosis. In HL60 cells treated with allicin (5 microM, 30 min) the redox state for 2GSH/oxidized glutathione shifted from EGSH -240 to -170 mV. The same shift was observed in U937 cells treated with allicin at a higher concentration for a longer period of incubation (20 microM, 2 h). The apoptotic events induced by various concentrations of allicin correlate to intracellular GSH levels in the two cell types tested (HL60: 3.7 nmol/10(6) cells; U937: 7.7 nmol/10(6) cells). The emerging mechanistic basis for the antiproliferative function of allicin, therefore, involves the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by GSH depletion and by changes in the intracellular redox status.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Apoptosis; Buthionine Sulfoximine; Caspases; Cell Division; Cytochromes c; Disulfides; DNA Fragmentation; Enzyme Inhibitors; Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase; Glutathione; HL-60 Cells; Humans; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Oxidation-Reduction; Sulfinic Acids; U937 Cells