We observed that treatment of prostate cancer cells for 24 h with magnolol, a phenolic component extracted from the root and stem bark of the oriental herb Magnolia officinalis, induced apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. A sustained inhibition of the major survival signal, Akt, occurred in magnolol-treated cells. Treatment of PC-3 cells with an apoptosis-inducing concentration of magnolol (60 microM) resulted in a rapid decrease in the level of phosphorylated Akt leading to inhibition of its kinase activity. Magnolol treatment (60 microM) also caused a decrease in Ser((136)) phosphorylation of Bad (a proapoptotic protein), which is a downstream target of Akt. Protein interaction assay revealed that Bcl-xL, an anti-apoptotic protein, was associated with Bad during treatment with magnolol. We also observed that during treatment with magnolol, translocation of Bax to the mitochondrial membrane occurred and the translocation was accompanied by cytochrome c release, and cleavage of procaspase-8, -9, -3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Similar results were observed in human colon cancer HCT116Bax(+/-) cell line, but not HCT116Bax(-/-) cell line. Interestingly, at similar concentrations (60 microM), magnolol treatment did not affect the viability of normal human prostate epithelial cell (PrEC) line. We also observed that apoptotic cell death by magnolol was associated with significant inhibition of pEGFR, pPI3K, and pAkt. These results suggest that one of the mechanisms of the apoptotic activity of magnolol involves its effect on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signaling transduction pathways.

Ferroptosis is considered genetically and biochemically distinct from other forms of cell death. In this study, we examined whether ferroptosis shares cell death pathways with other types of cell death. When human colon cancer HCT116, CX-1, and LS174T cells were treated with ferroptotic agents such as sorafenib (SRF), erastin, and artesunate, data from immunoblot assay showed that ferroptotic agents induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the ER stress response-mediated expression of death receptor 5 (DR5), but not death receptor 4. An increase in the level of DR5, which is activated by binding to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and initiates apoptosis, was probably responsible for synergistic apoptosis when cells were treated with ferroptotic agent in combination with TRAIL. This collateral effect was suppressed in C/EBP (CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein)-homologous protein (CHOP)-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts or DR5 knockdown HCT116 cells, but not in p53-deficient HCT116 cells. The results from in vitro studies suggest the involvement of the p53-independent CHOP/DR5 axis in the synergistic apoptosis during the combinatorial treatment of ferroptotic agent and TRAIL. The synergistic apoptosis and regression of tumor growth were also observed in xenograft tumors when SRF and TRAIL were administered to tumor-bearing mice.

Cardiomyocytes in the heart reside in mechanically dynamic environments, such as those subject to cyclic mechanical strain. TGF-beta1 (transforming growth factor-beta1) stimulates cardiomyogenic marker expression of BMMSCs (bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that cyclic mechanical strain promotes TGF-beta1-mediated cardiomyogenic marker expression in BMMSCs in vitro. The mRNA expression of cardiac-specific genes was more up-regulated in BMMSCs cultured with a TGF-beta1 supplement and subjected to cyclic strain for 1 week than in BMMSCs cultured statically with a TGF-beta1 supplement. Immunocytochemical analyses and flow cytometric analysis showed that the proportions of cardiac troponin-I-positive cells and cardiac MHC (myosin heavy chain)-positive cells and the proportions of cells expressing tropomyosin respectively were increased to a greater extent by TGF-beta1with cyclic strain than by TGF-beta1 alone. These results showed that cyclic strain promotes TGF-beta1mediated cardiomyogenic marker expression in BMMSCs in vitro.