In this study, we investigated the mechanism of apoptosis by 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) in cocultures of parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cells, since the liver consists of various cell types and they cooperatively respond to chemicals. It was found that cocultures were more susceptible to cell death by Trp-P-1 than culture of each cell type alone. In cocultures, Trp-P-1 induced DNA fragmentation accompanied by the activation of 18-kDa endonuclease. Trp-P-1 (30 microM) caused a rapid increase in Bid protein level in mitochondria and the leakage of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol 15 min after treatment. On the other hand, an increase in Bax protein and a decrease in Bcl-2 protein were detected in the mitochondrial fraction 2 h after treatment following the increases in p53 protein level and DNA binding activity of NF-kappa B. Caspase-8 was activated within 30 min followed by the activation of downstream caspases as measured using the corresponding peptide substrates. The activation of caspases was also confirmed by cleavage of caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, and protein kinase C-delta as analyzed by Western blotting. A peptide inhibitor of caspase-8 diminished DNA ladder formation and the activation of downstream caspases, but a caspase-9 inhibitor and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate as an inhibitor of NF-kappa B showed only partial inhibition, suggesting that caspase-8 is the apical caspase in the cascade. These results led to the conclusion that Trp-P-1 mainly drives the caspase-8-mediated pathway that involves Bid, accompanied by a delay in the p53/NF-kappa B-mediated side pathway that involves Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-9.
Copyright 2001 Academic Press.