Chinese Journal of Dermatology ›› 2011, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 191-194.

• Original articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Endothelin-3/endothelin receptor B(ET-3/ETRB) regulates the NF-κB/Bfl-1 anti-apoptotic pathway in a malignant melanoma cell line A375

  

  • Received:2010-06-04 Revised:2010-09-28 Online:2011-03-15 Published:2011-03-10
  • Contact: HUANG Chang-Zheng E-mail:hcz0501@126.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the modulation of ET-3 on the nuclear factor (NF)-κB/Bfl-1 anti-apoptotic pathway in a malignant melanoma cell line A375. Methods Flow cytometry was performed to detect the apoptosis in cultured A375 cells after treatment with ET-3 of 100 nmol/L for 24 hours. ET-3 of various concentrations (0, 1, 10, 100 nmol/L) was used to treat some A375 cells with or without the pretreatment with the ETRB antagonist BQ788; after another 24-hour culture, RT-PCR and Western blot were conducted to examine the mRNA expression of Bfl-1 and protein expressions of Bfl-1 and ETRB, respectively. Results The 24-hour treatment with ET-3 of 100 nmol/L significantly reduced the apoptosis rate of A375 cells (F = 10.68, P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expressions of Bfl-1 were up-regulated by ET-3 in a concentration dependent manner (both P < 0.01), while BQ788 significantly blocked the ET-3-induced up-regulation(F = 420.38, 229.49, both P < 0.01). The protein expression of pNF-κB in A375 cells was also enhanced by ET-3 of different concentrations (all P < 0.05), but the enhancement was suppressed by BQ788, and there was a significant difference in the protein expression of pNF-κB between cells treated with ET-3 of 100 nmol/L and those treated with the combination of ET-3 of 100 nmol/L and BQ788 (F = 255.46, P < 0.01). Conclusion ET-3/ETRB inhibits the apoptosis in A375 cells likely by activating the NF-κB/Bfl-1 anti-apoptotic pathway.

Key words: NF-kappa B