Inhibition of caspase-1 induces cell death in pancreatic carcinoma cells and potentially modulates expression levels of bcl-2 family proteins

Caspase-1 (interleukin-1 beta -converting enzyme) is reported to play an im portant role in the regulation of apoptosis, We investigated the inhibition of caspase-1 by the cell permeable caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-AAVALLPAVLLALLAP -YVAD.CHO in pancreatic carcinoma cells. Inhibition of caspase-1 induced a non-apoptotic/'necrotic-like' cell death in AsPC-1, BxPC-3, MiaPaCa-2 and P anc-1 cells. Expression levels of bcl-2 and bax were up-regulated in caspas e-1 inhibitor-treated cells while that of bcl-x(L) remained unaltered. Our observations support our previous findings that caspase-1 is potentially in volved in anti-apoptotic processes in pancreatic carcinoma. (C) 2001 Federa tion of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.