Fas/FasL signaling allows extracelluar-signal regulated kinase to regulate cytochrome c release in oridonin-induced apoptotic U937 cells

Previously, we found that human histocytic lymphoma U937 cells possessed high susceptibility to oridonin-induced cell death, but the molecular mechanisms in response to oridonin remain unclear. In this study, U937 cells showed susceptible to apoptosis induced by 27 mu M oridonin and an agonistic anti-Fas IgM mAb (CH-11) (500 ng/ml) as a Fas-sensitized positive control. Caspase 8 inhibitor z-IETD, but neither caspase I inhibitor Ac-YVAD nor caspase 10 inhibitor z-AEVD, effectively blocked oridonin-induced cell death as well as DNA fragmentation. Western blot analysis showed the up-regulated expression of Fas, FasL, and FADD, and down-regulated expression of procaspase 8, suggesting that Fas/FasL pathway was activated in oridonin-induced cell apoptosis. Further, stimulation of U937 cells with oridonin and CH11 resulted in significant ERK MAPK activation. However, inhibition of ERK by PD98059 reversed oridonin-induced cell death as well as the activation of caspase 8, indicating that ERK-mediated control occured upstream of caspase 8. Simultaneously, ERK activation accounted for the release of cytochrome c, but failed to influence decreased Bcl-2 expression induced by oridonin. Taken together, these results suggest that Fas/FasL signaling pathway-mediated ERK activation sensitized U937 cells to mitochondrial pathway-mediated apoptosis induced by oridonin.