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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death
Published on: January 20, 2023
Impaired activation of caspase cascade during cell death induced by newly synthesized singlet oxygen generator,
Kaoru Otsu1, Kazuaki Sato, Michihiko Sato
1Environmental Preservation Center, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan. yootsu@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
Endoperoxides of naphthalene derivatives generate singlet oxygen under physiological conditions. Here we have synthesized a new endoperoxide of a naphthalene derivative, 1-buthylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide (BNPE), and studied its cytotoxic properties on HepG2 and HaCaT cells. BNPE induced cell death at much lower concentration than 1-methylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide (MNPE) and naphthalene dipropionate endoperoxide (NDPE). A positive correlation exists between the amount of endoperoxide incorporated into cells and its cytotoxic ability. The cytotoxic effect of BNPE was attenuated by alpha-tocopherol but not by sodium azide. In contrast, the effects of MNPE and NDPE were attenuated by both alpha-tocopherol and sodium azide. The caspase cascade in cells treated with endoperoxide was impaired. Caspase activity in a soluble protein fraction were inhibited similarly by the above three endoperoxides. These results suggest an abortive apoptotic pathway due to the suppression of caspase activation is a general feature of cell death induced by singlet oxygen.
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