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Cell Biology International (2006) 30, 114–121 (Printed in Great Britain)

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Involvement of caspase-3 pathway in anti-apoptotic action of methionine enkephalin on CEM×174 cells in prolonged infection with simian immunodeficiency virus in vitro

Jin Xu^a, Shuqin Xin^b, Hui Li^a, Lin Liu^b, Weiyi Xia^a, Pingfeng Li^a, Xinhua Liu^a and Gang Li^a*

^aDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China
^bMedicine and Health Analytical Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China

Abstract

The roles of methionine enkephalin, as an immunomodulator, on immunodeficiency virus-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes during prolonged infection are still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of methionine enkephalin on the viability, the profile of cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the expression of apoptosis-related genes in CEM×174 cells infected with simian immunodeficiency virus for 72h. Our data demonstrated that methionine enkephalin maintains the viability of cells during the period of prolonged infection. Following co-incubation with the virus, CEM×174 cells were arrested at S phase, with increased mortality as a result of apoptosis. Methionine enkephalin could abolish virus-induced over-expression of caspase-3. Taken together all findings, we conclude that methionine enkephalin may maintain the viability of SIV-infected cells via suppressing the expression of caspase-3, which may have clinical implications in opioid peptide therapy for AIDS.

Key words: Methionine enkephalin, Simian immunodeficiency virus, Lymphocytes, Apoptosis, Opiate, Receptor, AIDS.

^*Corresponding author. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, China. Tel./fax: +86 10 82802891.

Received 19 July 2005/1 August 2005; accepted 22 August 2005