ABSTRACT
This study is to investigate the effect of emodin on inducing human myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60 apoptosis and the role of Akt signal pathway in the apoptosis. HL-60 cells were exposed to various dosages of emodin. MTT assay was used to detect HL-60 cell proliferation. Distribution of HL-60 cells in cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry and cell apoptosis was observed by MitoCapture apoptosis detection. The protein expressions of Akt signal pathway were detected by Western blotting. The result showed that emodin remarkably inhibited the cell proliferation. The IC50 value for 48 h treatment was about 20 micromol x L(-1). Apoptosis in HL-60 cells could be efficiently induced by emodin in a dose dependent manner and cells were arrested at G0/G1. The expressions of Akt, p-Akt, IkappaB-alpha, p-IkappaB-alpha, p65, p-p65, mTOR and p-mTOR in Akt signal pathway were downregulated after emodin treatment. It can be concluded that emodin could efficiently induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Akt signal pathway may be involved in this process.
Subject(s)
Humans , Apoptosis , Cell Cycle , Cell Proliferation , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Emodin , Pharmacology , HL-60 Cells , I-kappa B Proteins , Metabolism , NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha , Protein Kinases , Metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt , Metabolism , Signal Transduction , TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases , Transcription Factor RelA , MetabolismABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of emodin on apoptosis induction and proliferation inhibition in human apoptosis and on c-myc protein and mRNA expression in human myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HL-60 cells were exposed to emodin at different dosages. Growth inhibition was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay, and cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, TUNEL labeling method, DNA fragmentation and MitoCapture apoptosis detection. The expression of c-myc was detected by RT-PCR and Western-blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Emodin remarkably inhibited the cell proliferation, with an IC(50) value of 20 micromol/L. HL-60 cells apoptosis could be efficiently induced by emodin in a dose dependent manner. The c-myc protein and mRNA expressions on HL-60 cells were decreased after emodin treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Emodin could efficiently induce growth inhibition and apoptosis in HL-60 cells. c-myc may be involved in this process.</p>