RESUMEN
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effects of emodin on multidrug resistant leukemia cell line K562/Adr, and to explore the role of Akt-Caspase 3 signal pathway in apoptosis of K562/Adr cells treated with emodin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>K562/Adr cells were exposed to emodin of different doses. The ability of emodin to induce apoptosis of K562/Adr cells was detected by Annexin V/PI double labeled flow cytometry and DNA ploidy analysis, the expressions of procaspase-3, PARP, Akt, p-Akt protein were determined by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Apoptosis in K562/Adr cells could be induced by emodin in a dose dependent manner, Western blot results showed that emodin down-regulated the expression levels of procaspase-3, Akt, p-Akt, PARA 116 KD in treated K562/Adr cells, up-regulated expressions leves of PARP 85 KD in a time-dependent manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Akt-Caspase 3 signal pathway may be involved in these processes.</p>