RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE To explore whether diterpenoid 12-deoxyphorbol-13-palmitate （DP） from Euphorbia fischeriana can exert anti-leukemia effects through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signal pathway， and to provide experimental evidence for developing it into a new anti-leukemia drug. METHODS Using LY294002 （PI3K specific inhibitor） as tool drug， the effects of 24 h DP treatment on the proliferation and apoptosis of human myeloid leukemia HL60 cells were detected by MTT method， Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI staining and AO-EB staining. ELISA method was used to detect lactic dehydrogenase （LDH） release and the activities of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 （caspase-3） and caspase-9. The transcriptional level of caspase-3， caspase-9， forkhead box O3a （FoxO3a） and B cell lymphoma 2 interacting mediator of cell death （Bim） mRNA were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR）. The protein expression of phosphorylated FoxO3a （p- FoxO3a） and phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt） were detected by Western blot method. The nuclear translocation of FoxO3a protein was detected by immunostaining combined with laser confocal microscopy. RESULTS 10 μmol/L DP and 10 μmol/L DP+LY294002 could inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of HL60 cells （P＜0.01）. After treatment of 5， 10， 20 μmol/L DP， HL60 cells showed typical morphological characteristics of apoptosis； DP could significantly increase the levels of LDH release and the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， in dose-dependent manner. After treatment of 10 μmol/L DP and 10 μmol/L DP+LY294002， the transcriptional levels of caspase-3， caspase-9 and Bim mRNA were increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and transcriptional level of FoxO3a mRNA and protein expressions of p-FoxO3a and p-Akt were decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Nuclear translocation changes were observed in FoxO3a protein in 10 μmol/L DP+LY294002 group， and the change was more significant than that of LY294002 group. CONCLUSIONS DP can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of HL60 cells via inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.