Arsenic trioxide induced apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells in vitro and its possible mechanism / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of arsenic trioxide on the apoptosis of retinoblastoma cell line HXO-RB(44) and the possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#The effect of arsenic trioxide on the proliferation of retinoblastoma cell line HXO-RB(44) was observed by MTT colorimetric assay; the apoptosis of the HXO-RB(44) was examined by AO/EB staining and flow cytometry analysis (Annexin V+ PI staining); caspase-3 activity and bcl-2/bax expression in the HXO-RB(44) were detected by cpp32 colorimetric assay kit and Western blot.@*RESULTS@#Arsenic trioxide inhibited the proliferation of HXO-RB(44) cell in dose and duration-dependent manner in vitro; arsenic trioxide significantly increased the apoptosis in HXO-RB(44) cells. The activation of caspase-3 was increased, and the rate of bcl-2/bax was down-regulated in the HXO-RB(44) cells processed with arsenic trioxide.@*CONCLUSION@#Arsenic trioxide can inhibit the proliferation of retinoblastoma cell HXO-RB(44) in vitro by apoptosis induction. The apoptosis induction is possibly related to the caspase-3 activation and bcl-2/bax down-regulation.