ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the extract from Marsdensia tenacissima on proliferation and apoptosis of human hematologic neoplasm cell line cells. METHODS: Raji, NB4 and K562 cells were treated in vitro with different concentrations of the extract from Marsdensia tenacissima, including different ethanol elution components and C21 steroidal saponin monomer compounds, for different periods. Tumor cell proliferation was measured by MTT colorimetric assay and its apoptosis was determined by the flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: Firstly, with higher concentrations, 100 microg/mL and 200 microg/mL, 70% ethanol eluate from Marsdensia tenacissima inhibited the proliferation of Raji, NB4 and K562 cells significantly, in a dose and time dependent manner, compared with 30% and 50% ethanol elution components from Marsdensia tenacissima (P < 0.05). Secondly, four C21 steroidal saponin monomer compounds, tenacissosides B,C,I and marsdenoside K, also inhibited the proliferation of Raji, NB4 and K562 cells in vitro significantly, in a dose and time dependent manner, compared with that of control group (P < 0.05). Among them, tenacissoside C showed the strongest inhibition effects on proliferation of these cells under all experimental conditions compared with the other three C21 steroidal saponin monomer compounds (P < 0.05). Furthermor, the IC50 of tenacissosides C on proliferation of Raji, NB4 and K562 cells were 64.1 micromol/L, 70.4 micromol/L and 105.8 micromol/L, respectively. Finally, after Raji, NB4 and K562 cells were treated with 98.4 micromol/L tenacissoside C for 24 h and 48 h, the early apoptosis rates and late apoptosis rates of these tumor cells increased markedly, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The extract from Marsdensia tenacissima, including different ethanol elution components and C21 steroidal saponin monomer compounds, may inhibit the proliferation of some human hematologic neoplasm cell line cells and induce these tumor cells apoptosis in vitro, especially tenacissoside C, one of the C21 steroidal saponin monomer compounds, showed the strongest effects on proliferation of these tumor cells when compared with other ones, with the strongest inhibition activities on human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Raji cells.
