ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells induced by Tetrandrine targeting MUC1. METHODS: HL-60 cells at logarithmic growth phase were choosen as object of reaserch and were divided into four groups: control, ATRA, Tetrandrine and ATRA+Tetrandrine group. Cell morphologic changes in each group were observed by microscopy. The change of cell differentiation ability was analyzed by nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test. The expression of cell surface differentiation antigen CD11b was measured by flow cytometry. The expression of MUC1 protein was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The differentiation of HL-60 cell could be induced by Tetrandrine. The NBT reduction-positive rate of ATRA+Tetrandrine group was significantly higher than that in ATRA group and Tetrandrine group (P<0.05). The percentage of CD11b positive cells in ATRA+Tetrandrine group(43.62ï¼ ±1.38ï¼ ) was significantly higher than that in Tetrandrine group(15.25ï¼ ±2.11ï¼ ), ATRA group (28.84ï¼ ±7.53ï¼ ) and control group(8.16ï¼ ±1.01ï¼ ) (P<0.05). The content of MUC1 protein in Tetrandrine group was significantly lower than that in control group and ATRA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Tetrandrine and ATRA can synergize to promote the differentiation and maturation of HL-60 cells, and the mechanism may be related with MUC1 expression.