Abstract:
Objective This work aimed to determine the effect of the XIAP inhibitor embelin on the proliferation of human acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia in Jurkat cells and to elucidate the mechanisms involved.
Methods The growth suppression of Jurkat cells by embelin was analyzed using the MTS 3(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt assay. The morphological changes of the cancer cells were observed by light microscopy. The apoptotic rate was evaluated by flow cytometry after annexin/propidium iodide double staining. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the expression of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), poly adenosine diphosphate diphosphate phosphoribosyl transferase (PARP), caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and the pro-apoptotic factor Bax as well as the pro-survival factors Bcl-xL and Bcl-2.
Results Embelin significantly inhibited the proliferation of the human leukemia cells (P < 0.05). However, the caspase-3 and caspase-9 inhibitors, z-DEVD-fmk and Ac-LEHD-CHO, respectively, could reverse the action of embelin. The apoptosis of Jurkat cells was significantly increased after 24 h of embelin treatment as compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the cleavage of PARP, caspase-3, and caspase-9 was observed (P < 0.05). Moreover, Bax expression was upregulated while Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL levels were decreased.
Conclusion Embelin can significantly inhibit the proliferation of human T-cell lymphoma in the Jurkat cell line by antagonizing the endogenous XIAP pathway that activates caspase-dependent apoptosis in Jurkat cells.