[In vitro study on cellular and molecular mechanism of tripterine treating leukemic mast cells]

Clinical Immunology Center of PLA, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of tripterine on leukemic mast cells. METHODS: The human leukemic mast cell line (HMC-1) was used as target cells for the tripterine's effect. RESULTS: 1. Apoptosis of HMC-1 cells could be efficiently induced by tripterine (0.125-1.0 mumol/L), showing the apoptotic changes in morphology, DNA ladder on argarose gel electrophoresis and apoptotic peak before G1 phase of cell cycle on flowcytometry. 2. The magnitude of apoptosis increased with the augmentation of tripterine concentration and duration of exposure; 3. With G1 phase cells decreasing, S phase cells were increased, and then apoptotic cells increased with a diminution of S phase cells. They bored significant negative relation (P < 0.01); 4. Tripterine could upregulate Bax, c-myc expression and downregulate bcl-2 expression at protein level. CONCLUSION: Tripterine can efficiently induce HMC-1 cell apoptosis, occurring mainly in S phase, which is correlated with upregulating Bax, c-myc expression and downregulating bcl-2 expression.

PMID: 11601243 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]