title: Inhibition of telomerase activity and bcl-2 expression in berbamine-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.
abstract: The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of telomerase activity in berbamine-induced apoptosis and the regulation of B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 ( bcl-2) gene expression in human leukemia HL-60 cells. Apoptosis of HL-60 cells was induced by berbamine (10 microM) for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. Apoptosis and bcl-2 were determined by flow cytometry analysis. A polymerase chain reaction-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay was used to detect the telomerase activity. Berbamine induced growth arrest and apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells. The telomerase activity was inhibited in a time-dependent manner during the berbamine-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells, and the expression of bcl-2 was progressively down-regulated by berbamine. Inhibition of the telomerase activity of HL-60 cells was closely related to the berbamine-induced apoptosis. The present results indicate that inhibition of telomerase and reduced bcl-2 gene expression may play a role in the berbamine-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Ning
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Wen-Cai
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D044182:Benzylisoquinolines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019098:Telomerase; C027870:berbamine