title: [The mechanism of arsenic trioxide-inducing apoptosis of K562 cells].
abstract: The aim was to investigate the mechanism of arsenic trioxide (ATO) inducing apoptosis of K562 cells that express P210Bcr-Abl. Apoptosis was analyzed by cell proliferation assay, morphological changes, DNA-PI staining and cell cycle analysis. ELISA kits were also used to analyze the concentration of cytosolic cytochrome C and activation of caspase-3. Transcriptional levels of Bcl-XL and Bcr-Abl were assayed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that K562 cells were induced to apoptosis after exposure to 2.5 micromol/L ATO for at least 48 hours, and the cell cycle of K562 cells was arrested at the G2/M phase. Caspase-3 was activated and there was a cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome C. ATO could only reduce the transcriptional level of Bcl-XL, but could not down-regulate the Bcr-Abl transcriptional level. In conclusion, ATO can induce K562 cells to apoptosis. The signal pathway mediated by the cytosolic translocation of mitochondria cytochrome C is one of the mechanisms for ATO inducing apoptosis. And the decrease of Bcl-XL may induce more apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, 215006 China.
authors.forename: Xu-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-Ling
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000032:analysis; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D010087:Oxides; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide