title: Alternative medicine remedies might stimulate viability of leukemic cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ex vivo activity of three products of alternative therapy against leukemic and normal cells was analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Extracts of Viscum album, Uncaria tomentosa, and Croton lechleri were used for the study. Leukemic cells of 53 children with acute leukemias and four cell lines, Jurkat, CCRF-CEM, HL-60, and K-562 were tested for sensitivity to alternative medicine remedies by the MTT assay, cell-cycle analysis and annexin-V binding assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leukemic cells showed high resistance to tested three compounds of alternative medicine in all performed assays. Additionally, tested remedies stimulated survival of leukemic cells in 45%, 96%, and 83% cases, respectively; while no effect was observed in normal lymphocytes. In combination studies, Viscum album extract did not increase prednisolone and cytarabine cytotoxicity in leukemic cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that some alternative medicine remedies might stimulate the viability of childhood leukemic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Collegium Medicum of Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University of Torun, Bydgoszcz, Poland. jstyczynski@cm.umk.pl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Styczynski
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wysocki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020948:Cat's Claw; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D029802:Croton; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D028182:Viscum album
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D003561:Cytarabine; D011239:Prednisolone