[Involvement of JNK and caspase-3 in human lymphoma cell apoptosis induced by Prunella vulgaris].
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the effect of Prunella vulgaris upon lymphoma cells and its possible mechanisms.


METHODS
Raji cells were subjected to different therapeutic schemes: Prunella vulgaris (50 g/L) group, P. vulgaris (50 g/L)+SP600125 (20 micromol/L, JNK inhibitor) (SP600125 group); Raji cells in physiological saline served as the control. MTT assay was used to measure the cellular proliferation. Phosphorylation of JNK, c-Jun and the expressions of Caspase-3 were determined by Western blot. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by FCM.


RESULTS
The proliferation rate of cells in the P. vulgaris group (67.32 +/- 1.96)% was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P < 0.05). The phosphorylation of JNK (0.48 +/- 0.03) and the phosphorylation of c-Jun (0.46 +/- 0.04) significantly increased in the P. vulgaris group (P < 0.05) and SP600125 inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun (0.43 +/- 0.01). The expression of Caspase-3 in the P. vulgaris group (1.35 +/- 0.07) was higher than that in the other groups. And such an effect could be blocked by SP600125 (0.79 +/- 0.06) (P < 0.05). The rate of cellular apoptosis was the highest in the P. vulgaris group (25.32 +/- 5.27)% (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
P.vulgaris shows a strong inhibitory effect upon the growth of lymphoma cell line Raji probably through the activation of JNK pathway and caspase channel and then apoptosis.
Liu
Xin-kui
XK
Department of Case Management, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
Wang
Lin
L
Zhang
Ming-zhi
MZ
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D031347:Prunella; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3