title: Apoptosis induction in MV4-11 and K562 human leukemic cells by Pereskia sacharosa (Cactaceae) leaf crude extract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pereskia sacharosa is a genus of cacti widely used in folk medicine for cancer-related treatment. Anti-proliferative effects have been studied in recent years against colon, breast, cervical and lung cancer cell lines, with promising results. We here extended study of anti-proliferative effects to a blood malignancy, leukemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two leukemic cell lines, MV4-11 (acute myeloid leukemia) and K562 (chronic myeloid leukemia), were studied. IC50 concentrations were determined and apoptosis and cell cycle regulation were studied by flow cytometric analysis. The expression of apoptosis and cell-cycle related regulatory proteins was assessed by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P sacharosa inhibited growth of MV4-11 and K562 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The mode of cell death was via induction of intrinsic apoptotic pathways and cell cycle arrest. There was profound up-regulation of cytochrome c, caspases, p21 and p53 expression and repression of Akt and Bcl-2 expression in treated cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that P sacharosa induces leukemic cell death via apoptosis induction and changes in cell cycle checkpoint, thus deserves further study for anti-leukemic potential.
authors: Department of Haematology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia E-mail : faridjohan@kck.usm.my, faridjohan@usm.my.
authors: Mat Jusoh Siti
authors: MJ
authors: Asmaa
authors: Hamid Ali Nagi
authors: HA
authors: Al-Jamal
authors: Cheng Yong
authors: CY
authors: Ang
authors: Jamaruddin Mat
authors: JM
authors: Asan
authors: Azman
authors: A
authors: Seeni
authors: Muhammad Farid
authors: MF
authors: Johan
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D029421:Cactaceae; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D020014:K562 Cells; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D045304:Cytochromes c; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020169:Caspases