title: Magnetic Nanoparticles of Fe3O4 Enhance Artesunate-inducing Apoptosis of SKM-1 Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the inhibitory effect of the copolymer of magnetic nanoparticles of Fe(3)O(4) (MNPs-Fe(3)O(4)) and artesunate (ART) on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) cell line SKM-1 cells and the potential mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The protein expression levels of BCL-2, BAX, Caspase-3, and Survivin in SKM-1 cells treated with or without the co-polymer were measured by Western blot. The co-polymer-induced apoptosis rate of SKM-1 cells was measured by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The apoptosis rate of SKM-1 cells in the copolymer groups was higher than that in both MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) and artesunate groups alone. The MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) may enhance ART-induced cell apoptosis. Western blot assay showed that the expression of survivin and BCL-2 protein were down-regulated in the ART group, and this down-regulation was even more significant in the group of copolymer of ART with MNPs-Fe(3)O(4). The levels of BAX were increased both in ART group and the copolymer of ART with MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) group, as compared with control group and MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) group. The levels of active-caspase-3 were obviously up-regulated when the ART was combined with the MNPs-Fe(3)O(4). The copolymer of ART with MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) could trigger changes in the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in SKM-1 cells, among which up-regulation of BAX and down-regulation of survivin and BCL-2 are the 2 major alterations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Artesunate can induce the apoptosis of SKM-1 cells, and MNPs-Fe(3)O(4) may enhance the cell apoptosis induced by ART.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China. E-mail: wangying730@126.com.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Kai
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yun
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China. E-mail: lingpan20002000@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D037621:Artemisinins; D000077332:Artesunate; D053148:Caspase 3; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; C000499:ferric oxide; D000077332:Artesunate; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3