title: Pulsatilla saponin A induces differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify whether Pulsatilla saponin A (PsA), an active molecule extracted from Pulsatilla chinensis regel, can induce acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells differentiate.
  
  
  METHODS
  PsA was isolated from P. chinensis, and its effects of differentiation induction on both AML cell lines and the primary leukemia cells were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the untreated control, PsA induced the differentiation of U937 cells, K562 cells and HL-60 cells, represented as the increased CD15+ cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner in all the three AML cell lines, after PsA treatment. As the same time, the cell morphology of these AML cells was changed correspondingly; the cytoplasm/nuclei ratio was increased, basophilic cytoplasm was decreased, and eccentric nucleus and granules were also observed. Also, the same effects of differentiation induction by PSA were confirmed in the primary leukemia cells. However, the specific MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 effectively abrogated the differentiation induced by PsA in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PsA can modify the differentiation activity of AML cells, probably though the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.
authors: a Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis of Ministry of Health , Jiangsu Institute of Hematology , Suzhou 215006 , China.|b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Tong
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: a Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis of Ministry of Health , Jiangsu Institute of Hematology , Suzhou 215006 , China.|b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Gong
authors: b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Ri
authors: R
authors: Zhang
authors: b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Jiannong
authors: J
authors: Cen
authors: b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Lan
authors: L
authors: Dai
authors: b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Mingqing
authors: M
authors: Zhu
authors: a Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis of Ministry of Health , Jiangsu Institute of Hematology , Suzhou 215006 , China.|b Department of Hematology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.|c Department of Urology , The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University , Suzhou 215006 , China.
authors: Xiaofei
authors: X
authors: Qi
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D031946:Pulsatilla / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; C000588664:Pulsatilla saponin A
keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia; Differentiation; Pulsatilla saponin A