Arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis of human malignant lymphoma cell lines and its mechanisms
Abstract：Objective To investigate the responses of human Burkitt lymphoma cells to arsenic trioxide (As2O3) and thepossible mechanisms. Methods Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive human B-lymphoma Raji cell line and EBV-negative humanB-lymphoma B JAB cell line were used as in vitro models to assess the cell apoptosis by morphology and DNA agarose gelelectrophoresis. Protein expression was analyzed using Western blotting. Results After 24-hour treatment with the 2, 5 and 10μmol/L As2O3, the concentrations of As2O3 achievable in vivo, cell apoptosis was induced in human Burkitt lymphoma B JABcells at the rates of47.6%±4.8% (Mean±SD, n=3), 66.4%±5.1%, 87.0%±7.3% and at 35.5%±3.8%, 51.5%±6.2%, 62.2%±7.9% respectively in Raji cells, corresponding to the concentration of As2O3. EBV-infected Raji cell line was less sensitive toAs2O3 than EBV-negative BJAB cell line (P＜0.05). As2O3-induced apoptosis was accompanied by down-regulation of Bcl-xLprotein expression and activation ofapoptosis protein caspase-3, as identified by Western blotting. Conclusion As2O3 exertsapoptosis-inducing effects on human Burkitt lymphoma cells through down-regulation of Bcl-xL protein expression andactivation of apoptosis protein caspase-3, and may serve as a candidate therapeutic agent against malignant lymphoma for bothsystemic and local therapies.
Keywords：arsenic trioxidehuman Burkitt lymphoma cellsapoptosissignal transduction
Publication Date：2003-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 997-1001，1108 )