Effects of digoxin on proliferation and apoptosis in human B cell lymphoma cell lines and its' mechanism

ZHANG Wenting; JIANG Lian; ZHU Xiuli; LIU Cuiping; CHEN Jian

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-3097.2018.02.003

Abstract：Objective To investigate the proliferation and apoptotic effect of digoxin from cardiac glycosides in lymphoma cell line Raji and explore the possible molecular mechanism. Meth-ods Raji cells were cultivated in vitro. The experimental groups were treated with different concen-tration of digoxin,and the control group was treated with the same volume of dimethyl sulfoxide.Cell proliferation rate was observed by MTT assay. Cell cycle distribution and apoptotic rate were tested by flow cytometry. Expression of survivin mRNA and Caspase-3 mRNA in Raji cells were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results The proliferation of Raji cells was in-hibited by digoxin in vitro with concentration and time dependence. After treated with digoxin for 48 h,the cell numbers in G2/M phase of experimental groups were more than those of the control group. Cell cycle distribution in experimental groups existed a significant difference (P<0.05). Apoptotic peak emerged obviously in experimental groups. There was no or only low apoptotic peak in control group. Compared with control group,the expression of Survivin mRNA of experimental groups was decreased and the expression of Caspase-3 mRNA was increased (P<0.05). Conclusion Digoxin has the effect of inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of Raji cells. Digoxin induced cell cy-cle arrest in G2/M phase to inhibit the growth of Raji,and down-regulation of survivin expression of activation of Caspase-3 expression,which may be a possible anticancer mechanism.