Objective: To study the mechanisms in gambogic acid (GA) -induced JeKo-1 human Mantle Cell Lymphoma cell apoptosis in vitro.
Methods: The proliferation of GA-treated JeKo-1 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay and Ki-67 immunocytochemical detection. Apoptosis, cell cycle and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by flow cytometric analysis. Caspase-3, -8 and -9 were detected by colorimetric assay. Bcl-2 and Bax were analyzed by Western blotting.
Results: GA inhibited cell growth in a time- and dose- dependent manner. GA induces apoptosis in JeKo-1 cells but not in normal bone marrow cells, which was involved in reducing the membrane potential of mitochondria, activating caspases-3, -8 and -9 and decreasing the ratio of Bcl-2 and Bax without cell cycle arresting.
Conclusions: GA induced apoptosis in human MCL JeKo-1 cells by regulating Bcl-2/Bax and activating caspase-3, -8 and -9 via mitochondrial pathway without affecting cell cycle.
Keywords: Bax; Bcl-2; Gambogic acid; JeKo-1 cells; caspase-3; caspase-8; caspase-9; cell cycle arrest, apoptosis; membrane potential of mitochondria.