Daphnoretin extracted from the stem and roots of Wikstroemia indica (L.) C.A. Mey has been shown to possess antiviral and antitumor activities. Herein, we hypothesized that daphnoretin might induce megakaryocytic differentiation, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of cells and serving as a differentiation therapy agent for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Daphnoretin-treated K562 and HEL cells were examined for growth inhibition, cell morphology, and megakaryocyte-specific markers. Potential mechanisms of megakaryocytic differentiation of daphnoretin-treated K562 cells were evaluated. The results showed that daphnoretin inhibited the growth of K562 and HEL cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analyses revealed that daphnoretin treatment slightly increased the proportion of sub-G1 and polyploid cells compared to that of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-treated control cells. Morphological examination showed that daphnoretin-treated K562 and HEL cells exhibited enlarged contours and multinucleation as megakaryocytic characteristics compared to DMSO-treated control cells. Daphnoretin treatment also dramatically enhanced the expression of megakaryocytic markers CD61 and CD41. Under optimal megakaryocytic differentiation conditions, daphnoretin increased the phosphorylation of STAT3 but not STAT5. In summary, daphnoretin inhibited cell growth and induced megakaryocytic differentiation in K562 and HEL cells. The efficacy of daphnoretin in vivo and in patients with CML may need further investigations for validation.
Keywords: daphnoretin; differentiation; megakaryocyte; myeloid leukemia; protein kinase C.