A Novel Combination of Pterostilbene and Dexamethasone Enhances Anti-proliferation and Apoptosis Induction Properties in Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Line

Abstract

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive hematologic malignancy that results from the transformation of T-cell progenitors. Despite the significant advances in the current treatments, the side effects of conventional chemotherapy regimens are still a major concern. Pterostilbene (PT) is a natural compound reported to have anti-tumor effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PT combined with dexamethasone on the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis stimulation in a lymphoblastic leukemia cell line. Methods: In this experimental study, we cultured Jurkat cell line in RPMI1640 culture medium under standard conditions. We incubated the cells with different concentrations of PT and dexamethasone separately or in combination for 48 h. MTS assay investigated the cell viability. We assessed apoptosis induction by annexin V-FITC/PI and flow cytometry analysis. Results: PT and dexamethasone reduced the viability of the cells with inhibition concentrations of 60.97±3.36 and 451.1±10.1 µM, respectively, in 48 hours. None of the concentrations of dexamethasone, employed alone, significantly reduced the cell viability. The combination of 450 µM dexamethasone with 60 µM PT induced apoptosis in more than 70% of the cells with a significant difference compared to control. Conclusion: PT increased the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of dexamethasone in Jurkat cell line. This combination drug strategy can be a novel approach for a more powerful anti-cancer therapy.