Abstract
We tested the effect of ethanol extracts from Ruscus aculeatus (Asparagaceae) and Pleurotus ostreatus (Agaricales) on the survival and proliferation of the Jurkat cell line, a model of human acute T-cell lymphocytic leukemia. R. aculeatus extracts were toxic to both Jurkat cells and human primary lymphocytes. P. ostreatus extracts were significantly more toxic to Jurkat cells than primary lymphocytes, as seen by LDH release and MTT assays. Annexin-V detection as well as Bax, Bcl-2, Smac/Diablo, and Caspase-8 expression were largely unchanged by P. ostreatus extracts. Cell cycle analysis and CDK-4 expression revealed stop of Jurkat cell proliferation. Interestingly, both extracts cause a strong, dose-dependent decrease in p53 levels in Jurkat cells, consistent with toxicity and cell death occurring via an unknown, non-apoptotic mechanism.
Highlights
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), known as acute lymphoid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the lymphocytes that appears and advances very rapidly (Weber, 2007)
After 6 hrs of R. aculeatus treatment, Jurkat cells did not show any significant release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) except at 40 mg/ml (Figure 1a)
Treatment with P. ostreatus extract showed a gradual increase in LDH release by Jurkat cells (Figure 1b)
Summary
Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), known as acute lymphoid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the lymphocytes that appears and advances very rapidly (Weber, 2007). Natural products have promising results as potential treatment for cancer in general and ALL in particular (Jadhav et al, 2007; Tai et al, 2010; Abdel-Massih et al, 2010; Davicino et al, 2010). Commonly known as butcher’s broom, belongs to the Asparagaceae family and is native to the Mediterranean. Extracts from this plant have been used in traditional medicine (Guarrera, 2005). Two saponin compounds found in the alcoholic extract of R. aculeatus inhibit the growth of the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 (Lindequist, Niedermeyer & Julich, 2005)
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