Rutin inhibits WEHI‐3 leukemia cells in Balb/C mice in vivo

Abstract

Rutin, one of the flavonoids, possesses a wide range of biological effects, including antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities and anti-leukeima cells. Although rutin had been reported to induce apoptosis via caspase-3 activation on human leukemia K562 cells, there is no available information to address whether or not rutin affects leukemia cells in vivo. However, the exact effect of rutin on leukemia cells on murine in vivo is undefined. Therefore, in the present we are focused on the effects of rutin in vivo affecting WEHI-3 cells on murine leukemia. These experiments were divided into 3 parts. Part I, we examined the effects of rutin on the percentage of viable cells by flow cytometry on WEHI-3 cells in vitro and the results indicated that rutin decreased the viable cells and those effects are dose-and time-dependent effect manners. Part II, we examined the effects of rutin on leukemia WEHI-3 cells in BLAB/c mice in vivo and the results indicated that rutin decreased the percentage of Mac-3 marker, inhibiting the differentiation of precursor of macrophage and T cells which were isolated from spleen. Part III, we examined the size and weight changes of liver and spleen and the results demonstrated that rutin decreased the size and weight of liver and spleen when comparing to the control group. One of the characters of leukemia is the enlarged spleen in murine after i.p. was injected with WEHI-3 cells. Part IV, in the pathological examination, rutin affected the liver and spleen which came from the BLAB/c mice i.p. after injected with WEHI-3 cells treated with or without rutin. Our result showed that rutin affects WEHI-3 cells in vitro and in vivo.