Effect of arsenic trioxide on different cell lines derived from chronic myeloid leukemia

The objective is to explore the effect and the mechanism of arsenic trioxide, As(2)O(3), on different cell lines of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Different concentrations of As(2)O(3) (0.2, 2 and 10 micro mol/L) were added to CML cell lines KU812 and MEG-01 and other leukemia cell lines U937 and PL21, the cell numbers were counted at different times, TUNEL and DNA ladder were assayed. Different antibodies, CD34, CD13, CD33, CD19, CD11b, CD14 and CD7, were added to detect the change of the molecules on cell surface, the change of bcr-abl by RT-PCR and the activity of caspase-3 were assayed. The results showed that different concentrations of As(2)O(3) had different effects on the survival of the 4 cell lines. After culture for 24 hours with As(2)O(3), there was no significant increase in CD11b in all the four cell lines. There were no changes of bcr-abl in the two CML cell lines treated and untreated with As(2)O(3) by RT-PCR. Activities of caspase-3 were all increased. It is concluded that As(2)O(3) can induce apoptosis in CML cell lines, the concentration to induce apoptosis is different, CML cell lines are more sensitive than the other 2 leukemia cell lines. As(2)O(3) induced apoptosis may have some relation with the activation of caspase-3.