Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 23, 2026

A Simple and Efficient Method to Detect Nuclear Factor Activation in Human Neutrophils by Flow Cytometry
Published on: April 9, 2013
[Relation between activation of NF-kappa B and chemotherapy induced apoptosis of leukemic cells]
Xiao-ping Xu1, Jian-hui Shi, Lin Li
1Department of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Objective:
To analyze the relation between activation of NF-kappa B and chemotherapy induced apoptosis of leukemic cells and the effect of vincristine (VCR) on them.
Methods:
Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to detect the activation of NF-kappa B and tunel DNA electrophoresis was adopted to observe the apoptosis induced by cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) and etopside (Vp-16) in P388 leukemic cells.
Results:
The activation of NF-kappa B induced by Ara-C and Vp-16 was obviously correlated to apoptosis in P388 cells. VCR (0.1 micromol/L) could suppress activation of NF-kappa B by 52% and 63% and significantly increase the apoptosis by 89% and 123% as induced by Ara-C (100 micromol/L) and Vp-16 (100 micromol/L). The activity of NF-kappa B could be found in P388 cells before being exposed to chemotherapeutic agent.
Conclusion:
Chemotherapeutic agents can induce apoptosis and activation of NF-kappa B of P388 cells. The mechanism of VCR potentiating chemotherapeutics induction of leukemia cell apoptosis may be related to its suppression of the NF-kappa B activity in the P388 cells.
Related Concept Videos
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

