Apoptotic-inducing activity of novel polycyclic aromatic compounds in human leukemic cells

Persistent but relatively limited research has been devoted to the use of compounds related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as anticancer agents. In previous reports, we have described the cytotoxicity of a number of new and novel PAH against human cancer cell lines. However, the involved molecular mechanisms of inducing cell death were not elucidated. In the current study, we describe the apoptotic pathway as apparently playing a crucial role in induced cell death in human leukemia Jurkat T cells by several diamide and diamine PAH that contain chrysene as their core aromatic ring system. Structure-activity relationships were analyzed. Importantly, no effect was demonstrated in a normal, non-transformed line of human natural killer cells. These results provide additional evidence for the potential chemotherapeutic use of PAH.