Eupalinin A isolated from Eupatorium chinense L. induces autophagocytosis in human leukemia HL60 cells

Eupalinin A, a natural phytoalexin included in Eupatorium chinense L., exhibited a marked inhibitory effect on cell growth in HL60 cells. The morphological aspects of eupalinin A-treated cells evaluated by Hoechst 33342 nuclear staining indicated cell death, only a small part of which showed a typical apoptosis with nuclear fragmentation and condensation. To determine what type of cell death is caused by eupalinin A, we examined the contribution of caspases, Bcl-2 family proteins, MAP kinase, and PI3K/Akt, and mitochondrial membrane potential to this cell death. As a result, most part of the cell death was not associated with apoptosis because of caspase independence and no death factor released from mitochondria. Electron microscopic study indicated a characteristic finding of autophagy such as the formation of autophagosomes. Furthermore, the level of microctubule-associated-protein light chain 3 (LC3) II protein and monodancylcanaverin (MDC) incorporation were gradually increased with reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential by the accumulation of intracellular ROS after eupalinin A treatment. From these results, we can conclude that eupalinin A-induced cell death was mainly due to autophagy, which was initiated by increased ROS, resulting in the perturbation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Since the class III PI3K inhibitor such as 3-MA or LY294002 did not inhibit the eupalinin A-induced type II programmed cell death (PCD II), it was suggested that the PCD II was executed by Beclin-1 independent pathway of damage-induced mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy).