[Apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by aescinate]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aescinate on inhibition and apoptosis of HL-60 cell line from promyelocytic leukemia. HL-60 cells at logarithm phase were treated with aescinate. Cell survival rate and cell morphology were observed, and the cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V/PI-FITC double labeling and DNA electrophoresis. The results showed that HL-60 cells could be inhibited in the presence of 15-120 mg/L of aescinate for 48 hours, survival rates were (92.2+/-0.69)%-(8.2+/-0.96)%, which were significantly lower than that of non-aescinate control (99.4+/-0.31)% (all p<0.01). The apoptosis of cells could be induced by aescinate treatment at dosage of 15-60 mg/L for 24 hours, the Annexin V positive cells accounted for (12.7+/-0.58)%-(65.4+/-1.30)% which were significantly higher than that of non-aescinate control (0.57+/-0.03)% (all p<0.01). The typical DNA ladder of HL-60 cells treated with aescinate was shown on the DNA electrophoresis pattern. It is concluded that aescinate can specifically induce apoptosis of leukemic HL-60 cells, which provides an experimental evidence for treatment of leukemia with aescinate as a supplementary agent to chemotherapy.