Evaluation of anti-leukemia effect of resveratrol by modulating STAT3 signaling

Resveratrol is a natural occurring phytoalexin present in grapes and berries, that has been shown to have chemopreventive/therapeutic activity. But the precise mechanism of resveratrol involved in leukemia is not well understood. In this study, we examine its anti-leukemia effect both in vitro and in vivo. Our data indicate that resveratrol contributes to inhibiting growth, inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the three leukemia cell lines (Jurkat, SUP-B15, and Kasumi-1), and reducing the phosphorylation of STAT3, meanwhile modulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax. In vivo, resveratrol could prolong the life span of Kasumi-1-bearing mice, and attenuate the activity of STAT3. Taken altogether, this investigation focuses on signaling pathways involved in STAT3 by resveratrol and to delineate its molecular mechanisms underlying anti-leukemia effect.