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Diverse autophagy and apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cells induced by 20(s)-GRh2 and blue LED irradiation

Jianjian Zhuang1, Juxin Yin1,2, Chaojian Xu1

  • 1Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Jilin University Changchun 130000 China lvsw@jlu.edu.cn.

RSC Advances
|May 11, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Combining traditional Chinese medicine (20(s)-Ginsenoside) with blue LED therapy enhances leukemia cell death by inducing apoptosis and modulating autophagy. This novel approach shows promise for leukemia treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

  • Autophagy and apoptosis are critical in regulating cell death, particularly in leukemia treatment.
  • Understanding their interplay is key to improving anticancer efficacy.
  • 20(s)-Ginsenoside (a traditional Chinese medicine compound) and Blue LED therapy (BL) show potential in leukemia treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the individual and combined effects of 20(s)-Ginsenoside (GRh2) and Blue LED therapy (BL) on leukemic cell apoptosis and autophagy.
  • To elucidate the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis in response to these treatments.
  • To evaluate the potential of combining GRh2 and BL as an anti-leukemia strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of leukemia cells with 20(s)-GRh2, BL, and their combination (BL-GRh2).
  • Assessment of apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) analysis, and apoptosis-related gene/protein expression.
  • Analysis of autophagy markers (LC3B, P62) using western blotting.
  • Utilizing autophagy inhibitor (3-MA) and apoptosis suppressor (Z-VAD-FMK) to dissect treatment mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Both 20(s)-GRh2 and BL individually and in combination induced apoptosis by increasing ROS and disrupting MMP.
  • Autophagy was activated by BL and BL-GRh2, as indicated by LC3B and P62 levels.
  • Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA suppressed apoptosis in BL and BL-GRh2 treated cells, but enhanced apoptosis with 20(s)-GRh2 alone.
  • Inhibition of apoptosis by Z-VAD-FMK suppressed autophagy in BL and BL-GRh2 treated cells, but enhanced autophagy with 20(s)-GRh2 alone.
  • The combination therapy (BL-GRh2) showed a stronger induction of apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cells.

Conclusions:

  • Autophagy plays a complex, context-dependent role in leukemia cell death induced by different stimuli.
  • The combination of 20(s)-Ginsenoside with Blue LED therapy represents a promising new strategy for anti-leukemia therapy.
  • This integrated approach highlights the potential of combining traditional medicine with physical therapy for cancer treatment.

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