Cytotoxic Activity of Isoliquiritigenin towards CCRF‐CEM Leukemia Cells and its Effect on DNA Damage

Yuangang Zu; Xia Liu; Yujie Fu; Xiaoguang Shi; Nan Wu; Liping Yao; Thomas Efferth

doi:10.1055/s-0029-1185479

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 2009; 75(10): 1134-1140
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1185479

Pharmacology

Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cytotoxic Activity of Isoliquiritigenin towards CCRF‐CEM Leukemia Cells and its Effect on DNA Damage

Yuangang Zu¹ , Xia Liu¹ , Yujie Fu¹ , Xiaoguang Shi¹ , Nan Wu¹ , Liping Yao¹ , Thomas Efferth²

¹Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, P. R. China
²German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

The cytotoxic activity of isoliquiritigenin (ISL) towards CCRF‐CEM human T-cell leukemia cells and DNA damage induction were investigated in the present study. The anti-proliferative effect of ISL on CCRF‐CEM cell line in vitro was analyzed. In order to further explore the underlying mechanism of cell growth inhibition of ISL towards CCRF‐CEM cell line, the cell cycle distribution and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) disruption were measured. ISL exerted significant activity towards CCRF‐CEM cells. The growth inhibitory ratio was concentration- and time-dependent with an IC₅₀ value of 18.38 µM. The cell cycle was arrested in the G2/M phase upon treatment with low doses of ISL. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) disruption was observed at low ISL doses. The effect of ISL on DNA damage was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Either ISL or Cu²⁺ failed to cause pBR322 DNA damage. However, plasmid DNA was damaged after treatment with ISL in the presence of Cu²⁺. Two forms of plasmid DNA closed circular and linear forms were visualized by AFM.

Key words

isoquiritigenin (ISL) - anticancer activity - CCRF‐CEM cell line - DNA damage

Full Text

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Prof. Yujie Fu

Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology
Ministry of Education
Northeast Forestry University

Harbin 150040

People's Republic of China

Fax: + 86 4 51 82 19 05 35

Email: yujie_fu2002@yahoo.com