Study On The Mechanisms Of Quercetin And Kaempferol Induced Apoptosis In The Human Leukemic Cells

AIM To study the anti-leukemia effect of quercetin and kaempferol and its primary mechanism. Methods we investigated the inhibitory effects of quercetin and kaempferol on the leukemia models of HL-60. After treatment with quercetin and kaempferol, the growth in-hibition of HL-60 cells was assessed by MTT colorimetric assay. The effect on cell cycle in HL-60 cells was observed by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic effect was analysed by single cell elec-trophoresis assay. Western blot analysis were used to study the apoptotic mechanisms involved in death of HL-60 cells. Results quercetin and kaempferol had a significant anti-leukemia effect in vitro. The proliferation of HL-60 cells was significantly inhibited in a dose-and time-dependent manner after quercetin and kaempferol treatment respectively, and the cyto-toxic potency of quercetin was superior to that of kaempferol. Flow cytometry analysis indica-ted that the cytotoxicity induced by. quercetin and kaempferol was mediated by G2/M cell cy-cle arrest and apoptosis. We also made it clear that quercetin and kaempferol could downregu-late the protein expression of Survivin. Conclusion quercetin and kaempferol had a signifi-cant anti-leukemia effect in vitro. The regulation of a series of apoptosis related proteins such as survivin by quercetin and kaempferol suggested its ability of inducing apoptosis is one mech-anism of its effects.