[Involvement of JNK and caspase-3 in human lymphoma cell apoptosis induced by Prunella vulgaris].

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the effect of Prunella vulgaris upon lymphoma cells and its possible mechanisms.

METHODS

Raji cells were subjected to different therapeutic schemes: Prunella vulgaris (50 g/L) group, P. vulgaris (50 g/L)+SP600125 (20 micromol/L, JNK inhibitor) (SP600125 group); Raji cells in physiological saline served as the control. MTT assay was used to measure the cellular proliferation. Phosphorylation of JNK, c-Jun and the expressions of Caspase-3 were determined by Western blot. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by FCM.

RESULTS

The proliferation rate of cells in the P. vulgaris group (67.32 +/- 1.96)% was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P < 0.05). The phosphorylation of JNK (0.48 +/- 0.03) and the phosphorylation of c-Jun (0.46 +/- 0.04) significantly increased in the P. vulgaris group (P < 0.05) and SP600125 inhibited the phosphorylation of c-Jun (0.43 +/- 0.01). The expression of Caspase-3 in the P. vulgaris group (1.35 +/- 0.07) was higher than that in the other groups. And such an effect could be blocked by SP600125 (0.79 +/- 0.06) (P < 0.05). The rate of cellular apoptosis was the highest in the P. vulgaris group (25.32 +/- 5.27)% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

P.vulgaris shows a strong inhibitory effect upon the growth of lymphoma cell line Raji probably through the activation of JNK pathway and caspase channel and then apoptosis.