Baicalein suppresses the proliferation of acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat cells by inhibiting the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling

摘要

Although the response rates of chemotherapy in patients with acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) have improved significantly, the outcome of these patients is still poor. Previous studies suggested that baicalein could inhibit the growth of several cancers, while its effect on T-ALL cells remains unclear. We used Jurkat cells as an in vitro model of T-ALL. Cell counting kit-8 assay and cytometric analysis with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining were used to investigate the proliferation and apoptosis of Jurkat cells treated with increasing concentration of baicalein for indicated time. RTPCR and western blotting was used to test the expression of Wnt/beta-catenin associated genes and proteins. In cell viability assay, baicalein could inhibit the proliferation of Jurkat cells both in dose-and time-dependent manners. In cell apoptosis assay, baicalein could stimulate apoptosis of Jurkat cells both in dose-and time-dependent manners. Moreover, we demonstrated that baicalein could down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of beta-catenin and its widely accepted downstream targets (c-Myc, cyclin D1, and Axin2) in dose-dependent manners. These results proved that baicalein might be a potential choice for the treatment of T-ALL.