Abstract
The effect of phycocyanin from Spirulinaplatensis on the growth of human chronic myelogenousleukemia-blast crisis K562 cells was studied bysemi-solid agar assay and cell viability measurement. Phycocyanin significantly inhibited the growth of K562cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 value ofthe phycocyanin was 72.5 mg L-1. After the K562cells were cultured with phycocyanin for 6 days, flowcytometric assays showed that more K562 cells wereblocked to progress through S-phase and arrested at G1phase. DNA fragmentation assay indicated that therewas no ladder of DNA fragments of approximately 200-bpmultiples, indicating that apoptosis had not occurred. Western blot analysis showed that Bcl-2 protein wasexpressed, but its level remained unchanged, whereasthe expression level of c-myc increased. Thesefindings suggest that phycocyanin may be able toinhibit the growth of K562 cells by pathways otherthan apoptosis, and that changed a expression patternof the c-myc protein may be involved in such inhibition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arriola EL, Rodriguez-Lopez AM, Hickman JA, Chresta CM (1999) Bcl-2 overexpression results in reciprocal downregulation of Bcl-XL and sensitizes human testicular germ cell tumors to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Oncogene 18: 1457-1464.
Belay A, Yoshimichi O, Kazuyuki M, Hidenori S (1993) Current knowledge on potential health benefits of Spirulina. J. appl. Phycol. 5: 235-241.
Brejc K, Ficner R, Huber R, Steinbacher S (1995) Isolation, crystallization, crystal structure analysis and refinement of allophycocyanin from the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis at 2.3 Å resolution. J. mol. Biol. 249: 424-440.
Canelles M, Delgado MD, Hyland KM, Lerga A, Richard C, Dang CV, Leon J (1997) Max and inhibitory c-myc mutants induce erythroid differentiation and resistance to apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells. Oncogene 14: 1315-1327.
Chang ST, Yung BYM (1996) Potentiation of sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis by vanadate in human promyelocytic leukemia cells line HL-60. Biochem. biophys. Res. Comm. 221: 594-601.
Dainippon Ink & Chemical Co. (DIC) (1983) Antitumoral agents containing phycobilin. Japanese Patent # 58-65216, inventors: N. Iijima, N. Fujii & H. Shimamatsu; assignees: Dainippon Ink & Chemicals & Tokyo Stress Foundation, April 18, 6 pp.
Harrington EA, Fanidi A, Evan GI (1994) Oncogenes and cell death (review) (112 refs). Curr. Op. Genet. Develop. 4 (1): 120-129 (February).
Huang DC, O'Reilly LA, Strasser A, Cory S (1997) The antiapoptosis function of Bcl-2 can be genetically separated from its inhibitory effect on cell cycle entry. EMBO J. 16(15): 4628-4638.
Luo D, Cheng SCS, Xie Y (1999) Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins during chemotherapeutic agents-induced apoptosis in the hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line. Br. J. biomed. Sci. 56: 114-122.
Marcu KB, Bossone SA, Patel AJ (1992) Myc function and regulation (review) (432 refs). Annu. Rev. Biochem. 61: 809-60.
Morcos NC, Berns M, Henry WL (1988) Phycocyanin: laser activation, cytotoxic effect, and uptake in human atherosclerotic plaque. Lasers Surg. Med. 8: 10-17.
Noda H, Amano H, Arashima K, Hashimoto S, Nishizawa K (1989) Studies on the antitumor activity of marine algae. Bull. Jap. Soc. Sci. Fish. 55: 1254-1264.
Ray S, Bullock G, Nunez G, Tang C, Ibrado AM, Huang Y, Bhalla K (1996) Enforced expression of Bcl-Xs induces differentiation and sensitizes chronic myelogenous leukemia-blast crisis K562 cells to 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-mediated differentiation and apoptosis. Cell Growth & Differentiation 7(12): 1617-1623.
Riou D, Colliec-Jouaults S, Pinczon du Sel D, Bosch S, Siavoshian S, Le Bert V, Tomasoni C, Sinquin C, Durand P, Roussakis C (1996) Antitumor and antiproliferative effects of a fucan extracted from ascophyllum nodosum against a non-small-cell bronchopulmonary carcinoma line. Anticancer Res. 16(3A): 1213-1218.
Romay C, Armesto J, Remirez D, Gonzalez R, Ledon N, Garcis I (1998) Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of C-phycocyanin from blue-green algae. Inflammation Res. 47 (1): 36-41.
Sadanori M, Hiroyoshi M, Kyoko N, Fuminori K (1993) Effect of seaweed preparations on murine immunocytes. J. appl. Phycol. 5: 629-637.
Schwartz JL, Sklar G, Reid S, Trickler D (1988) Prevention of experimental oral cancer by extracts of Spirulina dunaliella algae. Nutr. Cancer 11: 127-134.
Vadiraja BB, Gaikwad NW, Madyastha KM (1998) Hepatoprotective effect of C-phycocyanin: protection for carbon tetrachloride and R-(+)-pulegone-mediated hepatotoxicity in rats. Biochem. biophys. Res. Comm. 249(2): 428-431.
Zhang CW, Tseng CT, Zhang YZ (1996) Purification and physiochemical properties of phycobiliprotein of Spirulina Platensis var Nanjingensis. Natural Product Research and Development 8(2): 29-34.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, Y., Xu, L., Cheng, N. et al. Inhibitory effect of phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis on the growth of human leukemia K562 cells. Journal of Applied Phycology 12, 125–130 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008132210772
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008132210772