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Effects of curine in HL-60 leukemic cells: cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction

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Abstract

Curine is a natural alkaloid isolated from Chondrodendron platyphyllum and it has been reported that this alkaloid has vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study is to analyze the cytotoxic effects of curine in cancer cell lines HL-60, K562, and HT-29, and in primary cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Cells were treated with curine (from 3 to 15 µM) for 24 and 48 h. Cell viability was analyzed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test and flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) assay. To assess the type of cell death induced in HL-60, the cell cycle, morphological, and biochemical alterations were analyzed, which were determined by differential staining with acridine orange/ethidium bromide, and annexin V/PI double-labeling and change in mitochondrial membrane potential assays. Curine demonstrated a potent cytotoxic effect on leukemic cell lines (HL-60 and K562). Its cytotoxic effects in HL-60 cells was related to plasma membrane damage and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase from 43.4 ± 1.0 to 56.7 ± 1.4 % (p < 0.05). Curine (15 μM) also increased the apoptotic cells number by around 60 % in HL-60 cells and caused phosphatidylserine externalization, inducing about 57 % of apoptosis. Moreover, this alkaloid provoked 20 % of mitochondrial membrane depolarization. We conclude that curine presented a cytotoxic effect and induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Thus, it can be considered a promising pharmacological drug.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Paraíba, Cidade Universitária, Campus I, 58051-900, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil

    Bruna Braga Dantas, Gláucia Veríssimo Faheina-Martins, Tangbadioa Hervé Coulidiati, Caio César Barbosa Bomfim & Demetrius Antônio Machado Araújo

  2. Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900, João Pessoa, Brazil

    Celidarque da Silva Dias & José Maria Barbosa-Filho

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  1. Bruna Braga Dantas
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  2. Gláucia Veríssimo Faheina-Martins
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  3. Tangbadioa Hervé Coulidiati
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  4. Caio César Barbosa Bomfim
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  5. Celidarque da Silva Dias
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  6. José Maria Barbosa-Filho
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  7. Demetrius Antônio Machado Araújo
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Correspondence to Demetrius Antônio Machado Araújo.

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Dantas, B.B., Faheina-Martins, G.V., Coulidiati, T.H. et al. Effects of curine in HL-60 leukemic cells: cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. J Nat Med 69, 218–223 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-014-0881-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-014-0881-5

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