The cell death process of the anticancer agent polysaccharidepeptide (PSP) in human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells.

Yang X, Sit WH, Chan DK, Wan JM.

Department of Zoology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfalum Road, Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. China.

Abstract

The polysaccharide peptide (PSP) isolated from the mycelia of Chinese Medicinal fungus Coriolus versicolor has proven

benefits in clinical trials in China but the mechanism of action has not been elucidated. In this study, HL-60 cell line was

used to investigate the anti-proliferation and cell death process of PSP. The cytotoxicity of PSP on normal human

T-lymphocytes was also evaluated. We show that PSP induced apoptosis of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells

but not of normal human T-lymphocytes. The apoptotic machinery induced by PSP was associated with a decrease in

Bcl-2/Bax ratio, drop in mitochondrial transmembrane potential, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-3, -8 and

-9. Activation of the cellular apoptotic program is a current strategy for the treatment of human cancer, and the selectivity

of PSP to induce apoptosis in cancerous and not on normal cells supports its development as a novel anticancer agent.

PMID: 15870943 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed

U.S. National Library of Medicine

National Institutes of Health

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