A Phenylbutenoid Dimer, cis-3-(3′,4′-Dimethoxyphenyl)-4-[(E)-3′′′,4′′′-Dimethoxystyryl] Cyclohex-1-ene, Exhibits Apoptogenic Properties in T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells via Induction of p53-Independent Mitochondrial Signalling Pathway

• Main Authors: Theebaa Anasamy, Ahmad Bustamam Abdul, Mohd Aspollah Sukari, Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab, Syam Mohan, Behnam Kamalidehghan, Mohd Zulkhairi Azid, Nabilah Muhammad Nadzri, A. Reenaa Joys Andas, Ng Kuan Beng, A. Hamid A. Hadi, Heshu Sulaiman Rahman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2013-01-01
• Series: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/939810
• ISSN: 1741-427X; 1741-4288

The current study was designed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity effect of a phenylbutenoid dimer, cis-3-(3′,4′-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-[(E)-3‴,4‴-dimethoxystyryl]cyclohex-1-ene (ZC-B11) isolated from the rhizome of Zingiber cassumunar on various cancer cell line, and normal human blood mononuclear cells, and to further investigate the involvement of apoptosis-related proteins that leads, to the probable pathway in which apoptosis is triggered. Cytotoxicity test using MTT assay showed selective inhibition of ZC-B11 towards T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells, CEMss, with an IC50 value of 7.11±0.240 μg/mL, which did not reveal cytotoxic effects towards normal human blood mononuclear cells (IC50 > 50 μg/mL). Morphology assessments demonstrated distinctive morphological changes corresponding to a typical apoptosis. ZC-B11 also arrested cell cycle progression at S phase and causes DNA fragmentation in CEMss cells. Decline of mitochondrial membrane potential was also determined qualitatively. In the apoptosis-related protein determination, ZC-B11 was found to significantly upregulate Bax, caspase 3/7, caspase 9, cytochrome c, and SMAC and downregulate Bcl-2, HSP70, and XIAP, but did not affect caspase 8, p53, and BID. These results demonstrated for the first time the apoptogenic property of ZC-B11 on CEMss cell line, leading to the programmed cell death via intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis induction.