C-MYC and reactive oxygen species play roles in tetrandrine-induced leukemia differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Tetrandrine is a broadly used bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid component of traditional Chinese medicine that has antitumor effects in some cancer types. In this study, we investigated the effects of tetrandrine on leukemia in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that tetrandrine effectively induced differentiation and autophagy in leukemia cells. In addition, tetrandrine treatment activated the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibited c-MYC protein expression. Further, we found that treatment with the ROS scavengers N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and Tiron as well as overexpression of c-MYC reduced tetrandrine-induced autophagy and differentiation. Moreover, a small molecular c-MYC inhibitor, 10058-F4, enhanced the tetrandrine-induced differentiation of leukemia cells. These

SUBMITTER: Wu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5920096 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature