Induction of apoptosis in human T leukemic cell line CEM-6T by tripter-ine;comparison with arsenic oxide and hydroxyl camptothecin

In China, the herbal plant Lei gong teng (tryipterygium wolfordii Hook F) is widely used in rheumatic diseases, indicating that some compounds in this plant might have effects on immune cells. We have reported that one of the compound from this plant, tripterine could induce apoptosis in the human mast leukemic cell line HMC-1 (Chin J of Hematol 20:146,1999). To further explore the potential value of triperterine in the treatment of leukemia, we cultured human T leukemia cell line CEM-6T in vitro with tripterine, or arsenic oxide, or hydroxyl camptothecin at various concentration ranging from 0.0625 μM to 128 μM DNA electrophoresis and annexin V labeling were used to detect apoptosis. The protein levels of Bcl-2,