Morin exhibits leukemic cellular apoptosis through caspase pathway
Wander Lopes Pereira, Tânia Toledo de Oliveira, Milton Masahiko Kanashiro, Marcelo Augusto Filardi, Marcelo Rocha da Costa, Liovando Marciano da Costa
Abstract
The present study investigated the possibility of apoptosis-inducing activity in human leukemia U-937 and THP-1 cells by the flavonoid morin. The treatments were evaluated by using the MTT and LDH assays; analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was evaluated by flow cytometry, cell death by apoptosis was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and by assessing the activity of caspases-3 and -6. The data indicated that the flavonoid morin has promoted a decrease in cell viability in a concentration-dependent way for both of the cancerous cell lines. An increase in the percentage of cell death caused by apoptosis was associated to a potential alteration in the mitochondrial membrane (ΔΨm) suggesting the involvement of cell death in intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Activation of caspases-3 and -6 confirmed the presence of apoptotic activity from morin. The results reinforce the antileukemic potential of flavonol morin.