Effect of NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbonate on the proliferation and apoptosis in K562 cells

AIM:To investigate the effect of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC),a specific inhibitor of NF-κB on the proliferation and apoptosis of K562 cells and to explore the anti-tumor mechanism of PDTC.METHODS:Trans AMTM NF-κB p65 kit was used to detect the activity of p65 in K562 cells treated by PDTC. The effect of PDTC on the proliferation of K562 cells was measured by WST-1 method. DNA damage was detected by single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The procaspase-3 and activated protein level of caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS:The activity of p65 in K562 cells was inhibited after treated by PDTC (P0.01). Simultaneously the cell proliferation was significantly inhibited in a dose-and time-dependent manner (P0.01). The degree of DNA damage in K562 cells treated with PDTC at concentrations of 25 μmol/L,50 μmol/L or 100 μmol/L was more severe than that in control. The rates of comet cells in the PDTC-treated groups (43.50%,84.00%,95.63%) were significantly higher than those in control (9.75%,P0.01),and it was also dose-dependent. The expression of procaspase-3 and activated caspase-3 protein were detected in the cytoplasm of the K562 cells treated by PDTC by Western blotting.CONCLUSION:NF-κB plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis in K562 cells. PDTC inhibits NF-κB activity and elevates the expression of caspase-3,which is related to increase in cell apoptosis.