A preliminary study on baicalin induced apoptosis in human B-lymphoma cell line

Objective To investigate the effect of baicalin on inducing apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Daudi cells.Methods Human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Daudi cell was incubated with baicalin.Cell growth inhibition was estimated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-yl)-di-phenytetrazoliumromide(MTT) test.Cell morphology was evaluated by light microscopy with Wright's staining.Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expressions of caspase-3,caspase-9 were determined by Western blot.Results The half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50) of baicalin on Daudi cells at 72 h was(10.1±0.5) μg/mL.The inhibitory effect on cell growth was dose-dependent.Morphological study revealed obvious apoptotic cells.Flow cytometry at 48 hours showed that the percentages of apoptosis in baicalin 40 μg/mL and 20 μg/mL groups were 61.5%±6.3% and 44.2%±4.7%,respectively,remarkably higher than that in control group(8.2%±0.9%,P0.01).The expressions of procaspase-3 and-9 decreased while the expression of activatied caspase-3 was up-regulated in a time-dependent manner(24,36 h).Conclusions Baicalin could efficiently inhibit Burkitt's lymphoma cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis.The abovementioned caspases might be involved in the baicalin induced Daudi cell apoptosis process.