Inhibiting effect and inducing differentiation of tanshinone IIA and sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate on K562 cells

OBJECTIVE To investigate inhibiting effect and inducing differentiation of tanshinone ⅡA and sodium tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate on human erythroleukemia K562 cells in vitro.METHODS The inhibiting effect of tanshinone ⅡA and sodium tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate on the K562 cells was evaluated by modified MTT assay method,and the cell morphology was observed by inverted phase contrast microscope.The cell differentiation was evaluated by NBT reduction assay and the measurement of CD33 and CD11b was performed by flow cytometric analysis.RESULTS In tanshinone ⅡA groups(3.4-13.6 μmol·L-1),the proliferation of K562 cells was significantly suppressed in a time-and dose-dependent manner,and K562 cells were differentiated into mature,which was exhibited as the increase of the NBT reducing capacity and the expression of CD11b,as well as the decrease of the expression of CD33.However,neither growth inhibition nor differentiation induction was observed on K562 cells in sodium tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate group.CONCLUSION Tanshinone ⅡA shows a marked proliferation inhibiting effect and inducing differentiation on K562 cells but sodium tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate has no anti-tumor effect to K562 cells.