Apoptotic activity of isomalabaricane triterpenes on human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells

Four isomalabaricane triterpenes were isolated from marine sponge Geodia japonica [W.H. Zhang, C.T. Che, Isomalabaricane-type nortriterpenoids and other constituents of the marine sponge Geodia japonica, J. Nat. Prod. 64 (2001) 1489–1492. [1]] and their cytotoxicity was evaluated using a human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cell line. Of the four triterpenes tested, geoditin A was the most cytotoxic to HL60 cells [IC50=3 μg/ml (<6.6 μM)], followed by stellettins A and B, whereas geoditin B exhibited relatively weak cytotoxicity. The treated cells manifested nuclear changes characteristic for apoptosis, and associated with dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase 3, and decrease of cytoplasmic proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), as demonstrated by fluorescence and immunofluorescence microscopy. When the HL60 cells were exposed to geoditin A ranging from 1.25 to 25 μg/ml, a dose-dependent increase of reactive oxygen species, a progressive dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and an increase in annexin V-FITC binding were measured by flow cytometry. Taken together our results suggest that geoditin A markedly induced reactive oxygen species, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and mediated a caspases 3 apoptosis pathway.