Imaging Flow Cytometric Analysis of Stilbene-Dependent Apoptosis in Drug Resistant Human Leukemic Cell Lines

Background: The natural compounds have been researched extensively as an alternative to the conventional chemotherapy and radiation. Stilbene derivatives appear as a group of therapeutics which deserves special attention. The present study was designed to analyze the effects of stilbene derivatives on drug resistant human leukemic cells. The aim of this work was to evaluate the apoptotic effect of stilbene derivatives in various concentrations on leukemic cells (LC) with and without resistant phenotype. Methods: Human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell lines (HL60, HL60/MX1, HL60/MX2) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines (CEM/C1, CCRF-CEM) were studied. T-resveratrol, piceatannol, rhaponticin, deoxyrhaponticin, pterostilbene were used to stimulate apoptosis. Mitoxantrone (MIT) was applied to induce drug resistance. Results: t-Resveratrol (RES), deoxyrhaponticin (D-RHAP), rhaponticin (RHAP), pterostilbene (PTER), and piceatannol (PIC) influenced viability and induced apoptosis in all investigated cell lines. Conclusions: Our results confirmed that RES, PIC, RHAP, D-RHAP, and PTER are essential therapeutic compounds with anticancer activity exhibited by induction of apoptosis in leukemic cells with and without resistant phenotype. Stilbene-induced apoptosis in HL60/MX1, HL60/MX2, CEM/C1, and CCRF-CEM leukemia cell lines have been presented in very few studies so far and our research is an important contribution to the investigation of these substances.