Cladonia furcata polysaccharide leukemia K562 cells

AIM: To study whether Cladonia furcata polysaccharide (CFP-1) might induce apoptosis in human leukemia K562 cells. METHODS: Inhibition of proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Morphological assessment of apoptosis was performed with fluorescence microscope and electron microscope. DNA fragmentation was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. The amount of apoptosis cells was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: CFP-1 (50 - 800 mg/L) inhibited K562 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. After incubation of K562 cells with CFP-1 300 mg/L for 5 d, morphological changes of typical apoptosis were observed and agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA revealed "ladder" pattern. CONCLUSION: CFP-1 induced apoptosis in human leukemia K562 cells.