The effects and mechanism of action of Prunella vulgaris l extract on Jurkat human T lymphoma cell proliferation.

The aim of this study was to observe the effect of the Prunella vulgaris L extract on the Jurkat human T lymphoma cell line. Jurkat cells were cultivated with different concentrations of the extract from Prunella vulgaris L. The MTT assay and flow cytometry were employed to determine the cells’ proliferation inhibition ratio and the apoptosis rates, respectively. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to observe cellular DNA fragmentation, and western blotting was used to observe changes in Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression. The Prunella vulgaris L extract remarkably inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat cells. This inhibition exhibited dose dependence, with an IC₅₀ of 20.23 ± 0.31 μg/mL. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that the apoptosis strap became wider and brighter, and flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rate increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting showed that Bcl-2 protein was down-regulated and Bax protein was up-regulated during apoptosis. The extract from Prunella vulgaris L induced apoptosis of Jurkat cells by down-regulating Bcl-2 protein and up-regulating Bax protein. These actions inhibited the growth of Jurkat cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]