Novel function of scutellarin in inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis of human Burkitt lymphoma Namalwa cells

Anti-lymphoma therapy continues to present a major challenge. Even though cytotoxic therapy, immunotherapy and molecularly targeted therapy have been used in the clinic to treat the disease, effective anti-lymphoma drugs are still needed. In this study, we explored novel anti-lymphoma agents and found that scutellarin, an active component of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb Erigeron breviscapus, executed an anti-lymphoma effect. Scutellarin diminished the proliferation of B-lymphoma Namalwa cells in vitro and inhibited lymphoma growth in Namalwa cell-xenotransplanted mice without obvious toxicity. A mechanism study showed that scutellarin at doses of less than 10 mu M induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 transition without the induction of cell apoptosis, which was accompanied by down-regulation of cyclin D1 and CDK4 expression. In contrast, scutellarin at concentrations of 15 mu M or above promoted Namalwa cell apoptosis, which was partially associated with the activation of caspases. These results suggest that scutellarin is a new potential anti-lymphoma candidate.