Artemisinin as a Chinese medicine, selectively induces apoptosis in pancreatic tumor cell line.

Objective: To investigate the possible mechanism through which Artemisinin induced apoptosis in pancreatic cell line. Methods: Column chromatography, thin layer chromatography (TLC) and proton NMR spectroscopy were used to purify Artemisinin. The flowcytometry was employed to detect apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results: The results indicated that 50% inhibiting concentration (IC value) for pancreatic cell line (RIN) was 45 μmol/L of Artemisinin. Artemisinin had no cytotoxic effect on the growth of peripheral blood lymphocytes. The mechanism of apoptosis was evaluated by measuring intracellular ROS. It was shown that Artemisinin-induced apoptosis occurred independently of the binding of CD95L to CD95 receptor in the RIN cells. Moreover, Artemisinin, in a dose-dependent manner, could significantly increase the level of ROS. Conclusion: Artemisinin can induce apoptosis in the RIN cells via the generation of ROS and triggering the intrinsic pathway of cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]