[Effect and Involved Mechanism of RSL3-induced Ferroptosis in Acute Leukemia Cells MOLM13 and Drug-resistant Cell Lines].

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo investigate the effect and involved mechanism of RSL3 on ferroptosis action in acute leukemia cells MOLM13 and its drug-resistant cells.\n\n\nMETHODS\nAfter MOLM13 treated with RSL3, CCK-8 assay was performed to detect cell viability, flow cytometry was used to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level of the cells, RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). After MOLM13/IDA and MOLM13/Ara-C, the drug-resistant cell lines were constructed, the ferroptosis induced by RSL3 was observed. Bone marrow samples were collected from patients with acute monocytic leukemia. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression of related genes and proteins involved in ferroptosis pathway.\n\n\nRESULTS\nRSL3 significantly inhibited the cell viability of MOLM13 and increased the intracellular ROS level, which were partially reversed by ferrostatin-1. The mRNA and protein expression of GPX4 decreased in MOLM13 treated with RSL3. RSL3 inhibited the viability of MOLM13/IDA and MOLM13/Ara-C cells more strongly than that of non-drug resistant cells, also increased the intracellular ROS level . The cytotoxic effects were partially reversed by ferrostatin-1. The mRNA and protein expressions of GPX4 in MOLM13/IDA and MOLM13/Ara-C cells were higher than those in non-drug resistant cells. The mRNA and protein levels of GPX4 in bone marrow of relapsed/refractory acute mononuclear leukemia patients were higher than those of ordinary acute mononuclear leukemia patients.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nRSL3 can induce non-drug resistant cells MOLM13 ferroptosis by inhibiting GPX4 activity. MOLM13/IDA and MOLM13/Ara-C are more sensitive to RSL3 compared with non-drug resistant cells MOLM13, which may be caused by the differences in GPX4 expression. The expressions of GPX4 mRNA and protein in relapsed/refractory acute mononuclear leukemia are higher than those in ordinary acute mononuclear leukemia.