Heme oxygenase-1 suppresses the apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells via the JNK/c-JUN signaling pathway

Leuk Res. 2015 May;39(5):544-52. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2015.02.009. Epub 2015 Mar 20.

Abstract

There are few studies on the correlation between heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We found that HO-1 was aberrantly overexpressed in the majority of AML patients, especially in patients with acute monocytic leukemia (M5) and leukocytosis, and inhibited the apoptosis of HL-60 and U937 cells. Moreover, silencing HO-1 prolonged the survival of xenograft mouse models. Further studies demonstrated that HO-1 suppressed the apoptosis of AML cells through activating the JNK/c-JUN signaling pathway. These data indicate a molecular role of HO-1 in inhibiting cell apoptosis, allowing it to be a potential target for treating AML.

Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia; Apoptosis; Heme oxygenase-1; JNK/c-JUN; Signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Heme Oxygenase-1 / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, SCID
  • Middle Aged
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / physiology*
  • U937 Cells
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • HMOX1 protein, human
  • Heme Oxygenase-1