Abstract:Objective:To discuss the effect of extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba on proliferation and apoptosis of leukemia cells and its mechanism. Methods: Leukemia cells K652 were selected as the study objects, and were divided into the control group,the extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba groups of different concentrations,namely,20 μg/mL,30 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL,the miR-NC group,the miR-564 group,the group of 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba combined with anti- miR- NC, and the group of 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba combined with anti- miR- 564. In each group, activity was detected by MTT method;apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry;the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was applied to detect miR- 564 expression. In each group, the expression of cyclinD1, cyclin- dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(P21), B cell lymphoma- 2(Bcl- 2), and Bcl- 2 associated X protein(Bax) were detected by Western blotting. Results:Compared with those in the control group,K652 cell activity,and the expression levels of CyclinD1 in the extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba groups of different concentrations were decreased(P<0.05);the expression levels of P21 was increased (P<0.05);Bcl-2 protein in the 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba group were decreased(P<0.05),and the apoptosis rate,Bax protein and miR-564 were increased(P<0.05). Compared with those in the miR-NC group,K652 cell activity,and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl- 2 protein in the miR- 564 group were decreased(P<0.05); the apoptosis rate, and the expression levels of P21,Bax protein and miR-564 were increased(P<0.05). Compared with those in the group of 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba combined with anti- miR- NC, K652 cell activity, and the expression levels of CyclinD1 and Bcl- 2 protein in the group of 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba combined with anti- miR- 564 were increased(P<0.05);the apoptosis rate,and the expression levels of P21,Bax protein and miR- 564 were decreased(P< 0.05). There was no significant difference being found in the comparison of each detection index between the group of 30 μg/ mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba combined with anti-miR-NC and the 30 μg/mL extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba group(P> 0.05). Conclusion:The extract of Radix Paeoniae Alba probably inhibits proliferation of leukemia cells,and induce apoptosis by up-regulating miR-564 expression.