Effects of Garlicin on Proliferation and Differentiation of HL-60 Cells

We have explored the effect of garlicin, a biologically active compound isolated from garlic, on the proliferation and differentiation of HL-60 leukemia cells. To this end, we measured the effect of garlicin on cell proliferation, cell morphology, cell cycle, and the expression cluster of differentiation molecules 11b and 15, B-cell lymphoma 2 protein, and BCL2-associated X proteins. All-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide treatments served as positive controls for comparison. Results show that garlicin significantly inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells and blocked most cells in the G0/G1 phase, with an effect stronger than all-trans retinoic acid or arsenic trioxide treatments. The ability to induce cell maturation and differentiation was like that of all-trans retinoic acid, which may play a role by downregulating the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 protein and upregulating the expression of BCL2-associated X protein. In conclusion, garlicin significantly inhibits the proliferation and induces differentiation of HL-60 cells, and thus it may become a new clinically viable differentiation-inducing agent.