Naphthylchalcones induce apoptosis and caspase activation in a leukemia cell line: The relationship between mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, and cell death.

In this study, we investigated the effects of 24 chalcone derivatives from 2-naphthylacetophenone toward a lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (L1210). Three compounds, called R7, R13, and R15, presented concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity and induced cellular death by apoptosis via mitochondrial injury and oxidative stress. The effects of these compounds appear to occur through different mechanisms because R13 and R7 induced a greater disturbance of mitochondrial potential, and all compounds induced disturbances of cellular ATP content and increased caspase-3 activity before cellular death. These compounds also interfered with antioxidant enzymes activities and GSH content through different mechanisms.