Differentiation therapy is an attractive approach aiming at reversing malignancy and reactivating endogenous differentiation programs in cancer cells. Olive leaf extract, known for its antioxidant activity, has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in several cancer cells. However, its differentiation inducing properties and the mechanisms involved are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of Chemlali Olive Leaf Extract (COLE) for its potential differentiation inducing effect on multipotent leukemia K562 cells. Results showed that COLE inhibits K562 cells proliferation and arrests the cell cycle at G0/G1, and then at G2/M phase over treatment time. Further analysis revealed that COLE induces apoptosis and differentiation of K562 cells toward the monocyte lineage. Microarray analysis was conducted to investigate the underlying mechanism of COLE differentiation inducing effect. The differentially expressed genes such as IFI16, EGR1, NFYA, FOXP1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8 confirmed the commitment of K562 cells to the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Thus our results provide evidence that, in addition to apoptosis, induction of differentiation is one of the possible therapeutic effects of olive leaf in cancer cells.

The erythroid differentiation-inducing effect of apigenin and its derivatives on human chronic myeloid leukemia K562 has been reported but the functional group in its structure responsible for the effect has not yet been elucidated. Here, we determined the moiety responsible for the erythroid differentiation induction effect of apigenin by using different flavonoids to represent the functional groups in its structure. In addition, we compared apigenin and apigetrin, a flavonoid similar in structure to apigenin except for the glycoside in its structure. Morphological changes as well as expressions of specific markers in K562 cells treated with apigenin were compared with those treated with apigetrin, flavone, 7-hydroxyflavone, chrysin, luteolin, or naringenin. The anti-proliferative and erythroid differentiation-inducing effect of apigenin and the five flavonoids were then investigated and their effects on the α, β, and γ globin genes expressions were compared using real-time PCR. Results of the comparison between apigenin and apigetrin revealed that the glycoside part of apigetrin does not have a role in the induction of cell differentiation. Based on glycophorin A expression, the potency of the other flavonoids for induction of differentiation, was: apigenin>chrysin>flavone/7-hydroxyflavone>luteolin/naringenin. Results of the analysis of the relationship between the structure and function of the flavonoids suggest that the apigenin-induced K562 cell differentiation was due to the 2-3 double bond and hydroxyl groups in its structure. This is the first study that identified the specific functional group in apigenin that impact the erythroid differentiation effect in K562 cells.

The generation of blood cellular components from hematopoietic stem cells is important for the therapy of a broad spectrum of hematological disorders. In recent years, several lines of evidence suggested that certain nutrients, vitamins and flavonoids may have important roles in controlling the stem cell fate decision by maintaining their self-renewal or stimulating the lineage-specific differentiation. In this study, main olive leaf phytochemicals oleuropein (Olp), apigenin 7-glucoside (Api7G) and luteolin 7-glucoside (Lut7G) were investigated for their potential effects on hematopoietic stem cell differentiation using both phenotypic and molecular analysis. Oleuropein and the combination of the three compounds enhanced the differentiation of CD34+ cells into myelomonocytic cells and lymphocytes progenitors and inhibited the commitment to megakaryocytic and erythroid lineages. Treatment with Lut7G stimulated both the erythroid and the myeloid differentiation, while treatment with Api7G specifically induced the differentiation of CD34+ cells towards the erythroid lineage and inhibited the myeloid differentiation. Erythroid differentiation induced by Api7G and Lut7G treatments was confirmed by the increase in hemoglobin genes expressions (α-hemoglobin, β-hemoglobin and γ-hemoglobin) and erythroid transcription factor GATA1 expression. As revealed by microarray analysis, the mechanisms underlying the erythroid differentiation-inducing effect of Api7G on hematopoietic stem cells involves the activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway. These findings prove the differentiation-inducing effects of olive leaf compounds on hematopoietic stem cells and highlight their potential use in the ex vivo generation of blood cells.

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