Comparative analysis of apoptosis induced by various anticancer drugs in Jurkat cells

The ability of cisplatin, cycloplatam, doxorubicin and etoposide to induce apoptosis was investigated in Jurkat cells using propidium iodide staining, TUNEL method and Annexin V-FITC binding. In spite of the different primary intracellular targets of drugs under study in all the cases drug-induced c ytotoxicity ultimately converges on the common pathway causing apoptosis. A ll the drugs under study induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent ma nner. Percentage of apoptotic cells determined by TUNEL technique and Annex in V binding in all the cases studied exceeded the apoptosis percentage det ermined by PI binding assay.