LAUSR

Treatment options are limited in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Salvianolic acid A (SAA) is a water-soluble phenolic acid extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) with anti-tumor properties. The anti-leukemic activity of SAA that has been shown in our recent finding prompts us to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of action of SAA in DLBCL. Here, we find that SAA inhibits the viability of DLBCL cells by inducing cellular apoptosis, which is accompanied by upregulation of Bax and cleavage of PARP. Pre-incubation of SAA increases the phosphorylation of JNK, while decreases the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK in DLBCL cells. Importantly, pharmacological JNK inhibition partially mitigates the anti-survival effect of SAA, and inhibitions of p38 and ERK synergize with SAA. Furthermore, SAA suppresses DLBCL tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Therefore, our data suggests the therapeutic utility of SAA in the management of DLBCL.