Objective:To investigate the effect of luteolin on the proliferation and apoptosis of T cells in vitro. Method:Blank group

ConA control group and 3 luteolin groups (2.5

5

10 mg·L -1) were set up. The effect of luteolin on the proliferation of T lymphocyte in the 5 groups was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8).TUNEL and Flow Cytometry were used to detect apoptosis condition in each group. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) in each group. Result:Number of T cell in 3 different doses of luteolin were decreased significantly compared with 2 control groups(P<0.01)

with statistically significant differences. TUNEL and flow cytometry indicated that

compared with ConA groups

apoptotic percentages of the 3 luteolin groups were increased under fluorescence microscope(P<0.01)

with statistically significant differences. Among apoptosis-related proteins

Bax was up-regulated

but Bcl-2 was down-regulated in 10 mg·L-1 group according to Western blot. Conclusion:The 2.5

5

10 mg·L-1 of luteolin can inhibit the proliferation of T cell and induce its apoptosis. 10 mg·L-1 of luteolin may mainly induce the apoptosis by down-regulating expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulating expression of Bax in mitochondria apoptosis pathway

and 2.5

5 mg·L-1 of luteolin may induce the apoptosis through other pathways.