Investigation of the effect of oleuropein on DNA damage, repair, and cell proliferation in K562 leukemia cancer cells

The role of oleuropein (OLE) in K562 leukemia progression was investigated by evaluating its antiproliferative effect <i>via</i> the XTT assay, oxidative damage through 8-OHdG and TAS/TOS measurements, and apoptotic activity using Caspase-3 assays. Total RNA was isolated from control and treated cells, followed by cDNA synthesis and RT-PCR analysis to assess mRNA expression of DNA repair-related genes. OLE reduced K562 leukemia cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ of 244 µM at 72 h. Treatment with OLE decreased both total oxidant and antioxidant status, while increasing the oxidative stress index. However, changes in 8-OHdG and Caspase-3 levels were not statistically significant. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in the expression of XRCC1, APE1, NEIL1, and PARP1 genes after 72 h of treatment with 244 µM OLE. These findings suggest that OLE may possess anticancer potential and could contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for hematological malignancies such as leukemia.