Objective       To investigate the mechanism of (-)-gossypol-induced autophagy and its effect on cell viability in Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cells.       Methods        CCK-8 detection was used to assess the inhibitory effects of (-)-gossypol on the proliferation in Daudi cells. Trypan blue exclusion assay was used to detect cell viability during different treatments. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of LC3 Ⅱ and ERK. Acridine orange staining was used to detect the formation of acidic vesicular organelles (AVO).       Results       (-)-gossypol inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Increased AVOs were noted after treatment of cells with (-)-gossypol. Western blot analysis revealed that (-)-gossypol treatment markedly upregulated LC3 Ⅱ and induced phosphorylation of ERK. Inhibition of ERK activity blocked the upregulation of LC3 Ⅱ mediated by (-)-gossypol. Inhibition of autophagy by U0126 (ERK inhibitor)

CQ and 3-MA (autophagy inhibitors) enhanced cell death mediated by (-)-gossypol.       Conclusion        (-)-gossypol effectively inhibits cell proliferation and induces autophagy in Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cells via ERK pathway.