title: Myeloid differentiation of HL-60 cells induced by anti-tumor drug 3-nitrobenzothiazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium.
abstract: Drugs which elicit cell differentiation might have an important role in the treatment of leukemias and other neoplasias. Various chemotherapeutic agents promote leukemic cell differentiation. The HL-60 cell line is a useful model to study in vitro myeloid differentiation. Sublethal concentrations of 3-nitrobenzothiazolo[3,2-a]quinolinium (NBQ), an antitopoisomerase II drug, were given to HL-60 cells from one to five days to evaluate its capacity to induce differentiation. NBQ-induced HL-60 cells reduced nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), increased MY-4 receptors, increased phagocytic activity and displayed the granulocytic morphology. Flow cytometric DNA analysis of NBQ-induced cells revealed an arrest in the G1 phase a reduction in the relative percentage of cells in S and G2+M phases. Our results suggest that NBQ induces an S-phase specific differentiation of HL-60 cells comparable to that previously described with dimethyl sulfoxide and retinoic acid. NBQ and its analogs, as differentiation inducers, may have potential utility as a novel therapeutic modality for leukemias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Juan 00936-5067.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sepulveda
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D011806:Quinolinium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D011806:Quinolinium Compounds; D059005:Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; C038668:3-nitrobenzothiazolo(3,2-a)quinolinium