title: Effect of (dl)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate on acute non-lymphocytic leukemia cells in primary culture.
abstract: High doses of (dl)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (mTHF) cause strong inhibition of growth of leukemic cell lines. We studied the effect of mTHF, at concentrations ranging from 10(-3) M to 10(-4) M, on peripheral leukemic cells obtained from 15 acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) patients, by [3H]-thydimidine uptake inhibition. Unlike leukemic cell lines, mTHF exerts a variable effect on ANLL cells in primary culture. While about 33% of cases are strongly inhibited, 55% are only slightly affected, showing a reduction in growth comparable to normal cell populations tested (unstimulated and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, day 7 and day 14 colony forming units-granulocyte/monocyte (CFU-GM), normal blast colonies). In a minority of cases we observed stimulation of growth. This study reflects the metabolic variability of single-case leukemic cell populations, possibly in relationship to folate transport and accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Unit, University of Florence-USL, Italy.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ermini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fossombroni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi Ferrini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates; C005984:5-methyltetrahydrofolate