title: Changes in chemosensitivity of K 562 leukemia cells after induction of erythroid differentiation by hemin.
abstract: The human leukemia cell line K 562, when treated with subcytotoxic doses of hemin, undergoes reversible erythroid commitment, as shown by the increased synthesis of hemoglobin. Hemin-treated cells maintain replicative capabilities, although perturbations in cell cycle kinetics are induced. K 562 cells were used to investigate changes in antitumor drug sensitivity as a consequence of cell differentiation induced by hemin treatment. K 562 leukemia cells, cultured in the presence of 20 microM hemin for 12 days, were treated with non-phase-specific (adriamycin, 4-OOH-cyclophosphamide, mitomycin C, bleomycin, cis-diamminedichloro platinum) and phase-specific (vincristine, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) antitumor drugs. The results obtained by chemosensitivity tests showed a generalized decrease in chemosensitivity of the K 562 cells to all the drugs tested as a consequence of the hemin-induced differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Oncology 1, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Pordenone, Italia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toffoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lorico
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boiocchi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006418:Heme / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006427:Hemin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000473:pathology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006418:Heme; D006427:Hemin