title: The antileukemic alkaloid fagaronine and the human K 562 leukemic cells: effects on growth and induction of erythroid differentiation.
abstract: In view of new antitumor compounds which could exert their therapeutic effect through a combination of cell growth inhibition and cell maturation, we describe here the effects of a novel antileukemic alkaloid, fagaronine, on the growth and the induction of hemoglobin synthesis in the K 562 cell line. We found that fagaronine, after 3 days, reduces in a concentration dependent relationship the cell growth rate without lethality and this effect on the cell growth is irreversible. Reducing the cell growth rate by 50% (IC50 = 3 X 10(-6)M) is sufficient to induce an optimal amount of hemoglobin synthesis (75% benzidine-positive cells, 13-15 pg hemoglobin/cell) after 4 days of culture. Considering the variation of the total intracellular protein content during the response, it appears that fagaronine stimulated mainly hemoglobin synthesis, and to a lesser extent non-hemoglobin proteins. These results suggest that the novel antileukemic alkaloid, fagaronine, can be considered as a potent inducer of differentiated-associated properties in the human K 562 leukemic cells.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Comoë
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jeannesson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trentesaux
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desoize
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jardillier
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010617:Phenanthridines
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053119:Benzophenanthridines; D006454:Hemoglobins; D010617:Phenanthridines; C002066:fagaronine