title: Corticosteroids inhibit the differentiation of U937 cells induced by the combination of lymphocyte-conditioned media and calcitriol.
abstract: Corticosteroids improve humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy in some patients presumably by decreasing osteoclast activity or number. Using the monoblastic U937 cell line as a model of osteoclast formation, it is shown that hydrocortisone (10(-6)M) and dexamethasone (10(-6)M) completely inhibited lymphokine-induced formation of mature, adherent cells. These changes were concentration dependent and specific for corticosteroids since neither progesterone nor 17 beta-estradiol produced similar effects. When used alone none of these hormones had toxic effects on U936 cells nor did they directly cause differentiation. These data are consistent with the possibility that in some types of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy corticosteroids may work by inhibiting osteoclast formation from their precursors.
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003470:Culture Media; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003470:Culture Media; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D003907:Dexamethasone; D002117:Calcitriol; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D006854:Hydrocortisone