title: Effects of biochanin A on the growth and differentiation of myeloid leukemia WEHI-3B (JCS) cells.
abstract: The effects of biochanin A on the growth and differentiation of a recently characterized myeloid leukemia cell line WEHI-3B (JCS) were investigated. Biochanin A not only inhibited the growth of JCS cells in a dose-dependent manner (0 - 200 microM) but also induced the morphological differentiation of JCS cells. The phagocytic activity of biochanin A-treated JCS cells was also increased. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the expression of macrophage differentiation markers Mac-1 and F4/80 was up-regulated in biochanin A-treated JCS cells. The expression level of Mac-1 was higher than that of F4/80. The expression of cytokine genes was studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cycle titration. mRNA levels of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-4 were found to be up-regulated at 46 hours after incubation of JCS cells with biochanin A. Although the expression of LIF was also up-regulated, the LIF receptor gene was not expressed in the uninduced or induced JCS cells. Our results suggest that IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-4 may act on the later stage of biochanin A-mediated differentiation of JCS cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wong-Leung
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Mak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D015870:Gene Expression; D019833:Genistein; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007529:Isoflavones; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D019833:Genistein; C004541:biochanin A