title: 3-Deazauridine triggers dose-dependent apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cells and enhances retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.
abstract: Therapeutic nucleoside analogue 3-deazauridine (DU) exerts cytotoxic activity against cancer cells by disruption of DNA synthesis resulting in cell death. The present study evaluates whether DU alone at doses 2.5-15 microM or in combination with all trans retinoic acid (RA) or dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) is effective against myelogenous leukemia. The data of this study indicate that DU induces dose-dependent cell death by apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cell lines HL-60, NB4, HEL and K562 as demonstrated by cell staining or flow cytometry and agarose gel electrophoresis. 24h-treatment with DU produced dose-dependent HL-60 cell growth inhibition and dose-independent S phase arrest that was not reversed upon removal of higher doses of DU (10-15 microM). Exposition to nontoxic dose of DU (2.5 microM) for 24h followed by RA or dbcAMP and 96 h-cotreatment with DU significantly enhanced RA- but not dbcAMP-mediated granulocytic differentiation. Cell maturation was paralleled with an increase in the proportion of cells in G1 or G2+M phase. We conclude that, depending on the dose or the sequence of administration with RA, an inhibitor of DNA replication, DU triggers a process of either differentiation or apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Mokslininku 12, 2600 Vilnius, Lithuania. savickiene@bchi.lt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Savickiene
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gineitis
mesh_terms: D015092:3-Deazauridine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D042381:Granulocyte Precursor Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015092:3-Deazauridine; D014212:Tretinoin; D003994:Bucladesine