Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase isoenzymes in human myeloid leukemia (HL60) and breast tumor (MCF-7) cells.

Combinations of retinoic acid (RA) and cAMP mediate many biological responses in a large variety of cell types. While the basis for the apparent synergistic effects of RA and cAMP are not clearly defined, it is likely that activation of PKA by cAMP is involved. However, literature reports concerning the identity of PKA isoforms in HL60 and MCF-7 cells are conflicting. The purpose of the present investigation is to identify PKA isoforms in HL60 and MCF-7 cells. Utilization of high-performance anion-exchange liquid chromatography, immunoblotting, and 8-azido-cAMP photoaffinity binding resulted in the finding that HL60 cells contain PKA types I alpha and II alpha, while MCF-7 cells contain PKA types I alpha, II alpha, and II beta. PKA type I alpha in both HL60 and MCF-7 cells eluted from columns as two well-separated peaks. One peak eluted at a low salt concentration in agreement with previous reports. The second HL60 PKA type I alpha peak eluted at a salt concentration intermediate between that eluting the first peak and that eluting PKA type II alpha and contained approximately 62% of the total RI alpha protein. However, the second MCF-7 PKA type I alpha peak contained approximately 66% of the total RI alpha protein and co-eluted with PKA types II alpha and II beta. This "contamination" of PKA type II fractions with PKA type I has led, in some cases, to interpretations that may need reevaluation.

Identification of the human cytochrome P450, P450RAI-2, which is predominantly expressed in the adult cerebellum and is responsible for all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism.

Retinoids, particularly all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), are potent regulators of cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The role of all-trans-RA during development and in the maintenance of adult tissues has been well established. The control of all-trans-RA levels in cells and tissues is regulated by the balance between its biosynthesis and its catabolism to inactive metabolites. The cytochrome P450 enzyme P450RAI (herein renamed P450RAI-1) is partially responsible for this inactivation of all-trans-RA. In this report, we describe the identification, molecular cloning, and characterization of a second related enzyme, P450RAI-2, which is also involved in the specific inactivation of all-trans-RA. Transiently transfected P450RAI-2 can convert all-trans-RA to more polar metabolites including 4-oxo-, 4-OH-, and 18-OH-all-trans-RA. Competition experiments with other retinoids suggest that all-trans-RA is the preferred substrate. The high level of expression of P450RAI-2, particularly in the cerebellum and pons of human adult brain, suggests a unique role for this enzyme in the protection of specific tissues from exposure to retinoids.

Potentiation of retinoic acid-induced differentiation of human acute promyelocytic leukemia NB4 cells by butyric acid, tributyrin, and hexamethylene bisacetamide.

Cytodifferentiation therapy by all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) for acute promyelocytic leukemia patients is encouraging in spite of several limitations preventing better clinical outcomes. Most patients in complete remission induced by RA experience relapse and resist further treatment with RA. This resistance primarily is due to a systemic self-induced catabolism of RA, which interferes with the maintenance of effective plasma levels of RA. In this report we explored the possibility that treatment with combinations of RA and other differentiation agents may induce differentiation at lower RA concentrations, which in turn may produce diminished levels of resistance. We found that although n-butyric acid (BA), tributyrin (TB) (a prodrug of BA), or hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) were inactive as sole agents they potentiated RA-induced differentiation of human acute promyelocytic NB4 cells. A measure of the effectiveness of these combinations was that the concentrations of RA in combination with BA and HMBA inducing half-maximal differentiation were 20- to 40-fold lower than those needed with RA alone. Furthermore, the concentrations of BA and HMBA in these combinations were at achievable plasma levels. Therefore, these combinations may have clinical utility for treatment of a variety of malignancies that are sensitive to RA alone.

Conformationally defined retinoic acid analogues. 4. Potential new agents for acute promyelocytic and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemias.

We recently synthesized several conformationally constrained retinoic acid (RA) analogues [8-(2'-cyclohexen-1'-ylidene)-3, 7-dimethyl-2,4,6-octatrienoic acids with different alkyl substituents at 2' (R1) and 3' (R2) positions on the cyclohexene ring] (Muccio et al. J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39, 3625) as cancer chemopreventive agents. UAB8 (R1 = Et; R2 = iPr), which contains sufficient steric bulk at the terminal end of the polyene chain to mimic the trimethylcyclohexenyl ring of RA, displayed biological properties similar to those of RA. To explore the efficacy of this retinoid in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), we evaluated UAB8 isomers in in vitro assays which measure the capacity of retinoids to inhibit aberrant myeloid colony growth from blood or bone marrow cells obtained from human JMML patients and in assays measuring the potential of retinoids to differentiate NB4 cells (an APL cell line). Both (all-E)- and (13Z)-UAB8 were 2-fold more active than RA in the NB4 cell differentiation assay; however, only (all-E)-UAB8 had comparable activity to the natural retinoids in the JMML cell assays. These results were compared to the biological effectiveness of a new retinoid, UAB30 [8-(3', 4'-dihydro-1'(2'H)-naphthalen-1'-ylidene)-3,7-dimethyl-2,4, 6-octatrienoic acid], which had different nuclear receptor binding and transactivational properties than UAB8. Relative to (all-E)-RA and (all-E)-UAB8, (all-E)-UAB30 bound well to RARalpha but did not activate transcription-mediated RARalpha homodimers, even though it was effective in RARbeta- and RARgamma-mediated transactivational assays. In APL assays, this retinoid had much reduced activity and was only moderately effective in JMML assays and in cancer chemoprevention assays.

Early induction of apoptosis in hematopoietic cell lines after exposure to flavopiridol.

Flavopiridol (NSC 649890; Behringwerke L86-8275, Marburg, Germany), is a potent inhibitor of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) 1, 2, and 4. It has potent antiproliferative effects in vitro and is active in tumor models in vivo. While surveying the effect of flavopiridol on cell cycle progression in different cell types, we discovered that hematopoietic cell lines, including SUDHL4, SUDHL6 (B-cell lines), Jurkat, and MOLT4 (T-cell lines), and HL60 (myeloid), displayed notable sensitivity to flavopiridol-induced apoptosis. For example, after 100 nmol/L for 12 hours, SUDHL4 cells displayed a similar degree of DNA fragmentation to that shown by the apoptosis-resistant PC3 prostate carcinoma cells only after 3,000 nmol/L for 48 hours. After exposure to 1,000 nmol/L flavopiridol for 12 hours, typical apoptotic morphology was observed in SUDHL4 cells, but not in PC3 prostate carcinoma cells despite comparable potency (SUDHL4: 120 nmol/L; PC3: 203 nmol/L) in causing growth inhibition by 50% (IC50). Flavopiridol did not induce topoisomerase I or II cleavable complex activity. A relation of p53, bcl2, or bax protein levels to apoptosis in SUDHL4 was not appreciated. While flavopiridol caused cell cycle arrest with decline in CDK1 activity in PC3 cells, apoptosis of SUDHL4 cells occurred without evidence of cell cycle arrest. These results suggest that antiproliferative activity of flavopiridol (manifest by cell cycle arrest) may be separated in different cell types from a capacity to induce apoptosis. Cells from hematopoietic neoplasms appear in this limited sample to be very susceptible to flavopiridol-induced apoptosis and therefore clinical trials in hematopoietic neoplasms should be of high priority.

N-4-hydroxyphenylretinamide enhances retinoic acid-induced differentiation and retinoylation of proteins in the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line, NB4, by a mechanism that may involve inhibition of retinoic acid catabolism.

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) induces differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells both in vitro and in vivo and is an alternative to cytotoxic chemotherapy in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, despite a complete remission rate of about 90%, most patients relapse and are resistant to further treatment with RA. This resistance primarily is due to an increased systemic catabolism of RA. In this study we examined the catabolism of RA by the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line NB4 and the human myeloid leukemia cell line HL60. NB4 cells converted RA to 4-hydroxy-RA, 4-oxo-RA and more polar unidentified retinoids at a much greater rate than HL60 cells. Exposure of NB4 cells to RA induced RA catabolism. We found that 4-hydroxyphenylretinamide (4-HPR) inhibited the catabolism of RA. This inhibition was dosedependent and greater, on a molar basis, than the inhibition seen with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor, ketoconazole, or two synthetic retinoids, Ch55 and Am80. 4-HPR alone was a poor inducer of differentiation of NB4 cells. However, it markedly enhanced RA-induced differentiation and increased the level of retinoylation, the covalent binding of RA to proteins. These results suggest some retinoid analogs, including 4-HPR, may have clinical utility because of their ability to increase the biological half-life of RA.

Growth, differentiation, and death of retinoic acid-treated human acute promyelocytic leukemia NB4 cells.

Published reports vary markedly on some characteristics of retinoic acid (RA) effects on cell growth and differentiation of the human acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line NB4. We explored possible reasons for this variability and found that the initial cell density of the experimental culture and the stage of growth of the cells used to inoculate experimental cultures were critical parameters for obtaining reproducible growth and differentiation responses of NB4 cells. Thus, the time to reach 50% differentiation in the presence of 1 microM RA and various initial concentrations of cells was 1.9 days with 2 x 10(6) cells/ml, 3.5 days with 2 x 10(5) cells/ml, and 4.7 days with 2 x 10(4) cells/ml. With an initial concentration of 2 x 10(5) cells/ml we saw time- and dose-dependent differentiation with RA concentrations >250 nM. However, in the presence of 25-250 nM RA, differentiation reached a maximum of about 20% on either Day 1 or Day 2 and then declined with time. The catabolism of RA appeared to be responsible for the decline in differentiation. In addition, large decreases in viability occurred after NB4 cultures, growing without or with RA, reached a density of only 1 x 10(6) cells/ml. The decreases in viability were greater at intermediate concentrations of RA with a nadir at about 100 nM. Loss of viability was associated with DNA fragmentation and changes in morphology typical of apoptosis and necrosis. The loss of viability occurring in control cultures necessitates caution when these cultures are used to seed experimental cultures.

Involvement of CD4 in interleukin-6 secretion by U937 monocytic cells stimulated with the lectin jacalin.

The lectin jacalin is mitogenic for CD4 expressing T lymphocytes, interacts with the CD4 molecule, and inhibits HIV infection of CD4+ cells. In the present study the effect of jacalin was tested on cells from the monocyte/macrophage lineage that also express the CD4 molecule. We used CD4+ promyelomonocytic U937 cells differentiated towards the monocytic/macrophage lineage with either a mixture of two physiological agents, retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD), or the exogenous drug phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). The cells resulting from these treatments differed in term of CD4 expression. We focused our attention on interleukin-6 (IL-6) production, which implies an activation of the cells differentiated along both pathways. In CD4+ RA/VD-treated cells, jacalin induced a 10-fold higher IL-6 secretion than did lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This jacalin-induced IL-6 production was inhibited by agents interacting with CD4 (anti-CD4 mAbs and HIV recombinant gp120) or by recombinant soluble CD4. In contrast, the CD4- PMA-differentiated U937 cells did not secrete any IL-6 upon jacalin treatment, while they demonstrated a response to LPS similar to that of the RA/VD-differentiated cells. Together with the fact that jacalin interacts with CD4, these results provide evidence of the involvement of a CD4 dependent pathway in IL-6 production.

Thermal stress as an inducer of differentiation of U937 cells.

The individual and combined effects of heat shock, all-trans retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on inhibition of cell growth and initiation of differentiation were investigated on U937 human leukemia cells. Incubation of U937 cells at 43 degrees C for 1 h did not affect cell viability but induced a reduction of cell growth and the emergence of a differentiated phenotype, characterized by the acquisition of chemiluminescent responses to various oxidative burst inducers and by the capacity to produce IL-6 in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Heat shock alone, therefore, appears to be an efficient inducer of cell differentiation. In addition, heat shock primed the cells to respond more efficiently to the action of retinoic acid and vitamin D, and amplified the phenotypic changes initiated by pretreatment of U937 cells with these agents.

Effect of retinoic acid and vitamin D on the expression of interleukin-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in the human monocytic cell line U937.

We have previously described a synergism between the two physiological hormones, retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) in the induction of U937 cell differentiation towards a more mature state. Herein, we investigated the regulation of cytokine production during RA and/or VD treatment of U937 cells. Cell differentiation was followed by measurement of their capacity to give oxidative responses, and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-6 gene and protein expression were determined in RA/VD-treated cells, activated or not with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The undifferentiated and RA-treated U937 cells were unable to produce monokines even when they were stimulated by LPS. VD induced the monokine mRNA expression in U937 cells but failed to induce protein release. However, unlike RA, it primed the cells to secrete monokines upon endotoxin stimulation. A large enhancement of the production of the monokines both at mRNA and protein levels was observed in the U937 cells exposed to the combination of RA + VD. Nevertheless, protein release required a further step of activation of the RA + VD-primed cells. The co-inducer effect of RA and VD was not observed in HL-60 or THP-1 cells and seems to be restricted to U937 cells. These results on cytokine expression support our previous finding that a combination of RA and VD brings the U937 cells to a high stage of myeloid differentiation with major characteristics of monocytes/macrophages.

The retinoic acid analog CBS-211A potentiates the 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced differentiation of U937 cells.

We report the effect of CBS-211A, a synthetic retinoid analog, designed for topical eye administration, on the growth and differentiation of myelomonocytic cells. This compound was assayed alone or in combination with 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1 alpha,25(OH)2D3), since we previously evidenced a synergism of retinoic acid (RA) and 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 in the induction of U937 cell differentiation. Unlike RA, CBS-211A neither affected the growth of myelomonocytic cells nor differentiated them. Nevertheless, when it was associated with 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3, CBS-211A strongly potentiated the 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3-induced inhibition of U937 cell proliferation and caused a dramatic increase in their differentiation toward monocytes/macrophages. The co-inducing effect of CBS-211A was restricted to U937 cells. Our data suggest that CBS-211A may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of certain kinds of myelomonocytic leukemia. CBS-211A also provides an interesting tool to understand the mechanisms involved in the differentiation of myelomonocytic cells.

Synergistic effect of retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the differentiation of the human monocytic cell line U937.

The human-derived leukemia cell lines HL-60 and U937 are known to differentiate into more mature phagocytic cells in the presence of retinoic acid or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. We studied the effects of combinations of these two agents on cell growth and differentiation. These treatments were found to increase inhibition of cell proliferation. A dramatic enhancement of functional properties was observed in U937, but not HL-60 cells exposed to combinations of the two inducers. We investigated the conditions required to obtain the highest synergistic effects on the differentiation of U937 cells. These effects were found to be highly dose-dependent. We found that synergism required the simultaneous presence of both inducers and did not occur upon sequential exposure to each agent used separately.

Induction of differentiation of the human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937 in the absence of vimentin expression.

We have studied the expression of vimentin in the human histiocytic lymphoma cell line U937, induced to differentiate along the monocyte/macrophage pathway. Normal monocytes possess a network of vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs) at all stages of maturation. The undifferentiated U937 leukemia cells contain very low amounts of vimentin, but express a conspicuous IF network when exposed to phorbol myristate acetate. In parallel, they acquire functional properties typical of cells of the monocyte lineage. These concomitant variations suggest that vimentin IFs could play a role in the process of differentiation. However, we observed that all-trans-retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 confer monocyte-like properties upon U937 cells without inducing vimentin expression. We obtained increased phenotypic changes, yet in the absence of a vimentin network, by combining the effects of both inducers. These results show that vimentin expression is not crucial for the acquisition of some of the functions characteristic of the monocyte/macrophage lineage.