Cyclosporine inhibited calcium-mediated apoptosis of HL-60 cells.

AIM: To study the effects of cyclosporine (Cyc) on apoptosis of HL-60 cells. METHODS: Apoptotic cells induced by harringtonine (Har), camptothecin (Cam), or calcimycin (Cal), thapsigargin (Tha) were identified with DNA electrophoresis, morphology, and flow cytometry. Relative [Ca2+]i alteration of apoptotic HL-60 cells were determined with flow cytometry. RESULTS: Cal 1 mg.L-1 or Tha 0.5 mg.L-1 induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells. This effect was inhibited by nontoxic concentration of Cyc 1 mg.L-1. Cyc did not inhibit Har- or Cam-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells. Both Cal and Tha increased intracellular calcium, whereas Har or Cam did not. CONCLUSION: Cyc inhibited apoptosis only induced by calcium increasement in HL-60 cells. The mechanism of apoptosis induced by Cal or Tha was different from that by Har or Cam.

Inhibition of harringtonine-induced apoptosis by tetradecanoylphorbol acetate in human leukemia HL-60 cells.

AIM: To study the changes of the apoptosis induced by camptothecin (Cam) or harringtonine (Har) in human leukemia HL-60 cells after the cells were preincubated with tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TA). METHODS: Chromatin condensation observation, flow cytometry, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, and Dot blot hybridization. RESULTS: After the HL-60 cells were preincubated with TA 200 nmol.L-1 for 6 h, the apoptosis induced by Har 0.1 mg.L-1 for 3 h was drastically inhibited, and the apoptosis by Cam 0.2 mg.L-1 for 3 h was partly inhibited. On the other hand, the expression level of c-myc gene in HL-60 cells decreased apparently after the preincubation of TA. CONCLUSION: TA preincubation inhibited the apoptosis induced by Har obviously or by Cam partly in human leukemia HL-60 cells, and the expression of c-myc gene decreased drastically in the preincubated cells, which might result in the inhibition of apoptosis.