Hydroxyl Radical-Mediated Commitment of HL-60 Cells to Differentiation: Modulation of Differentiation Process by Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors

This report shows that hydroxyl radical, generated by a Fenton reaction involving adenosine $5'-diphosphate/Fe^{2+}$ complex ($5-15\;{\mu}M$) and $H_2O_2$ ($2\;{\mu}M$), induced differentiation of HL-60 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This is evidenced by the increases in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate- and fMLP-stimulated superoxide production capability. The cells exposed to hydroxyl radical for defined periods (24∼96 hr) continued to differentiate even after the hydroxyl radical generating system had been removed. The differentiated cells displayed fMLP-stimulated calcium mobilization and increased expression of myeloid-specific antigen CD11b and CD14. The extent of the differentiation was markedly reduced by desferrioxamine ($100\;{\mu}M$), dimethylthiourea (5 mM), N,N'-diphenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine ($2\;{\mu}M$), and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (5 mM). The induction of differentiation by hydroxyl radical was enhanced by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine ($200\;{\mu}M$) and Ro-20-1724 ($8\;{\mu}M$), and inhibited by dipyridamole (2 ${\mu}M$). These results suggest that hydroxyl radicals may induce commitment of HL-60 cells to differentiate into more mature cells of myelomonocytic lineage through specific signal-transduction pathway that is modulated by phosphodiesterase inhibitors.