Differential Induction of Apoptosis in Undifferentiated and Differentiated HL-60 Cells by DNA Topoisomerase I and I1 Inhibitors

The effects of monocytic/macrophage and granulocytic differentiation induced by phorbol myristate acetate (TPA) and all-trans retinoic acid, respectively, were tested on the induction of apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells treated with topoisomerase I and II inhibitors. Using a filter-binding assay, we observed a strong inhibition of DNA fragmentation induced by 3and 24-hour continuous exposure to camptothecin, VP-16, VM-26, and m-AMSA in TPA-differentiated cells. The inhibition of the typical internucleosomal DNA fragmentation was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. By contrast, drug-induced DNA fragmentation was not inhibited in retinoic acid-differentiated cells, and apoptosis occurred in these cells after 4 to 5 days in the absence of drug treatment. The TPA inhibitory effect was maximal after 24 hours of treatment and was correlated with differentiation, because phorbol dibutyrate ester was active, whereas 4-u-TPA. a nontumor