Glucorticoid-induced differentiation of cultured mouse myeloid leukemia cells

Mouse myeloid leukemia cells were induced by some corticoid hormones to migrate in agar, phagocytize, and change into forms which were morphologically similar to macrophages and granulocytes. Inducing ability of corticoids was correlated with glucocorticoid activity, not mineralocorticoid activity. Other steroids were ineffective to induce differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells. Glucocorticoid-resistant cells, which could not differentiate even in a high concentrations of dexamethasone, were selected from steroid-sensitive cells by stepwise increase in concentrations of dexamethasone in culture medium.