Induction of differentiation in human promyelocytic leukemia cells by tumor promoters

12-)-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), the prototype polyfunctional diterpene ester tumor promoter of two-step carcinogenesis in mouse skin, induced differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) in culture. Differentiation of HL-60 cells was characterized by increased phagocytosis, increased lysozyme activity (EC 3.2.1.17) in the growth medium, and changes in morphology to those characteristics of more mature cells resembling macrophages. Many of the cells treated with TPA became aggregated, attaching firmly to culture flasks. The average intracellular myeloperoxidase activity (EC 1.11.1.7) per cell decreased during induction of differentiation by TPA. It was also found that TPA enhanced, rather than inhibited, differentiation of HL-60 cells induced by DMSO. In addition to TPA, several polyfunctional diterpene esters of the tigliane, ingenane, and daphnane type have been tested for their ability to induce morphological and functional changes of HL-60 cells. The activities of the compounds to induce these changes correlated well with their activities as tumor promoters in two-step carcinogenesis in mouse skin. In particular, half the concentrations required for induction of adhesion of the cells to flasks were roughly correlated to the potency of these compounds as tumor promoters. Among the compounds tested, phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (PDD), ingenol-3-hexadecanoate, Pimelea factor P1 and Pimelea factor P2 were as active as TPA, while 4-O-methyl-TPA and 4 alpha-PDD were much less active. Phorbol and ingenol were totally inactive up to a concentrations 10,000-fold higher than that of TPA.