Drugs affecting the hormonal receptors of normal and leukaemic peripheral leucocytes

The authors investigated the behaviour of steroid hormone uptake in leukaemic cells (CML, CLL, AML, ALL), in basal conditions and after incubation with drugs which modify the cellular concentration of cAMP, PGE and PGF. The results demonstrated the presence in leukaemic cells of an alteration in the incorporation of steroid hormones. This alteration was scarcely modified by incubation with theophylline, which increases cellular concentration of cAMP. On the other hand, it was moderately counteracted by thioproline and was evidently inhibited by flurbiprofen, which also reduced cellular concentrations of prostaglandins, particularly PGE2, with the exception of PGF2 which showed a poor response. Differences were observed in the behavior of hormonal uptake of CML, in contrast to that of AML, CLL and ALL peripheral leucocytes.