Regulation of proto-oncogene and tumor necrosis factor gene expression by
ethanol in HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells
R Datta, ML Sherman and DW Kufe
Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
Previous studies have shown that certain low molecular weight polar
solvents downregulate c-myc gene expression and induce terminal
differentiation of human HL-60 myeloid leukemia cells. We have examined the
effects of ethanol on gene expression in this cell line. The results show
that while ethanol induces a more differentiated phenotype, this agent has
little effect on the self-renewal capacity of HL-60 cells. Ethanol
treatment was also associated with a concentration- dependent and transient
downregulation of c-myc transcripts. Similar effects were observed for
c-myb mRNA levels. The results further show that ethanol exposure is
associated with induction of tumor necrosis factor gene expression. These
findings indicate that ethanol induces changes in specific gene expression
during non-terminal differentiation of HL-60 cells. The clinical effects of
this agent could thus be related to altered patterns of gene expression in
hematopoietic or other cells.
Volume 76,
Issue 2,
pp. 298-301,
07/15/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology
