[The effects of a novel aminosteroid on WEHI-3B leukemia cells].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of a novel aminosteroid(KH) on WEHI-3B cells.

METHODS

The effects and mechanism of KH on proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of WEHI-3B cells in vitro were studied by semi-solid colony culture, MTT assay, morphologic examination, NBT reduction test, NSE assay, DNA fragmentation in gel electrophoresis and RT-PCR of c-myc oncogene.

RESULTS

The growth of leukemic colony was inhibited by KH(10(-8)-10(-4) mol.L-1) after treatment of KH for 7 days. The percentages of NBT and NSE positive cells were increased from 40.38% to 71.17% and 48.25% to 79.25%, respectively as well as the typical ladders of DNA fragments in gel electrophoresis were also observed after WEHI-3B cells were treated with KH(10(-8)-10(-4) mol.L-1) for 5 days. The c-myc mRNA expression of WEHI-3B cells was decreased by 58.7% after WEHI-3B cells were treated with KH(10(-8) mol.L-1) for 5 days.

CONCLUSION

KH might suppress the proliferation of WEHI-3B cells, induce the differentiation of WEHI-3B cells into macrophage-like cells and facilitate the cell apoptosis. There is relationship between the above effects and c-myc mRNA expression of WEHI-3B cells.