EDTA induces differentiation and suppresses proliferation of promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60--possible participation of zinc.

Effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chelator of divalent cations, on the proliferation and differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 were examined. Incubation of HL-60 cells with 200 microM of EDTA suppressed cell proliferation, and induced differentiation assessed by reductivity of nitro blue tetrazolium and activity of alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase. These effects were inhibited by zinc (Zn) dose-dependently at concentrations of up to 20 microM, but not by other divalent cations including Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Ni, or Cd. Although addition of 200 microM EDTA for 24 hr decreased the c-myc mRNA level of HL-60 cells, coaddition of 20 microM of Zn also reversed this effect on c-myc mRNA level. Treatment with EDTA did not change the half-life time of degradation of c-myc mRNA after addition of actinomycin D (5 micrograms/ml). These findings suggest that Zn deficiency suppresses c-myc gene transcription which is followed by suppression of proliferation and induction of differentiation of HL-60 cells.