Effect of verapamil on the class I major histocompatibility complex antigen expression in K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells treated with recombinant human interferon-gamma.

The effects of various compounds which modulated the intracellular signal transduction on the induction of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens by recombinant human interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma) were investigated using K562, chronic myelogenous leukemia cells. Class I or class II MHC antigens were not expressed in untreated K562 cells and rIFN-gamma (600 units/ml) weakly induced class I antigens on the cells. Among the compounds tested, verapamil but not the calcium ionophore A23187 enhanced the rIFN-gamma-induced class I antigen expression at both the surface molecule and mRNA levels and enhancement by verapamil occurred in a dose-dependent manner at non-toxic concentrations examined (approximately 50 microM). Verapamil alone had no inducible effect on MHC antigen expression. Deprivation of Ca2+ in culture medium by ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) could not cause an enhancement of class I antigen induction by rIFN-gamma. Simultaneous exposure of K562 cells to rIFN-gamma (600 units/ml) and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rTNF; 1000 units/ml) in combination with verapamil (50 microM) resulted in a further increase of class I antigens in the cells. The expressions of c-myc oncogene in K562 cells were not changed when the cells were treated with rIFN-gamma (600 units/ml) or verapamil (50 microM), either alone or in combination. These results indicate that verapamil synergistically interacts with rIFN-gamma on the class I antigen induction in K562 cells irrespective of c-myc gene expression and that class I antigen induction in this cell line may not be relevant to calcium influx triggered by IFN-gamma.