Induced rapid phospholipid methylation and arachidonic acid release by dimethyl sulfoxide-treated human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells.

The incubation of undifferentiated promyelocytic HL-60 cells with DMSO resulted in the rapid transmethylation of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) into phosphatidylcholine (PC) which was maximal at 60 secs. This rapid generation of PC was followed by a decrease of the methylated phospholipid and the release of arachidonic acid. Thus, the rapid DMSO-induced phospholipid methylation coupled with release of arachidonic acid (precursor for eicosanoids) prior to morphological evidence of cellular differentiation may represent early biochemical events which result in the generation of intracellular chemical signals which may program the promyelocytic cells into a differentiation mode.