Enhanced expression of urokinase activity on U 937 cell line by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 induction.

1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a differentiation inducer for monocytic cell. It can induce a monoblastic cell line U937 to differentiate. In this paper, we report that by inducing the differentiation of U937, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 increased urokinase activity expression on U937 cell surfaces. After incubation of the cell with various concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, the cell line showed a remarkable progressively increasing membrane-associated urokinase activity in a dose dependent manner. On the contrary, plasminogen activator inhibitor activity which was found in the culture medium is not modified by the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 induction. This results suggests another role of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in the treatment of myelofibrosis, since enhanced plasmin generation can accelerate the activation of procollagenase. The induced plasmin and collagenase activities surrounding the monocytic cells may participate in the physiological and pathological events, especially in the connective tissue degradation.