The effect of cytokines on the differentiation of an eosinophilic leukemia cell line (EoL-1) is associated with down regulation of c-myc gene expression.

In this study, we measured hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) release as one of the functions of mature eosinophils, and utilized it as a quantitative index. We demonstrated that 1) the human eosinophilic leukemia cell line, EoL-1, did not release H2O2 when stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), but after culturing with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) it acquired the ability to release H2O2; 2) the ability to release H2O2 was time dependent and reached a peak after 4 days of culture; 3) administration of TGF-beta or GM-CSF, with TNF and IFN-gamma enhanced the PMA-induced release of H2O2 from EoL-1. To examine the potential relationship between c-myc gene expression and induction of the ability to release H2O2, Northern analysis of c-myc gene expression in EoL-1 cocultured with TNF and IFN-gamma was performed. The results showed that the c-myc gene was spontaneously expressed in EoL-1, and the level of c-myc mRNA was markedly reduced after the cells were cocultured with TNF and IFN-gamma, suggesting that the decrease of the c-myc mRNA level is closely associated with induction of the ability to release H2O2.