Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulates PMA-induced differentiation and superoxide production in HL-60 cells.

Treatment of the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) is associated with induction of monocytic or myelocytic differentiation. Since phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) is a critical player in cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation, we studied the role of PI3-kinase during induction of the differentiated monocytic phenotype and superoxide production. In treatment of HL-60 cells with PMA, the PI3-kinase inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin inhibited cell adhesion and spreading and phagocytic activity. LY294002 and wortmannin also inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells. During PMA-induced monocytic differentiation, LY294002 induced apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. The phosphorylation of p85alpha derived from PMA-stimulated HL-60 cells was shown in the time dependent manner. However, p70 S6 kinase inhibitor, rapamycin, did not inhibit PMA-induced monocytic differentiation. During PMA-induced monocytic differentiation, LY294002 inhibited c-jun protein expression and decrease of c-myc protein level. In contrast, LY294002 induced production of superoxide in the HL-60 cells stimulated with forskolin. Moreover, staurosporine and H7, PKC inhibitors, enhanced superoxide production in dibutyryl cAMP-induced HL-60 cells. These results suggest that PI3-kinase may regulate PMA-induced differentiation signal and provide a crucial link between PKC and cAMP in HL-60 cells.