Effect of deferoxamine on DNA synthesis, DNA repair, cell proliferation, and differentiation of HL-60 cells.

The ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors deferoxamine and hydroxyurea induce monocyte-macrophage cell differentiation in the leukemic cell line HL-60 as judged by the expression of cell surface antigens, nonspecific esterase activity, and morphological changes. Treatment of HL-60 cells with deferoxamine results in inhibition of DNA synthesis and irreversible loss of colony-forming ability. In addition, both deferoxamine and hydroxyurea caused an increase in the number of DNA strand breaks in HL-60 cells. A DNA methylating agent, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, also caused cellular differentiation in HL-60 cells associated with DNA strand breaks. These observations are consistent with a role for DNA damage or for inhibition of DNA synthesis and repair in the differentiation process of HL-60 cells.