Mitogenic and co-mitogenic properties of hemin.

We report here that hemin, an agent known to induce cellular differentiation in Friend erythroleukemia cells, induces mitogenesis in human T cells and enhances mitogenic responses to supraoptimal concentrations of Con A. Mitogenesis induced by suboptimal or optimal concentrations of Con A is not affected by concentrations of hemin that markedly potentiate responses to supraoptimal amounts of Con A. Maximum mitogenic responses are reached 4 to 5 days after initiation of the cultures. The mitogenic response is macrophage dependent, whereas enhancement of responses to supraoptimal concentrations of Con A is not. Indeed, a greater degree of enhancement is observed after removal of adherent cells. Responses to other mitogens (phytohemagglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin, and sodium periodate) are also enhanced by hemin. Compounds that are metabolically or structurally related to hemin are neither mitogenic nor co-mitogenic. Protoporphyrin IX, which is nonmitogenic, is rendered mitogenic by the chemical insertion of iron to form hemin. Hemin does not affect Con A binding to lymphocytes. These findings indicate that hemin is a macrophage-dependent T cell mitogen with the unusual and remarkable property of overcoming the inhibition of mitogenesis induced by high concentrations of Con A. Since hemin has a limited number of metabolic effects, it provides a useful probe for determination of molecular events associated with lymphocyte activation.