1,25(OH)2-VITAMIN-D(3) MEDIATED CHANGES IN MESSENGER-RNA FOR C-MYC AND 1,25(OH)2D3 RECEPTOR IN HL-60 CELLS AND RELATED SUBCLONES

HL-60 cells have been shown to differentiate into monocyte-like cells as a consequence of the interaction of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) with a specific intracellular receptor (VDR). Of c-myc it has been reported that it plays a role in cell proliferation and differentiation. We have investigated the expression of VDR and c-myc mRNA of three subclones of HL-60 cells (N, R and MR) after exposure to 1,25(OH)2D3. The N cell is a normal clone in which 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited cell proliferation and also induced cell differentiation. The R cell is a resistant clone whose proliferation and differentiation are not affected by 1,25(OH)2D3. The MR cell is a mixed response type clone whose proliferation was not inhibited by 1,25(OH)2D3, while its differentiation was actually induced by 1,25(OH)2D3. The VDR mRNA expression of the N and MR cells reached a peak at 2 h (2.3- and 2.6-fold induction, respectively) and returned to the control level after 24 h treatment of 1,25(OH)2D3. The c-myc mRNA expression was significantly inhibited in the 1,25(OH)2D3-induced N cells, but not in the MR cells. In contrast, 1,25(OH)2D3 did not induce any changes of the VDR and c-myc mRNA levels in the R cells. In separate experiments, the level of the VDR in the three clones was determined via Scatchard analysis; the VDR of the N, MR and R cells were found to be 4500/cell, 3570/cell and less than 600/cell, respectively. These results are consistent with an involvement of 1,25(OH)2D3 and VDR in differentiation events, and support the notion that c-myc is related to cell proliferation rather than cell differentiation.