SummaryThe mechanism of cell death induction by dimethyl tetrahydroxyhelianthrone (DTHe), a new second-generation photodynamic sensitizer, is analysed in human leukaemic cell lines in comparison with the structurally related hypericin. DTHe has a broad range of light spectrum absorption that enables effective utilization of polychromatic light. Photosensitization of HL-60 cells with low doses of DTHe (0.65 µM DTHe and 7.2 J cm -2 light energy) induced rapid apoptosis of ≥90% of the cells. At doses ≥2 µM, dying cells assumed morphological necrosis with perinucleolar condensation of chromatin in HL-60 and K-562 cell lines. Although nuclear fragmentation that is characteristic to apoptosis was prevented, DNA digestion to oligonucleosomes proceeded unhindered. Such incomplete apoptosis was more prevalent with the related analogue hypericin throughout most doses of photosensitization. Despite hypericin being a stronger photosensitizer, DTHe exhibited advantageous phototoxic properties to tumour cells, initiating apoptosis at concentrations about threefold lower than hypericin. Photosensitization of the cells induced dissociation of the nuclear envelope, releasing lamins into the cytosol. DTHe also differed from hypericin in effects exerted on the nuclear lamina, causing release of an 86-kDa lamin protein into the cytosol that was unique to DTHe. Within the nucleus, nuclear envelope lamin B underwent covalent polymerization, which did not affect apoptotic nuclear fragmentation at low doses of DTHe. At higher doses, polymerization may have been extensive enough to prevent nuclear collapse. Hut-78, CD4 + cells were resistant to the photodynamically activated apoptotic pathway. Beyond the tolerated levels of photodynamic damage, these cells died exclusively via necrosis. Hut-78 cells overexpress Bcl-X L as well as a truncated Bcl-X L tr isoform that could contribute to the observed resistance to apoptosis.Keywords: photodynamic therapy; hypericin; dimethyl tetrahydroxyhelianthrone; Bcl-X; Bax; lamin; apoptosis 423British Journal of Cancer (1999) 79(3/4), 423-432 © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign Article no. bjoc.1998 Received Efforts to identify novel efficacious agents for photodynamic therapy led us to evaluate the photodynamically induced cytotoxicities of a newly designed photosensitizer 10,13-dimethyl 1,3,4,6-tetrahydroxyhelianthrone (DTHe) (Figure 1), in leukaemic cell lines. DTHe was chosen because of its dibenzperylenequinone chromophore (seven aromatic rings) that has absorption spectral properties virtually identical to hypocrellins, potent anti-tumoral photosensitizers isolated from the parasitic fungus Hypocrella bambuase which grows in China and Tibet (Diwu, 1990;Diwu, 1995; Miller, 1997). DTHe also shares structural similarities with HY and was anticipated to be a potent photosensitizer owing to its considerable light absorbance in the visible range of the spectrum. The phototoxicity profiles and mechanisms of cell death induction of DTHe were analysed in comparison with those of HY in HL-60, K-562 and Hut-...

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Summary:Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is frequently used to mobilize CD34+ cells in healthy donors and patient with malignant diseases prior to peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) harvest. To analyze the effects of rhG-CSF on morphology and genotype of white blood cells, a novel multiparametric cell scanning system that combines morphologic, immune and genotypic analyses of the same cells was used. We report here that tetraploid myeloid cells are present in the peripheral blood of donors treated with rhG-CSF. The tetraploidy was detected in up to 0.6% of differentiated myeloid cells and all observed CD34+ cells were diploid. Thus, short treatment with rhG-CSF of PBSC donors induces numerical chromosomal alterations in a small subset of mature myeloid cells.

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