Human Erythroleukemia Cell Line (HEL) Undergoes a Drastic Macrophage-Like Shift With TPA

• Published in: Blood Vol. 62; no. 4; pp. 832 - 845
• Main Authors: Papayannopoulou, Thalia, Nakamoto, Betty, Yokochi, Takashi, Chait, Alan, Kannagi, Reiji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Elsevier Inc 01-10-1983; The Americain Society of Hematology
• Subjects: Acid Phosphatase - blood; Antigens, Surface - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cell Line; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Erythrocytes - ultrastructure; Esterases - blood; Globins - biosynthesis; Glycoproteins - blood; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute - blood; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute - genetics; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Macrophages - drug effects; Medical sciences; Phagocytosis; Phenotype; Phorbols - pharmacology; Receptors, Cell Surface - metabolism; Receptors, LDL; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; Di Guglielmo syndrome; Histochemistry; Established cell line; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V62.4.832.832

We investigated the effect of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol13-acetate (TPA) on the human erythroleukemia cell line, HEL, and found that TPA addition (10 6-10 6M) to HEL cell cultures induces morphological, functional, and biochemical changes in HEL cells that are characteristic for macrophage-like cells. Apart from the drastic changes in morphology, the cells greatly enhance their phagocytic ability and acquire receptors for binding and degradation of chemically modified lipoproteins. At the biochemical level. a newly synthesized 85K glycoprotein is observed, and the cells are unresponsive to inducers of globin synthesis. Comparative observations with K562 cells indicate that TPA inhibits, as in HEL cells, spontaneous and induced globin synthesis, but induces minimal macrophage-like properties in these cells. The results with HEL cells are interpreted to indicate that TPA uncovers a latent monocyte-like phenotype in these cells.