M. Nezu et al., TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA UP-REGULATES TRANSFERRIN RECEPTORS IN K562 CELLS, Journal of international medical research, 22(3), 1994, pp. 145-152
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Pharmacy","Medicine, Research & Experimental
The effects of tumour necrosis factor-alpha on transferrin receptor ex
pression in a human chronic myelocytic leukaemia cell line, K 562 cell
s, were studied. Cytofluorometry studies showed that the numbers of tr
ansferrin receptors in exponentially growing K 562 cells were increase
d when the cells were incubated with tumour necrosis factor-alpha for
24 h. The induction of transferrin receptors by tumour necrosis factor
-alpha may be mediated by a mechanism that is independent of growth si
nce cell growth in treated cultures did not differ from that in the co
ntrols. The DNA contents of K 562 cells treated with tumour necrosis f
actor-alpha showed that after 24 h there were less cells in the G1 and
S phases and more cells in the G2/M phase than in the control group.
The phase of upregulation of transferrin receptors induced by tumour n
ecrosis factor-alpha may be dependent on the cell cycle. This new evid
ence that tumour necrosis factor-alpha upregulates transferrin recepto
rs suggests a cancer-anaemia cascade in which the cancer burden state
activates macrophage release of tumour necrosis factor-alpha as a resu
lt of transferrin receptor expression.