Effect of bioactive aldehydes on cell proliferation and c-myc expression in HL-60 human leukemic cells

Lipid peroxidation produces several toxic carbonyls, including biologically active aldehydes. In previous studies, we demonstrated that 4-hydroxynonen al (HNE), one of the major products of lipoperoxidation, inhibited growth a nd c-myc expression in K562 and HL-60 human leukemic cells. In this study, we compared the HNE effects with those of 4-hydroxyoctenal (HOE), 4-hydroxy undecenal (HUE; different lengths of the lipophilic tail), and the analogou s aldehydes 2-trans-nonanal (lacking the OH group) and nonenal (lacking the OH group and the trans CC double bond), on HL-60 cell proliferation and c- myc expression. HUE and HOE inhibited growth and c-myc expression in a dose -dependent fashion, with an effectiveness comparable with that of HNE, wher eas 2-nonenal and nonanal did not affect these parameters. Our results show ed that different aldehydes produced from lipid peroxidation may contribute to growth inhibition by c-myc downregulation and that the molecular featur es involved seem to be the hydroxy group and the trans CC double bond.