Nitric oxide modulation of the growth and differentiation of freshly isolated acute non-lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Freshly isolated acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) cells were treated with the nitric oxide (NO)-liberating compounds sodium nitroprusside or S-nitrosoacetyl penicillamine and analyzed for viability, growth, and differentiation at 3-5 days. NO decreased the viability and the growth of freshly isolated ANLL cells in vitro. NO treatment significantly increased expression of CD14 in blast cells from patients with M5 ANLL, and increased at least one differentiation parameter in M4 or M5 cells. It had little or no effect on parameters of differentiation in other ANLL cells. We conclude that in vitro culture with NO decreases the growth and viability of most freshly isolated ANLL cells. NO also induces the differentiation of ANLL cells with a monocytic phenotype.