Involvement of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members in terbinafine-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in HL60 cells.

Terbinafine (TB, lamisil), a promising world widely used oral-anti-fungal agent, has been used in the treatment of superficial mycosis. In this study, we found that apoptosis but not cell growth arrest was induced by TB (1 microM, for 24 h) in human promyelocytic leukemia (HL60) cells. The apoptotic effect induced by TB in the HL60 cell was not through the general differentiation mechanisms evidenced by evaluation of three recognized markers, including CD11b, CD33, and morphological features.