8-chloroadenosine induced HL-60 cell growth inhibition, differentiation, and G(0)/G(1) arrest involves attenuated cyclin D1 and telomerase and up-regulated p21(WAF1/CIP1).

8-Chloroadenosine, an active dephosphorylated metabolite of the antineoplastic agent 8-chloroadenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (8-Cl-cAMP), induces growth inhibition in multiple carcinomas. Here we report that 8-chloroadenosine inhibits growth in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells by a G(0)/G(1) phase arrest and terminates cell differentiation along the granulocytic lineage. The mechanism of 8-chloroadenosine-induced G(0)/G(1) arrest is independent of apoptosis. The expressions of cyclin D1 and c-myc in HL-60 are suppressed by 8-chloroadenosine, whereas the cyclin-dependent kinases inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) is up-regulated. 8-Chloroadenosine has less effect on the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk)2 and cdk4, G(1) phase cyclin-dependent kinases, and only moderately induces the expression of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and the mitotic inhibitor p27(KIP1). Telomerase activity is reduced in extracts of 8-chloroadenosine treated HL-60 cells, but 8-chloroadenosine does not directly inhibit the catalytic activity of telomerase in vitro. Therefore, anti-proliferation of HL-60 cells by 8-chloroadenosine involves coordination of cyclin D1 suppression, reduction of telomerase activity, and up-regulation of p21(WAF1/CIP1) that arrest cell-cycle progression at G(0)/G(1) phase and terminate cell differentiation.