Structurally different anthracyclines provoke different effects on cell cycle and tumor B cell differentiation.

Previously we have detected a stimulatory effect on immunoglobulin (IgG) synthesis when hybridoma cells were treated with doxorubicin. In order to determine whether this is a general property of anthracycline, we have selected three analogs--doxorubicin (DOX), pirarubicin (THP-DOX) and aclarubicin (ACR)--which differ mainly in the methylation state of their amino sugars. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry and drug localization by scanning confocal microscopy were also performed. The results show that when cells (UN2 hybridoma B cells), were exposed to subtoxic doses of DOX or THP (with unmethylated amino sugars), a strong increases in IgG secretion, heavy (H) and light (L) chain synthesis and the corresponding mRNA levels were induced. Furthermore these two drugs arrested the cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. In contrast, exposure to ACR (with its methylated amino sugar) at similar subtoxic doses induced a blockade of cells in the G1 phase with no increase of IgG synthesis, at the subtoxic doses used, all three drugs could still be detected in the nucleus as well as in the cytoplasm, as determined by confocal laser microscopy. Thus, the relationship between cell cycle blockade, IgG stimulation and anthracycline structure is suggested by these results.