Inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism reduce DNA and nuclear fragmentation induced by TNF plus cycloheximide in U937 cells

U937 human myeloid leukemia cells are induced to apoptosis by tumour necrosis factor (TNF) plus cycloheximide (CHX). We have analysed the effect of various inhibitors of the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism on several features of this process. The formation of high molecular weight and oligonucleosomal DNA fragments as well as nuclear fragmentation were reduced by inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase (BWA4C and BWB70C), 5-LO activating protein (MK-886), and cytosolic PLA2 (AACOCF3). None of these agents blocked the morphological changes detected by microscopy or flow cytometry, phosphatidylserine exposure on the cell surface or Caspase 3-like activation. AA also induced nuclear fragmentation at a concentration of 1-20 microM. However, the mechanisms by which these inhibitors act, remain unexplained since there was no 5-LO expression in the U937 cells and no AA release followed their stimulation with TNF plus CHX.