The Requirement of Reactive Oxygen Species Generation in the Apoptosis of Leukemia Cells Induced by 2-Methoxyestradiol.

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) is a new anticancer agent currently under investigation for treatment of leukemia. We evaluated the effects of 2-ME-induced apoptosis in two myeloid leukemia cell lines (U937 and HL-60) in association with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. We found that 2-ME resulted in viability decrease in a dose-dependent manner, generated ROS: nitric oxide and superoxide anions, and mitochondria damage. 2-ME-induced apoptosis correlated with increase in ROS. Quenching of ROS with N-acetyl-L-cysteine protected leukemia cells from the cytotoxicity of 2-ME and prevented apoptosis induction by 2-ME. Furthermore, addition of manumycin, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, demonstrated by our previous studies that induced apoptosis of leukemic cells and induced ROS, significantly enhanced the apoptosis-induced by 2-ME. In conclusion, cellular ROS generation play an important role in the cytotoxic effect of 2-ME. It is possible to use ROS-generation agents such as manumycin to enhance the antileukemic effect. Such a combination strategy need the further in vivo justify and may have potential clinical application.