Lack of direct connection between arachidonic acid release and prostanoid synthesis upon differentiation of U937 cell

The changes in AA incorporation and release as well as prostanoid synthesis upon differentiation of human premonocytic cell line, U937, induced by three functionally diverse agents--phorbol ester (TPA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and retinoic acid (RA) have been investigated. The rate of AA incorporation into the cells remained unchanged whereas a 3- to 6-fold increase in AA release upon stimulation with Ca(2+)-ionophore A23187 as compared to undifferentiated cells was observed. While undifferentiated cells were incapable to metabolise AA via the cyclooxygenase pathway all three types of differentiated U937 cells produced TxB2 and PGE2. Only TPA-differentiated cells responded with a 6-fold increase of prostanoid synthesis after A23187 stimulation, whereas in DMSO-differentiated cells prostanoid synthesis was slightly stimulated by A23187 and in RA-differentiated cells it was not stimulated at all. Thus, agonist-induced prostanoid synthesis in differentiated cells is dependent on the nature of differentiating agent and does not correlate with AA liberation.