Effect of combined treatment with interleukin-3 and interleukin-6 on 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-mediated reduction of glutathione levels and cytotoxicity in normal and leukemic bone marrow progenitor cells

4-Hydroperoxycyclophospnamide (4-HC) is widely used as an ex vivo bone marrow purging agent for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts. We have determined the effect of a combined treatment with interleukin 3 (IL-3) plus IL-6 on 4-HC cytoxicity against normal (CFU-GEMM) versus AML (L-CFU) bone marrow progenitor cells. Following an 18 h exposure to IL-3 plus IL-6, treatment with 4-HC in conjunction with IL-3 and IL-6 for one hour resulted in a significantly greater inhibition of L-CFU versus CFU-GEMM colony growth. In addition, treatment with IL-3 plus IL-6 reduced the inhibitory effects of higher concentrations of 4-HC on CFU-GEMM but not L-CFU growth. IL-3 and IL-6 did not protect the self-renewing, clonogenic, AML blast progenitor cells from the cytotoxic effects of 4-HC. While the total intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were not significantly different between untreated normal bone marrow mononuclear cells (NBMMC) and AML blasts, greater intracellular GSH-S transferase activity was observed in the NBMMC. 4-HC produced a marked reduction in GSH levels in NBMMC as well as AML blasts. But treatment with IL-3 plus IL-6 in conjunction with 4-HC resulted in significantly higher GSH levels in NBMMC. These differences in intracellular GSH levels and GST activity may offer an explanation for the differential protective effects of IL-3 plus IL-6 treatment against the cytotoxic effects of 4-HC on CFU-GEMM colony growth.