The effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on differentiation were examined using mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells and compared with those of antiinflammatory agents. MPA at low doses (10−6 - 10−7 M) induced 10–15 % cells to differentiate, whereas high doses (10−4 - 10−5 M) caused a 30 % inhibition of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-induced differentiation. Dexamethasone (10−4 - 10−8 M), a steroid antiinflammatory agent, significantly inhibited (77–70 %) DMSO-induced differentiation, whereas indomethacin, aspirin, flurbiprofen and BW755c (non steroid antiinflammatory agents) at the same concentrations had no effect. If added 24 h before DMSO, the inhibitory effects of MPA and dexamethasone increased to 65 % and 95 %, respectively, whereas indomethacin (10−5 M) caused only a 30 % inhibition and the other drugs were inactive. None of these antiinflammatory agents affected differentiation when used without DMSO. MPA and dexamethasone inhibitory effects on DMSO-induced differentiation did not seem to be mediated through the inhibition of the synthesis of prostaglandins, since non-steroid prostaglandin inhibitors were slighly active only when added 24 h before DMSO.
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