The active form of vitamin D, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3), inhibits proliferation and induces differentiation of myelomonocytic leukemia cells, but its clinical use is limited by the adverse effect of hypercalcemia. VD3 mobilizes calcium stores from bone by inducing the dissolution of bone
Humulone, a bone resorption inhibitor isolated from hop extract, induced apoptosis in the premyocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 between 1 and 100 micrograms/ml. Our data suggested that there was a correlation between the apoptosis-inducing activity of humulone and its antioxidative activity.