NO and DNA synthesis inhibitors increase the phosphorylation of checkpoint kinases. A, K-562 cells were treated for 24 h with the indicated concentrations of inhibitors and processed to analyze TAp73α protein levels by immunoblotting. B, cells were incubated with 0.5 mm DETA-NO (NO) or 0.2 μg/ml adriamycin (Ad) for the indicated times and harvested to measure phospho-Ser-345-Chk1 (P-Chk1) and phospho-Thr68-Chk2 (P-Chk2) by immunoblotting. C, control. C, cells were treated with 0.5 mm DETA-NO (NO), 1 mm hydroxyurea (HU), 1 μm gemcitabine (GEM), 25 μm resveratrol (RES), or 100 μm propoxyphenol (PRO). Phospho-Chk1 (P-Chk1) and total Chk1 amounts were quantified by immunoblotting followed by measurement of band intensities with a LI-COR infrared fluorescence scanner. Results are the ratio between phospho-Chk1 and total Chk1 levels at 3 and 10 h (left panel, mean ± S.E. of 3 experiments) or 24 h (right panel). *, p < 0.05 versus control cells at the same time.