Daunorubicin-induced apoptosis in rat cardiac myocytes is inhibited by dexrazoxane. (1/1295)

-The clinical efficacy of anthracycline antineoplastic agents is limited by a high incidence of severe and usually irreversible cardiac toxicity, the cause of which remains controversial. In primary cultures of neonatal and adult rat ventricular myocytes, we found that daunorubicin, at concentrations /=10 micromol/L induced necrotic cell death within 24 hours, with no changes characteristic of apoptosis. To determine whether reactive oxygen species play a role in daunorubicin-mediated apoptosis, we monitored the generation of hydrogen peroxide with dichlorofluorescein (DCF). However, daunorubicin (1 micromol/L) did not increase DCF fluorescence, nor were the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine or the combination of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid able to prevent apoptosis. In contrast, dexrazoxane (10 micromol/L), known clinically to limit anthracycline cardiac toxicity, prevented daunorubicin-induced myocyte apoptosis, but not necrosis induced by higher anthracycline concentrations (>/=10 micromol/L). The antiapoptotic action of dexrazoxane was mimicked by the superoxide-dismutase mimetic porphyrin manganese(II/III)tetrakis(1-methyl-4-peridyl)porphyrin (50 micromol/L). The recognition that anthracycline-induced cardiac myocyte apoptosis, perhaps mediated by superoxide anion generation, occurs at concentrations well below those that result in myocyte necrosis, may aid in the design of new therapeutic strategies to limit the toxicity of these drugs.  (+info)

The ras oncogene-mediated sensitization of human cells to topoisomerase II inhibitor-induced apoptosis. (2/1295)

BACKGROUND: Among the inhibitors of the enzyme topoisomerase II (an important target for chemotherapeutic drugs) tested in the National Cancer Institute's In Vitro Antineoplastic Drug Screen, NSC 284682 (3'-hydroxydaunorubicin) and NSC 659687 [9-hydroxy-5,6-dimethyl-1-(N-[2(dimethylamino)ethyl]carbamoyl)-6H-pyrido -(4,3-b)carbazole] were the only compounds that were more cytotoxic to tumor cells harboring an activated ras oncogene than to tumor cells bearing wild-type ras alleles. Expression of the multidrug resistance proteins P-glycoprotein and MRP (multidrug resistance-associated protein) facilitates tumor cell resistance to topoisomerase II inhibitors. We investigated whether tumor cells with activated ras oncogenes showed enhanced sensitivity to other topoisomerase II inhibitors in the absence of the multidrug-resistant phenotype. METHODS: We studied 20 topoisomerase II inhibitors and individual cell lines with or without activated ras oncogenes and with varying degrees of multidrug resistance. RESULTS: In the absence of multidrug resistance, human tumor cell lines with activated ras oncogenes were uniformly more sensitive to most topoisomerase II inhibitors than were cell lines containing wild-type ras alleles. The compounds NSC 284682 and NSC 659687 were especially effective irrespective of the multidrug resistant phenotype. The ras oncogene-mediated sensitization to topoisomerase II inhibitors was far more prominent with the non-DNA-intercalating epipodophyllotoxins than with the DNA-intercalating inhibitors. This difference in sensitization appears to be related to a difference in apoptotic sensitivity, since the level of DNA damage generated by etoposide (an epipodophyllotoxin derivative) in immortalized human kidney epithelial cells expressing an activated ras oncogene was similar to that in the parental cells, but apoptosis was enhanced only in the former cells. CONCLUSIONS: Activated ras oncogenes appear to enhance the sensitivity of human tumor cells to topoisomerase II inhibitors by potentiating an apoptotic response. Epipodophyllotoxin-derived topoisomerase II inhibitors should be more effective than the DNA-intercalating inhibitors against tumor cells with activated ras oncogenes.  (+info)

Stable incorporation of a lipophilic daunorubicin prodrug into apolipoprotein E-exposing liposomes induces uptake of prodrug via low-density lipoprotein receptor in vivo. (3/1295)

Many tumors express elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors. Therefore, native LDL and synthetic LDL-like particles have been proposed as carriers for antineoplastic drugs. We demonstrated earlier that small apolipoprotein E (apoE)-exposing liposomes were specifically recognized by the LDL receptor. In this study, we incorporated a lipophilic derivative of daunorubicin (LAD) into the apoE liposomes. Up to 11 molecules of LAD could be incorporated per particle without significantly changing the size, lipid composition, and ability to bind apoE of the liposomes. The biological fate of the prodrug was largely determined by its carrier (70% of the initially incorporated LAD was still associated to the liposomes after 4 h of circulation in mice). Compared with free daunorubicin, the circulation half-life of the liposome-associated prodrug was substantially prolonged and undesired tissue disposition was reduced. The role of the LDL receptor in the metabolism of LAD-loaded apoE liposomes was demonstrated in rats with up-regulated hepatic LDL receptors. In these rats, the liver uptake of the prodrug and carrier was increased 5-fold. The addition of apoE was essential for LDL receptor-mediated uptake of the drug-carrier complex. In LDL receptor-deficient mice, the circulation time of both the prodrug and the carrier increased approximately 2-fold compared with wild-type mice. We conclude that LAD-loaded apoE liposomes constitute a stable drug-carrier complex that is well suited for LDL receptor-mediated selective drug delivery to tumors.  (+info)

Metabolism of daunorubicin by a barbiturate-sensitive aldehyde reductase from rat liver. (4/1295)

A barbiturate-sensitive aldehyde reductase was purified to homogeneity from rat liver and shown to metabolize the cancer-chemotherapeutic antibiotic daunorubicin. The aldehyde reductase may have important roles in the metabolism of exogeneous drugs as well as the aldehyde derivatives of the biogenic amines.  (+info)

Sodium salicylate activates caspases and induces apoptosis of myeloid leukemia cell lines. (5/1295)

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIA) have been shown to exert potent chemopreventive activity against colon, lung, and breast cancers. In this study, we show that at pharmacological concentrations (1 to 3 mmol/L) sodium salicylate (Na-Sal) can potently induce programmed cell death in several human myeloid leukemia cell lines, including TF-1, U937, CMK-1, HL-60, and Mo7e. TF-1 cells undergo rapid apoptosis on treatment with Na-Sal, as indicated by increased annexin V binding capacity, cpp-32 (caspase-3) activation, and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and gelsolin. In addition, the expression of MCL-1, an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, is downregulated during Na-Sal-induced cell death, whereas the expression of BCL-2, BAX, and BCL-XL is unchanged. Z-VAD, a potent caspase inhibitor, prevents the cleavage of PARP and gelsolin and rescues cells from Na-Sal-induced apoptosis. In addition, we show that Na-Sal accelerates growth factor withdrawal-induced apoptosis and synergizes with daunorubicin to induce apoptosis in TF-1 cells. Thus, our data provide a potential mechanism for the chemopreventive activity of NSAIA and suggest that salicylates may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of human leukemia.  (+info)

Selective inhibition of MDR1 P-glycoprotein-mediated transport by the acridone carboxamide derivative GG918. (6/1295)

The acridone carboxamide derivative GG918 (N-{4-[2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)-ethyl]-pheny l}-9,10dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide) is a potent inhibitor of MDR1 P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance. Direct measurements of ATP-dependent MDR1 P-glycoprotein-mediated transport in plasma membrane vesicles from human and rat hepatocyte canalicular membranes indicated 50% inhibition at GG918 concentrations between 8 nM and 80 nM using N-pentyl-[3H]quinidinium, ['4C]doxorubicin and [3H]daunorubicin as substrates. The inhibition constant K for GG918 was 35 nM in rat hepatocyte canalicular membrane vesicles with [3H]daunorubicin as the substrate. Photoaffinity labelling of canalicular and recombinant rat Mdr1b P-glycoprotein by [3H]azidopine was suppressed by 10 muM and 40 muM GG918. The high selectivity of GG918-induced inhibition was demonstrated in canalicular membrane vesicles and by analysis of the hepatobiliary elimination in rats using [3H]daunorubicin, [3H]taurocholate and [3H]cysteinyl leukotrienes as substrates for three distinct ATP-dependent export pumps. Almost complete inhibition of [3H]daunorubicin transport was observed at GG918 concentrations that did not affect the other hepatocyte canalicular export pumps. The high potency and selectivity of GG918 for the inhibition of human MDR1 and rat Mdr1b P-glycoprotein may serve to interfere with this type of multidrug resistance and provides a tool for studies on the function of these ATP-dependent transport proteins.  (+info)

Dual mechanism of daunorubicin-induced cell death in both sensitive and MDR-resistant HL-60 cells. (7/1295)

Exposure of some acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cells to daunorubicin leads to rapid cell death, whereas other AML cells show natural drug resistance. This has been attributed to expression of functional P-glycoprotein resulting in reduced drug accumulation. However, it has also been proposed that P-glycoprotein-expressing multidrug-resistant (MDR) cells are inherently defective for apoptosis. To distinguish between these different possibilities, we have compared the cell death process in a human AML cell line (HL-60) with a MDR subline (HL-60/Vinc) at doses that yield either similar intracellular daunorubicin concentrations or comparable cytotoxicity. Adjustment of the dose to obtain the same intracellular drug accumulation in the two cell lines did not result in equal cytotoxicity, suggesting the presence of additional resistance mechanisms in the P-glycoprotein-expressing HL-60/Vinc cells. However, at equitoxic doses, similar cell death pathways were observed. In HL-60 cells, daunorubicin induced rapid apoptosis at 0.5-1 microM and delayed mitotic cell death at 0.1 microM. These concentrations are within the clinical dose range. Similarly, HL-60/Vinc cells underwent apoptosis at 50-100 microM daunorubicin and mitotic cell death at 10 microM. These results show, for the first time, that anthracyclines can induce cell death by a dual mechanism in both sensitive and MDR cells. Our results also show that not only the cytotoxicity, but also the kinetics and mechanism of cell death, are dose dependent. Interestingly, regrowth was observed only in association with delayed cell death and the formation of enlarged, often polyploid, cells with micronucleation, suggesting that morphological criteria may be useful to evaluate treatment efficacy in patients with myeloid leukaemias.  (+info)

ATP- and glutathione-dependent transport of chemotherapeutic drugs by the multidrug resistance protein MRP1. (8/1295)

The present study was performed to investigate the ability of the multidrug resistance protein (MRPI) to transport different cationic substrates in comparison with MDR1-P-glycoprotein (MDR1). Transport studies were performed with isolated membrane vesicles from in vitro selected multidrug resistant cell lines overexpressing MDR1 (A2780AD) or MRP1 (GLC4/Adr) and a MRP1-transfected cell line (S1(MRP)). As substrates we used 3H-labelled derivatives of the hydrophilic monoquaternary cation N-(4',4'-azo-in-pentyl)-21-deoxy-ajmalinium (APDA), the basic drug vincristine and the more hydrophobic basic drug daunorubicin. All three are known MDR1-substrates. MRP1 did not mediate transport of these substrates per se. In the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH), there was an ATP-dependent uptake of vincristine and daunorubicin, but not of APDA, into GLC4/Adr and S1(MRP) membrane vesicles which could be inhibited by the MRP1-inhibitor MK571. ATP- and GSH-dependent transport of daunorubicin and vincristine into GLC4/Adr membrane vesicles was inhibited by the MRP1-specific monoclonal antibody QCRL-3. MRP1-mediated daunorubicin transport rates were dependent on the concentration of GSH and were maximal at concentrations > or = 10 mM. The apparent KM value for GSH was 2.7 mM. Transport of daunorubicin in the presence of 10 mM GSH was inhibited by MK571 with an IC50 of 0.4 microM. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that MRP1 transports vincristine and daunorubicin in an ATP- and GSH-dependent manner. APDA is not a substrate for MRP1.  (+info)