Small Molecules Targeting Human UDP-GlcNAc 2-Epimerase.

Uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase (GNE) is a key enzyme in the sialic acid biosynthesis pathway. Sialic acids are primarily terminal carbohydrates on glycans and play fundamental roles in health and disease. In search of effective GNE inhibitors not based on a carbohydrate scaffold, we performed a high-throughput screening campaign of 68,640 drug-like small molecules against recombinant GNE using a UDP detection assay. We validated nine of the primary actives with an orthogonal real-time NMR assay and verified their IC50 values in the low micromolar to nanomolar range manually. Stability and solubility studies revealed three compounds for further evaluation. Thermal shift assays, analytical size exclusion, and interferometric scattering microscopy demonstrated that the GNE inhibitors acted on the oligomeric state of the protein. Finally, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) revealed which sections of GNE were shifted upon the addition of the inhibitors. In summary, we have identified three small molecules as GNE inhibitors with high potency in vitro, which serve as promising candidates to modulate sialic acid biosynthesis in more complex systems.

Characterization of apoptosis induced by photodynamic treatment with hypericin in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells.

Hypericin is a naturally occurring metabolite extracted from Hypericum plants and is regarded as a promising photosensitizing agent for applications in the frame of photodynamic treatment (PDT). This treatment procedure is based on the light-induced formation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent destruction of target cells. We used an in vitro model system consisting of human epidermoid carcinoma cells (A431) and hypericin as a photosensitizer to study the time- and dose-dependent characteristics of hypericin-PDT-based induction of cytotoxicity and apoptotic cell death. The induction of apoptosis by hypericin-PDT was found to follow a strict dose-dependent manner with a transition to necrotic cell death at higher doses. Apoptosis was analyzed by characteristical biochemical and morphological markers (activation of caspases, nuclear fragmentation and membrane blebbing). Time-course analysis of an almost homogenous apoptotic population of cells (at 1.44 J/cm2) showed a rapid increase in nuclear fragmentation and activation of caspases reaching a maximum at 5 hr after irradiation. Using specific caspase substrates, significant activation of caspase-2, -3, -6, and -9 was found. Mitochondrial involvement during hypericin-PDT-induced apoptosis could be proven by a rapid reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential; interestingly, the level of intracellular adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) remains at control level for up to 6 hr post irradiation suggesting upregulation of glycolysis as a compensating mechanism of energy supply. Our data contribute to a deeper understanding of the processes involved in apoptotic cell death following photodynamic treatment with hypericin.

Differential effects of glucose deprivation on the cellular sensitivity towards photodynamic treatment-based production of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis-induction.

Photodynamic treatment (PDT) employs a photosensitizer and the light-induced formation of reactive oxygen species--antagonized by cellular antioxidant systems--for the removal of harmful cells. This study addresses the effect of altered carbohydrate metabolism on the cellular antioxidant glutathione system, and the subsequent responses to PDT. It is shown that glucose-deprivation of 18 h prior to PDT causes a reduced level of intracellular glutathione and an increased cytotoxicity of PDT. These effects can be mimicked by inhibitors of glutathione synthesis (buthionine-sulfoximine) or its regeneration (1,3-bis-(2-chlorethyl)-1-nitrosourea). Inhibited glutathione metabolism shifts the apoptotic window to lower fluences, while glucose deprivation abolishes apoptosis as a result of ATP deficiency. Our results prove evidence for manipulation of the outcome of PDT through internal metabolic pathways.

Apoptosis following photodynamic tumor therapy: induction, mechanisms and detection.

As a treatment modality for malign and certain non-malignant diseases, photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves a two step protocol which consists of the (selective) uptake and accumulation of a photosensitizing agent in target cells and the subsequent irradiation with light in the visible range. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during this process cause cellular damage and, depending on the treatment dose/severity of damage, lead to either cellular repair/survival, apoptotic cell death or necrosis. PDT-induced apoptosis has been focused on during the last years due to the intimate connection between ROS generation, mitochondria and apoptosis; by this PDT employs mechanisms different to those in the action of radio- and chemotherapeutics, giving rise to the chance of apoptosis induction by PDT even in cells resistant to conventional treatments. In this review, the (experimental) variables determining the cellular response after PDT and the known mechanistic details of PDT-triggered induction and execution of apoptosis are discussed. This is accompanied by a critical evaluation of wide-spread methods employed in apoptosis detection with special respect to in vitro/cell-based methodology.

Photodynamic treatment with fractionated light decreases production of reactive oxygen species and cytotoxicity in vitro via regeneration of glutathione.

Photodynamic therapy removes unwanted or harmful cells by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Fractionated light delivery in photodynamic therapy may enhance the photodynamic effect in tumor areas with insufficient blood supply by enabling the reoxygenation of the treated area. This study addresses the outcome of fractionated irradiation in an in vitro photodynamic treatment (PDT) system, where deoxygenation can be neglected. Our results show that fractionated irradiation with light/dark intervals of 45/60 s decreases ROS production and cytotoxicity of PDT. This effect can be reversed by addition of 1,3-bis-(2-chlorethyl)-1-nitrosurea (BCNU), an inhibitor of the glutathione reductase. We suggest that the dark intervals during irradiation allow the glutathione reductase to regenerate reduced glutathione (GSH), thereby rendering cells less susceptible to ROS produced by PDT compared with continuous irradiation. Our results could be of particular clinical importance for photodynamic therapy applied to well-oxygenated tumors.

Glucose is required to maintain high ATP-levels for the energy-utilizing steps during PDT-induced apoptosis.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may trigger apoptosis or necrosis in cancer cells. Several steps in the induction and execution of apoptosis require high amounts of adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP). Because the mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi) decreases early in apoptosis, we raised the question about the mechanisms of maintaining a sufficiently high ATP level. We therefore monitored delta psi and the intracellular ATP level of apoptotic human epidermoid carcinoma cells (A431) after photodynamic treatment with aluminum (III) phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate. A maximum of caspase-3-like activity and nuclear fragmentation was found at fluences of about 4 J cm(-2). Under these conditions apoptotic cells reduced delta psi rapidly, while the ATP level remained high for 4-6 h after treatment for cells supplied with glucose. To analyze the contribution of glycolysis to the energy supply during apoptosis, experiments were carried out with cells deprived of glucose. These cells showed a rapid drop of ATP content and neither caspase activation nor nuclear fragmentation could be detected. We conclude that the use of glucose as a source of ATP is obligatory for the execution of PDT-induced apoptosis.

Fast and reliable determination of intracellular ATP from cells cultured in 96-well microplates.

Due to its fundamental role in cellular energetics, metabolic regulation and cellular signalling, determination of intracellular adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) is an irreplaceable tool in the characterization of cellular physiology. Classical protocols describing the measurement of ATP from cells usually suffer from the use of relatively high reaction volumes and the according use of cuvettes for ATP determination, thus making them impractical for processing high sample numbers. We therefore present two methods for the fast and reliable measurement of intracellular ATP levels of cells cultured in 96-well microplates. The procedures are compared with each other concerning detection limit, dynamic range, precision and practicability. Both methods described allow the fast and standardized measurement of intracellular ATP using the 96-well microplate format that is applicable for both, high-throughput cell culture and subsequent determination of intracellular ATP.

Real-time analysis of endogenous protoporphyrin IX fluorescence from δ-aminolevulinic acid and its derivatives reveals distinct time- and dose-dependent characteristics in vitro.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodiagnosis based on the intracellular production of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) by administration of its metabolic precursor -aminolevulinic acid (ALA) achieved their breakthrough upon the clinical approval of MAL (ALA methyl ester) and HAL (ALA hexyl ester). For newly developed ALA derivatives or application in new tumor types, in vitro determination of PPIX formation involves multiparametric experiments covering variable pro-drug concentrations, medium composition, time points of analysis, and cell type(s). This study uses a fluorescence microplate reader with a built-in temperature and atmosphere control to investigate the high-resolution long-term kinetics (72 h) of cellular PPIX fueled by administration of either ALA, MAL, or HAL for each 10 different concentrations. For simultaneous proliferation correction, A431 cells were stably transfected with green fluorescent protein. The results indicate that the peak PPIX level is a function of both, incubation concentration and period: maximal PPIX is generated with 1 to 2-mM ALA/MAL or 0.125-mM HAL; also, the PPIX peak shifts to longer incubation periods with increasing pro-drug concentrations. The results underline the need for detailed temporal analysis of PPIX formation to optimize ALA (derivative)-based PDT or photodiagnosis and highlight the value of environment-controlled microplate readers for automated in vitro analysis.

Influence of five potential anticancer drugs on wnt pathway and cell survival in human biliary tract cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The role of Wnt signalling in carcinogenesis suggests compounds targeting this pathway as potential anti-cancer drugs. Several studies report activation of Wnt signalling in biliary tract cancer (BTC) thus rendering Wnt inhibitory drugs as potential candidates for targeted therapy of this highly chemoresistant disease. METHODS: In this study we analysed five compounds with suggested inhibitory effects on Wnt signalling (DMAT, FH535, myricetin, quercetin, and TBB) for their cytotoxic efficiency, mode of cell death, time- and cell line-dependent characteristics as well as their effects on Wnt pathway activity in nine different BTC cell lines. RESULTS: Exposure of cancer cells to different concentrations of the compounds results in a clear dose-dependent reduction of viability for all drugs in the order FH535 > DMAT > TBB > myricetin > quercetin. The first three substances show high cytotoxicity in all tested cell lines, cause a direct cytotoxic effect by induction of apoptosis and inhibit pathway-specific signal transduction in a Wnt transcription factor reporter activity assay. Selected target genes such as growth-promoting cyclin D1 and the cell cycle progression inhibitor p27 are down- and up-regulated after treatment, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these data demonstrate that the small molecular weight inhibitors DMAT, F535 and TBB have a considerable cytotoxic and possibly Wnt-specific effect on BTC cell lines in vitro. Further in vivo investigation of these drugs as well as of new Wnt inhibitors may provide a promising approach for targeted therapy of this difficult-to-treat tumour.