Purification of the Mr 22,000 calcium-binding protein (sorcin) associated with multidrug resistance and its detection with monoclonal antibodies.

A low molecular weight cytoplasmic protein (Mr 19,000-22,000) has been reported to be overexpressed in some multidrug-resistant cells. We have found that a cytoplasmic protein with a molecular weight of 22,000 is highly expressed in the human myelogenous leukemia K562 cells resistant to Adriamycin (K562/ADM). The Mr 22,000 protein was shown to be one of the major calcium-binding proteins in the cytoplasmic extract from K562/ADM cells. The protein was purified to apparent homogeneity from K562/ADM cells using a four-step procedure including ammonium sulfate fractionation, anion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. 1.5 mg of the Mr 22,000 protein was purified from 3.0 x 10(9) of K562/ADM cells. The protein was acidic (pI 5.3) and exists as a homodimer (Mr 44,000) as revealed by gel filtration and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. The purified protein appeared as a single band (Mr 22,000) by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of reducing agents, suggesting that the homodimer was generated by noncovalent linkage. Monoclonal antibodies specific to the Mr 22,000 protein were raised by in vitro immunization with purified protein or by in vivo immunization with the crude membrane fraction of K562/ADM. These antibodies were used as probes for the detection of the protein. We have surveyed the expression of the Mr 22,000 protein in various multidrug-resistant and -sensitive cell lines, and found that the overexpression of the protein is not a sufficient nor a necessary condition for the acquisition of the multidrug-resistant phenotype.

Elevated expression of DNA topoisomerase II in camptothecin-resistant human tumor cell lines.

In a previous study, we established camptothecin (CPT)-resistant cell lines, A549/CPT and HT-29/CPT, from human lung cancer A549 and human colon cancer HT-29. A549/CPT was shown to express similar amounts of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) as the parental line, and HT-29/CPT was shown to express lower amounts of topo I than its parental line. DNA topoisomerases I and II are known to be functionally related. In the present study, the possible alterations in topo II expression were examined in these human CPT-resistant lines. In A549/CPT and HT-29/CPT, the cellular contents of topo II and its mRNA were elevated over that seen in each parental line. Nuclear extracts from A549/CPT and HT-29/CPT showed higher topo II activity than those from the corresponding parental lines when the same amounts of nuclear protein were used. Topo II was partially purified from HT-29 and HT-29/CPT by hydroxylapatite column chromatography, and the enzyme activities were compared. HT-29/CPT showed higher topo II activity in the hydroxylapatite column-eluted fractions than HT-29. These results indicate the possible activation of topo II expression in the CPT-resistant cell lines.

Decreased expression of DNA topoisomerase I in camptothecin-resistant tumor cell lines as determined by a monoclonal antibody.

DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) has been identified as a principal target of a plant alkaloid camptothecin (CPT) and its derivative (CPT-11). The latter compound is expected to be a clinically useful antitumor agent. Three human tumor cell lines resistant to CPT (A549/CPT, HT-29/CPT, St-4/CPT) were isolated in vitro, and a murine tumor cell line resistant to CPT-11 (P388/CPT) was isolated in vivo by continuous exposure of the drugs. A549/CPT, HT-29/CPT, and St-4/CPT showed 1.8-, 6.9-, and 8.8-fold more resistance to CPT, and P388/CPT showed 45-fold more resistance to CPT than did the parental line. To examine the possible involvement of topo I in drug-resistant mechanisms, a monoclonal antibody was developed by using purified human topo I as antigen. The antibody T14C (immunoglobulin G1) recognized both human and murine topo I, as shown by Western blot analysis. By using this monoclonal antibody, cellular contents of topo I were examined in CPT-resistant tumor lines. Respective contents of topo I in HT-29/CPT, St-4/CPT, and P388/CPT were approximately 8-, 4-, and 3-fold less than those in their parental cell lines. A549/CPT, a weak CPT-resistant line, possessed amounts of topo I similar to those of the parental line. HT-29/CPT showed lower topo I activity than did the parental HT-29 in the nuclear extracts and in the hydroxylapatite column-eluted fractions. Purified topo I from HT-29 and HT-29/CPT showed similar catalytic activity when the same amounts of protein were used. These results indicate that the quantitative reduction of topo I content seems to be the most frequently occurring event in the development of resistance to camptothecin.

Mr 85,000 membrane protein specifically expressed in adriamycin-resistant human tumor cells.

For the characterization of membrane changes related to Adriamycin resistance in tumor cells, we have developed monoclonal antibodies against Adriamycin-resistant human myelogenous leukemia K562 (K562/ADM). In addition to the monoclonal antibodies which recognize P-glycoprotein, we have obtained two monoclonal antibodies (designated MRK4 and MRK20) which recognize an Mr 85,000 membrane protein. Using MRK20 as a probe, we have studied the expression of the Mr 85,000 protein in various human multidrug-resistant and -sensitive cell lines. The Mr 85,000 protein was overexpressed in K562/ADM and in a human ovarian cancer cell line resistant to Adriamycin, 2780AD. The protein, if any, was not detected in other drug-resistant human cell lines such as colchicine-resistant KB cells (KB-C4), vinblastine-resistant CEM cells (CEM/VLB100), and vincristine-resistant K562 cells (K562/VCR). We have isolated subclones of K562/ADM cells which express different amounts of the Mr 85,000 protein. The expression of the Mr 85,000 protein diminished when the cells were not kept in Adriamycin, and increased when the clones were kept in the presence of Adriamycin. In contrast, the expression of P-glycoprotein remained constant whether in the presence or absence of Adriamycin during these experiments. These findings suggest that the Mr 85,000 membrane protein is closely related to the resistant mechanism specific to Adriamycin resistance, which is different from that of the pleiotropic drug resistance.

Acquisition of metastatic ability in hybridomas between two low metastatic clones of murine colon adenocarcinoma 26 defective in either platelet-aggregating activity or in vivo growth potential.

Two low metastatic clones, NL-14 and NL-44, had been isolated from the murine colon 26 adenocarcinoma after in vivo selection and subsequent in vitro cloning. NL-14 is defective in the ability to induce platelet aggregation, but it has good in vivo growth potential. NL-44 possesses low growth potential after s.c. inoculation, but it has strong platelet-aggregating ability. A ouabain-resistant variant of NL-14 and a G418-resistant variant of NL-44 were established. Each resistant cell line conserved the phenotypes of platelet-aggregating ability or in vivo growth potential as compared to the respective parental cell line. These two clones were fused to examine the metastatic potential of hybridomas. Of eight hybridomas tested, six possessed both platelet-aggregating ability and good in vivo growth potential. These six hybridomas formed a higher number of pulmonary metastases after i.v. inoculation than the parental cells. Of the two low metastatic hybridomas, one was lacking in the ability to induce platelet aggregation, and the other showed the least potential for in vivo growth. Hybridoma clones with high platelet-aggregating activity in vitro were generally arrested well in the lung following i.v. inoculation. These results suggest that platelet-aggregating ability and in vivo growth potential are two major determinants for successful experimental lung metastasis of the colon 26 adenocarcinoma.

Suppression of experimental lung colonization of a metastatic variant of murine colon adenocarcinoma 26 by a monoclonal antibody 8F11 inhibiting tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation.

We have previously established and characterized two monoclonal antibodies, 8F11 and 20A11, that recognize an Mr 44,000 membrane glycoprotein of metastatic murine colon 26 cells. Both monoclonal antibodies inhibit platelet aggregation induced by the tumor cells in vitro. In this report, the inhibitory effect of 8F11 on lung colonization of i.v.-inoculated tumor cells was examined. The i.v. administration of 8F11 suppressed lung colonization of NL-17, a highly metastatic variant of colon 26. Inhibition of NL-17 lung colonization by 8F11 was dose dependent with a maximum of 80% inhibition at a dose of 800 micrograms 8F11/mouse. 8F11 did not inhibit metastases at doses lower than 100 micrograms/mouse. Inhibition of pulmonary metastases by 8F11 was greatest when the antibody was administered 2 h before tumor inoculation. The effect was diminished when the antibody was given 2 h after tumor inoculation. The pulmonary retention of i.v.-inoculated radiolabeled NL-17 cells was decreased by 8F11. F(ab')2 fragments of 8F11 also effectively inhibited lung colonization by NL-17 cells, suggesting that mechanisms unrelated to immune-mediated destruction are involved. These results indicate that the monoclonal antibody 8F11 suppresses the lung colonization of NL-17 cells by interfering with the initial arrest of tumor cells in the lung vasculature through the inhibition of tumor cell-platelet interaction.

Antitumor activity of a novel podophyllotoxin derivative (TOP-53) against lung cancer and lung metastatic cancer.

We synthesized a potent new antitumor podophyllotoxin derivative (4beta-aminoalkyl-4'-O-demethyl-4-desoxypodophyllotoxin; TOP-53) in our search for a drug that has strong activity against lung cancer and lung metastatic cancer. TOP-53 exhibited twice the inhibitory activity of etoposide (VP-16) against topoisomerase II and induced DNA strand breaks but showed no inhibitory activity against tubulin polymerization. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of TOP-53 assessed as IC50 was 0.016-0.37 microg/ml and 0.26-8.9 microg/ml against marine tumor and human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, respectively. TOP-53 exerted significant efficacy equivalent to that of VP-16 on s.c.-implanted murine solid tumors (Colon 26, B16-BL6, and Lewis lung carcinoma) at doses 3-5 times lower than that of VP-16. In human tumor xenografts using NSCLC, TOP-53 was active for four of five tumors, whereas VP-16 was active for two of five tumors. Potent inhibitory activity of TOP-53 was also found against a lung tumor (Lewis lung carcinoma) and four lung metastatic tumors (NL-22 and NL-17 colon cancer, UV2237M fibrosarcoma, and K1735M2 melanoma). TOP-53 appeared to be more active against four of them than VP-16. Thus, TOP-53 is not only active against s.c.-implanted lung cancers but also strongly active against lung localized tumor and metastatic tumors in the lungs. The high selectivity of TOP-53 was attributed to its high distribution into the lung and its persistence. TOP-53 is expected to be highly effective against lung cancer including NSCLC and various lung metastatic tumors in the clinical field.

Rhizoxin, a macrocyclic lactone antibiotic, as a new antitumor agent against human and murine tumor cells and their vincristine-resistant sublines.

Rhizoxin, isolated from a plant pathogenic fungus which causes rice seedling blight, inhibits the mitosis of the tumor cells in a manner similar to that of Vinca alkaloids as revealed by morphological study and flow cytometry analysis. This new 16-membered macrocyclic lactone showed similar chemotherapeutic effects to those of vincristine against L1210 and P388 leukemia-bearing mice. The drug is also effective against B16 melanoma inoculated i.p. or s.c. Rhizoxin, in contrast to the ansamacrolide, maytansine, was effective against human and murine tumor cells resistant to vincristine and Adriamycin in vitro and in vivo. A maximum 60% increase in life span was obtained in mice inoculated with P388 leukemia resistant to vincristine. Rhizoxin showed greater cytotoxicity in cultured tumor cells than did vincristine. Rhizoxin seems to bear consideration for further development as a new chemotherapeutic agent.

Inhibitory effects of tumor invasion-inhibiting factor 2 and its conjugate on disseminating tumor cells.

Tumor invasion-inhibiting factor 2 (IIF-2) is a polypeptide of 21 amino acids which binds to the surface of tumor cells and inhibits experimental invasion in vitro. An albumin conjugate of IIF-2 was used to examine its potential as an antimetastatic compound. The conjugate inhibits in vivo lung metastasis of various highly metastatic tumor cells, including murine melanoma, colon adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, forestomach carcinoma, and human fibrosarcoma. In addition to the anti-lung metastasis activity of this compound, it also showed the inhibitory effects on liver and spleen metastasis of murine T-lymphoma cells. A single administration of the conjugate with melanoma cells resulted in prolonged survival times, and their lung colonization was also inhibited when the conjugate was administrated i.v. at times ranging from 6 h before to 1 h after tumor cell inoculation. Similarly, i.p. administration 1 h prior to melanoma cell injection suppressed lung colonization. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the conjugate was more stable than IIF-2 peptide alone. Approximately 10% of the conjugate remained circulating 2 h postinjection and persisted 20 h without degradation, compared with rapid clearing of the unconjugated IIF-2 peptide within 5 min. Furthermore, spontaneous lung metastasis of murine melanoma and colon adenocarcinoma cell was inhibited by successive i.p. administration of the conjugate before the removal of the primary site, with no effect on primary tumor growth. The conjugate significantly reduced tumor cell arrest in the lung and both the IIF-2 peptide and its conjugate demonstrated potent inhibition of basal as well as cytokine-induced-stimulated tumor cell motility. These results suggest that one mode of IIF-2 action may be inhibition of the extravasation of metastasizing cells which have arrested in a target organ, and that the IIF-2-albumin conjugate may be a potent antimetastatic substance with utility in the prevention of artificial seeding of tumor cells during surgical removal of the primary lesions as well as inhibiting metastasis from established metastases.

Production of interleukin-11 in bone-derived endothelial cells and its role in the formation of osteolytic bone metastasis.

The interactions of the cells in the bone microenvironment play important roles in bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are involved in the bone remodeling through the production of soluble factors that regulate proliferation and differentiation of osteoclasts and through cell-cell interactions. Histological studies have suggested that endothelial cells are also associated with some osteolytic bone diseases. However, it is still unclear how endothelial cells contribute to bone resorption. We established bone-derived endothelial cells (BDECs) to study their roles in bone remodeling. The established BDECs promoted bone resorption in a murine neonatal calvaria organ culture system by secreting a soluble bone resorption-inducing factor(s) when stimulated by several inflammatory cytokines. This bone resorption-inducing factor was identified as interleukin-11 (IL-11). IL-11 is known to enhance bone resorption by promoting osteoclastogenesis and by suppressing the activity of osteoblasts. The production of IL-11 in BDECs was also promoted by conditioned medium of human melanoma A375M cells. Because A375M cells formed osteolytic bone metastasis in vivo, BDECs might be involved in pathological osteolysis by producing IL-11. These results suggest that endothelial cells in bone play important roles in the promotion of bone resorption by secreting IL-11 in physiological and pathological conditions.