Fhit-deficient normal and cancer cells are mitomycin C and UVC resistant.

To identify functions of the fragile tumour suppressor gene, FHIT, matched pairs of Fhit-negative and -positive human cancer cell clones, and normal cell lines established from Fhit -/- and +/+ mice, were stressed and examined for differences in cell cycle kinetics and survival. A larger fraction of Fhit-negative human cancer cells and murine kidney cells survived treatment with mitomycin C or UVC light compared to matched Fhit-positive cells; approximately 10-fold more colonies of Fhit-deficient cells survived high UVC doses in clonigenic assays. The human cancer cells were synchronised in G1, released into S and treated with UVC or mitomycin C. At 18 h post mitomycin C treatment approximately 6-fold more Fhit-positive than -negative cells had died, and 18 h post UVC treatment 3.5-fold more Fhit-positive cells were dead. Similar results were obtained for the murine -/- cells. After low UVC doses, the rate of DNA synthesis in -/- cells decreased more rapidly and steeply than in +/+ cells, although the Atr-Chk1 pathway appeared intact in both cell types. UVC surviving Fhit -/- cells appear transformed and exhibit >5-fold increased mutation frequency. This increased mutation burden could explain the susceptibility of Fhit-deficient cells in vivo to malignant transformation.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel C-7 paclitaxel ethers: discovery of BMS-184476.

The preparation of C-7 paclitaxel ethers is described. Various substituted ethers were prepared via activation of the corresponding methylthiomethyl ether followed by alcohol addition. Variation of the C-7 ether group as well the 3' side chain position led to the discovery of a novel taxane, BMS-184476 (4), with preclinical antitumor activity superior to paclitaxel.

Preclinical antitumor activity of BMS-214662, a highly apoptotic and novel farnesyltransferase inhibitor.

BMS-214662 is a potent and selective inhibitor of farnesyltransferase (FTI). In rodent fibroblasts transformed by oncogenes, BMS-214662 reversed the H-Ras-transformed phenotype but not that of K-Ras or other oncogenes. In soft agar growth assays, BMS-214662 showed good potency in inhibiting H-ras-transformed rodent cells, A2780 human ovarian carcinoma tumor cells, and HCT-116 human colon carcinoma tumor cells. Inhibition of H-Ras processing in HCT-116 human colon tumor cells was more rapid than in H-Ras-transformed rodent fibroblast tumors. BMS-214662 is the most potent apoptotic FTI known and demonstrated broad spectrum yet robust cell-selective cytotoxic activity against a panel of cell lines with diverse histology. The presence of a mutant ras oncogene was not a prerequisite for sensitivity. Athymic and conventional mice were implanted s.c. with different histological types of human and murine tumors, respectively. BMS-214662 was administered both parenterally and p.o. and was active by all these routes. Curative responses were observed in mice bearing staged human tumor xenografts including HCT-116 and HT-29 colon, MiaPaCa pancreatic, Calu-1 lung, and EJ-1 bladder carcinomas. A subline of HCT-116, HCT-116/VM46, resistant to many standard cytotoxic agents by means of a multiple drug resistance mechanism, remained quite susceptible to BMS-214662, and borderline activity was achieved against N-87 human gastric carcinoma. Two murine tumors, Lewis lung carcinoma and M5076 sarcoma, were insensitive to the FTI. In a study performed using Calu-1 tumor-bearing mice, no obvious schedule dependency of BMS-214662 was observed. The FTI, BMS-214662, demonstrated broad spectrum activity against human tumors, but murine tumors were not as sensitive.

Synthesis and biological activity of novel epothilone aziridines.

[reaction: see text]. A series of 12alpha,13alpha-aziridinyl epothilone derivatives were synthesized in an efficient manner from epothilone A. The final semisynthetic route involves a formal double-inversion of stereochemistry at both the C12 and C13 positions. All aziridine analogues were tested for effects on tubulin binding polymerization and cytotoxicity. The results indicate that the aziridine moiety is a viable isosteric replacement for the epoxide in the case of epothilones.

Preclinical pharmacology of BMS-275183, an orally active taxane.

BMS-275183 is a taxane, the mechanism of action of which is like other known taxanes, and is the polymerization of tubulin. BMS-275183 given p.o. was as effective as i.v. paclitaxel in five tumor models [murine M109 lung and C3H mammary 16/C, and human A2780 ovarian (grown in mice and rats) and HCT/pk colon]. It was active in one other tumor model (human HCT-116 colon) but inferior to parenteral paclitaxel. BMS-275183 given p.o. was active in a human, hormone-dependent, prostate tumor model, CWR-22, and just as effective as anti-androgen chemotherapy. In a schedule dependency study, increasing the interval of time between oral administrations resulted in greater cumulative dose tolerance and improved therapeutic outcome. Oral BMS-275183 was evaluated as a combination therapy in conjunction with i.v. paclitaxel. Therapeutic advantages were evident for tumor-bearing mice that received the oral taxane either after induction chemotherapy or between courses of such treatment. BMS-275183 is currently in Phase I clinical trials at multiple sites.

BMS-247550: a novel epothilone analog with a mode of action similar to paclitaxel but possessing superior antitumor efficacy.

BMS-247550, a novel epothilone derivative, is being developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) as an anticancer agent for the treatment of patients with malignant tumors. BMS-247550 is a semisynthetic analogue of the natural product epothilone B and has a mode of action analogous to that of paclitaxel (i.e., microtubule stabilization). In vitro, it is twice as potent as paclitaxel in inducing tubulin polymerization. Like paclitaxel, BMS-247550 is a highly potent cytotoxic agent capable of killing cancer cells at low nanomolar concentrations. Importantly, BMS-247550 retains its antineoplastic activity against human cancers that are naturally insensitive to paclitaxel or that have developed resistance to paclitaxel, both in vitro and in vivo. Tumors for which BMS-247550 demonstrated significant antitumor activity encompass both paclitaxel-sensitive and -refractory categories, i.e., (a) paclitaxel-resistant: HCT116/VM46 colorectal (multidrug resistant), Pat-21 breast and Pat-7 ovarian carcinoma (clinical isolates; mechanisms of resistance not fully known), and A2780Tax ovarian carcinoma (tubulin mutation); (b) paclitaxel-insensitive: Pat-26 human pancreatic carcinoma (clinical isolate) and M5076 murine fibrosarcoma; and (c) paclitaxel sensitive: A2780 ovarian, LS174T, and HCT116 human colon carcinoma. In addition, BMS-247550 is p.o. efficacious against preclinical human tumor xenografts grown in immunocompromised mice or rats. Schedule optimization studies indicate that BMS-247550 is efficacious when administered frequently (every 2 days x 5) or intermittently (every 4 days x 3 or every 8 days x 2). These efficacy data demonstrate that BMS-247550 has the potential to surpass Taxol in both clinical efficacy and ease of use (i.e., less frequent treatment schedule and/or oral administration).

Synthesis and bioactivity of 2,4-diacyl analogues of paclitaxel.

The 2,4-diacyl paclitaxel analogues 8a-8r were prepared from paclitaxel by acylation of 4-deacetyl-2-debenzoylpaclitaxel 1,2-carbonate (3) followed either by hydrolysis of the carbonate and acylation or by direct treatment of the carbonate with an aryllithium. Some of the resulting derivatives showed significantly improved tubulin assembly activity and cytotoxicity as compared with paclitaxel; in some cases this improvement was especially significant for paclitaxel-resistant cell lines.

Cytotoxic constituents of the roots of Ekmanianthe longiflora.

Bioactivity-directed fractionation of the CHCl(3) extract of the roots of Ekmanianthe longiflora resulted in the isolation of three new natural products, (2R,3R,4R)-3,4-dihydro-3, 4-dihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-1(2H)-naphthalenone (1), (2S,3R, 4R)-3,4-dihydro-3, 4-dihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-1(2H)-naphthalenone (2), and (2R, 3aR,9R,9aR)-9-hydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-2,3,3a,4,9 , 9a-hexahydro-naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4-one (3), together with the known compounds 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-quinone (4), 2-acetylnaphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-quinone (5), dehydro-iso-alpha-lapachone (6), alpha-lapachone (7), catalponol, and epi-catalponol. The structures of 1-3 were determined using a combination of NMR spectroscopic techniques, and the absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were obtained using Mosher ester methodology. Compounds 4-6 showed significant cytotoxicity in a panel of human cancer cells. alpha-Lapachone (7) exhibited only marginal activity, and catalponol and epi-catalponol were inactive in this regard. When tested at 72 mg/kg/injection in an in vivo mouse P-388 leukemia system, compound 4 was inactive (110% T/C).

Cytotoxic sesquiterpenoids from Ratibida columnifera.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of the flowers and leaves of Ratibida columnifera using a hormone-dependent human prostate (LNCaP) cancer cell line led to the isolation of 10 cytotoxic substances, composed of five novel xanthanolide derivatives (2-4, 7, and 8), a novel nerolidol derivative (9), and three known sesquiterpene lactones, 9alpha-hydroxy-seco-ratiferolide-5alpha-O-angelate+ ++ (1), 9alpha-hydroxy-seco-ratiferolide-5alpha-O-(2-methylbut yrate) (5), 9-oxo-seco-ratiferolide-5alpha-O-(2-methylbutyrate) (6), as well as a known flavonoid, hispidulin (10). On the basis of its cytotoxicity profile, compound 5 was selected for further biological evaluation, and was found to induce G1 arrest and slow S traverse time in parental wild type p53 A2780S cells, but only G2/M arrest in p53 mutant A2780R cells, with strong apoptosis shown for both cell lines. The activity of 5 was not mediated by the multidrug resistance (MDR) pump, and it was not active against several anticancer molecular targets (i.e., tubulin polymerization/depolymerization, topoisomerases, and DNA intercalation). While these results indicate that compound 5 acts as a cytotoxic agent via a novel mechanism, this substance was inactive in in vivo evaluations using the murine lung carcinoma (M109) and human colon carcinoma (HCT116) models.

Naamidine A is an antagonist of the epidermal growth factor receptor and an in vivo active antitumor agent.

The known 2-aminoimidazole alkaloid naamidine A (1) was isolated from a Fijian Leucetta sp. sponge as an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. The compound exhibited potent ability to inhibit the EGF signaling pathway and is more specific for the EGF-mediated mitogenic response than for the insulin-mediated mitogenic response. Evaluation in an A431 xenograft tumor model in athymic mice indicated that naamidine A exhibited at least 85% growth inhibition at the maximal tolerated dose of 25 mg/kg. Preliminary mechanism of action studies indicate that the alkaloid fails to inhibit the binding of EGF to the receptor and has no effect on the catalytic activity of purified c-src tyrosine kinase.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-acyl analogues of paclitaxel (Taxol).

The anticancer drug paclitaxel (Taxol) has been converted to a large number of 2-debenzoyl-2-aroyl derivatives by three different methods. The bioactivities of the resulting analogues were determined in both tubulin polymerization and cytotoxicity assays, and several analogues with enhanced activity as compared with paclitaxel were discovered. Correlation of cytotoxicity in three cell lines with tubulin polymerization activity showed reasonable agreement. Among the cell lines examined, the closest correlation with antitubulin activity was observed with a human ovarian carcinoma cell line.

Eleutherobin, a novel cytotoxic agent that induces tubulin polymerization, is similar to paclitaxel (Taxol).

Eleutherobin is a novel natural product isolated from a marine soft coral that is extremely potent for inducing tubulin polymerization in vitro and is cytotoxic for cancer cells with an IC50 similar to that of paclitaxel. This compound is cross-resistant along with other multidrug-resistant agents against P-glycoprotein-expressing cells and is cross-resistant with paclitaxel against a cell line that has altered tubulin. In mechanistic studies, eleutherobin shares with paclitaxel the ability to induce tubulin polymerization in vitro and is most likely cytotoxic by virtue of this mechanism. Human colon carcinoma cells exposed to eleutherobin contain multiple micronuclei and microtubule bundles, and they arrest in mitosis, depending on concentration, cell line, and length of exposure. These morphological abnormalities appearing in cultured cells are indistinguishable from those induced by paclitaxel. Electron microscopy reveals that eleutherobin induces homogeneous populations of long, rigid microtubules similar to those formed by paclitaxel. Thus, eleutherobin is a new chemotype with a mechanism of action similar to that of paclitaxel and, as such, has promising potential as a new anticancer agent.

Paclitaxel inhibits progression of mitotic cells to G1 phase by interference with spindle formation without affecting other microtubule functions during anaphase and telephase.

Very low concentrations of paclitaxel, a clinically active anticancer agent isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, were found to produce micronuclei in human colon carcinoma cells, suggesting inhibition of mitotic spindle assembly or function. The possibility that paclitaxel acts at the level of the mitotic spindle was investigated by evaluating its ability to inhibit the progression of mitotic cells to G1 phase. Paclitaxel inhibited mitotic progression with a median inhibitory concentration of 4 nM, a concentration equivalent to the median cytotoxic concentration, without arresting cells in mitosis. A direct correlation was shown to exist between the cytotoxic potency and ability to inhibit mitotic progression for analogues of paclitaxel and antimicrotubule agents but not for the topoisomerase II-active agents etoposide and teniposide. After release from the nocodazole block, cells synchronized in mitosis remained sensitive to very low concentrations of paclitaxel for < 30 min, the time required for spindle formation, yet remained sensitive to vinblastine for > 90 min. This result indicates that very low concentrations of paclitaxel inhibit formation of mitotic spindles in cells without affecting function of preformed spindles and without arresting cells in mitosis. Continuous exposure to low nanomolar concentrations of paclitaxel for more than one cell cycle resulted in cells with DNA contents > 4C and as much as 8C. These results support a hypothesis, that, by not being capable of segregating sister chromatids, paclitaxel-treated cells eventually reform nuclear membranes around individual or clusters of chromosomes, revert to G1 phase cells containing 4C DNA, and enter S phase, resulting in cells with as much as 8C DNA content. It is proposed that this is the primary cytotoxic mechanism of paclitaxel.

Identification of 5' and 3' sequences involved in the regulation of transcription of the human mdr1 gene in vivo.

The human mdr1 gene encodes a putative drug efflux pump (P-glycoprotein) whose overexpression is associated with the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). The promoter and 5'-flanking DNA of this gene were isolated from a human genomic DNA library and used to prepare a series of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) fusion vectors under the transcriptional control of the mdr1 promoter (mdrCAT vectors). Transient transfection of these mdrCAT vectors produced CAT activities similar to those produced by transfection of CAT vectors containing viral promoters. The regulation of mdr1 expression was examined in two MDR tumor cell lines selected for resistance to doxorubicin and their corresponding parental cell lines. Although nuclear run-on analysis indicates that the expression of the mdr1 gene in these two MDR cell lines is regulated by transcriptional mechanisms, mdrCAT expression was not significantly increased in either of these lines relative to parental cells. Thus, the sequences involved in the transcriptional regulation in these cells are apparently not included in the constructs studied (-4741 to +286). Analyses of a series of deletion constructs show that the basal mdr1 promoter activity is encoded by sequences that span a region adjacent to the transcription start site (-134 to +286) and that sequences 3' to the start of mdr1 transcription are necessary for proper initiation of transcription in vivo. Structural and functional studies indicate that an initiator (Inr) sequence surrounding the major transcription start site governs accurate initiation of mdr1 transcription.

Biochemical and pharmacological characterization of MCF-7 drug-sensitive and AdrR multidrug-resistant human breast tumor xenografts in athymic nude mice.

The phenotypic expression of multidrug resistance by the doxorubicin-selected AdrR human breast tumor cell line is associated with overexpression of plasma membrane P-170 glycoprotein and increased cytosolic selenium-dependent GSH-peroxidase activity relative to the parental MCF-7 wild-type line (WT). To determine whether doxorubicin resistance by AdrR cells persists in vivo, and to further investigate the possibility of biochemical differences between WT and AdrR solid tumors, both tumor cell lines were grown as subcutaneous xenografts in athymic nude mice. Tumorigenicity depended upon cell inoculation burden, and tumor incidence was similar for both cell lines (greater than 80% tumor takes at 10(7) cells/mouse) at 14 days, provided 17 beta-estradiol was supplied to the animals bearing the WT tumors. However, the growth rate for the AdrR xenografts was only about half that of WT xenografts. Doxorubicin (2-8 mg/kg, i.p., injected weekly) significantly diminished the growth of the WT tumors, but AdrR solid tumors failed to respond to doxorubicin. The accumulation of 14C-labeled doxorubicin was 2-fold greater in WT xenografts that in AdrR, although there were no differences in host organ drug levels in mice bearing either type of tumors. Membrane P-170 glycoprotein mRNA was detected by slot-blot analysis in the AdrR tumors, but not in WT. Electron spin resonance 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide-spin-trapping experiments with microsomes and mitochondria from WT and AdrR xenographs demonstrated a 2-fold greater oxygen radical (superoxide and hydroxyl) formation from activated doxorubicin with WT xenographs compared to AdrR. Selenium-dependent glutathione (GSH)-peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and GSH-S-aryltransferase activities in AdrR xenografts were elevated relative to WT. Although the activities of the latter two enzymes were similar to those measured in both tumor cell lines, GSH-peroxidase activities were elevated 70-fold (WT) and 10-fold (AdrR) in xenografts compared to tumor cells. In contrast, in both WT and AdrR solid tumors in vivo, catalase, NAD(P)H-oxidoreductases, and glutathione disulfide (GSSG)-reductase activities, and GSH and GSSG levels were not markedly different, and were essentially the same as in cells in vitro. Like the MDR cells in culture, AdrR tumor xenografts were extremely resistant to doxorubicin and retained most of the characteristics of the altered phenotype. These results suggest that WT and AdrR breast tumor xenografts provide a useful model for the study of biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms of drug resistance by solid tumors in vivo.

Transfection with protein kinase C alpha confers increased multidrug resistance to MCF-7 cells expressing P-glycoprotein.

Cross-resistance to anticancer drugs, termed multidrug resistance (mdr), has been functionally associated with the expression of a plasma membrane energy-dependent efflux pump, termed P-glycoprotein, the product of the mdr1 gene. When MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells were transfected with the human mdr1 gene (BC-19 cells), they expressed levels of P-glycoprotein equivalent to those of cells selected for resistance to doxorubicin (MCF-7/ADR) but exhibited 10- to 50-fold less resistance to doxorubicin and vinblastine. We have now demonstrated that when BC-19 cells were stably transfected with protein kinase C alpha (PKC alpha), resistance to doxorubicin and vinblastine was increased; wild-type MCF-7 cells transfected with PKC alpha did not exhibit any change in drug resistance. Increased resistance in PKC alpha-transfected BC-19 cells was associated with enhanced PKC activity and phosphorylation of P-glycoprotein and decreased drug accumulation. The PKC activator, phorbol dibutyrate, further increased resistance to doxorubicin and stimulated P-glycoprotein phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that transfection of P-glycoprotein-expressing cells with PKC resulted in increased mdr and that PKC may have served as an important modulator of this process.

The multidrug resistance phenotype: 31P nuclear magnetic resonance characterization and 2-deoxyglucose toxicity.

In order to identify changes in 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra associated with multiple drug resistance (MDR), a number of wild type and drug-resistant cancer cell lines were studied. The resistant cells included cells selected with various drugs, mainly Adriamycin, as well as cells transfected with the human multidrug resistance gene (MDR1 gene), which encodes P-glycoprotein. In most cases, 31P NMR spectra were significantly different from those of parental, drug-sensitive lines. The spectra of resistant cells generally indicated increased levels of ATP and phosphocreatine in the cytoplasm. These changes are compatible with the increased glucose utilization rate previously described for resistant cells. Major changes were also observed in the levels of glycerophosphocholine and glycerophosphoethanolamine. Changes in cellular metabolism reflected by 31P NMR spectra depend on the drug used to select the cells for MDR. The direction of these changes was not consistent for all cell lines studied and could not be directly attributed to expression of P-glycoprotein, suggesting that the changes may be related to alterations in metabolism and membrane function associated with other mechanisms of MDR. The results demonstrate the suitability of 31P NMR for studies of biochemical changes associated with MDR. The toxicity of 2-deoxyglucose, a glucose antimetabolite, was investigated in addition to the NMR studies and was found to be consistently higher in multidrug-resistant cells than in the parental drug-sensitive lines. For MCF-7 breast cancer cells, where several sublines with different levels of resistance were available, the toxicity was highest for the most resistant lines.

Keynote address: multidrug resistance: a pleiotropic response to cytotoxic drugs.

Tumor cells exposed in tissue culture to one of several different classes of antineoplastic agents, including anthracyclines, vinca alkaloids, epipodophyllotoxins, and certain antitumor antibiotics, can develop resistance to the selecting agent and cross resistance to the other classes of agents. This phenomena of multidrug resistance is generally associated with decreased drug accumulation and overexpression of a membrane glycoprotein. This membrane protein, referred to as P-glycoprotein, apparently acts as an energy-dependent drug efflux pump. Multidrug resistance in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells selected for resistance to adriamycin (AdrR MCF-7) is associated with amplification and overexpression of the mdr1 gene which encodes P-glycoprotein. A number of other changes are also seen in this resistant cell line including alterations in Phase I and Phase II drug metabolizing enzymes. Similar biochemical changes occur in a rat model for hepatocellular carcinogenesis and are associated in that system with broad spectrum resistance to hepatotoxins. The similar changes in these two models of resistance suggests that these changes might be part of a battery of genes whose expression can be altered in response to cytotoxic stress, thus rendering the cell resistant to a wide variety of cytotoxic agents.

Multidrug resistance in cells transfected with human genes encoding a variant P-glycoprotein and glutathione S-transferase-pi.

The nucleotide sequence of the mdr1 gene encoding a putative drug efflux pump (P-glycoprotein) is homologous to a class of bacterial membrane-associated transport proteins. These bacterial proteins are part of a multicomponent system that includes soluble periplasmic proteins that bind substrates, channeling them through the membrane in an energy-dependent manner. We have investigated the possibility that a similar multicomponent transport system exists in a multidrug-resistant human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line that was initially selected for resistance to doxorubicin (AdrR MCF-7). AdrR MCF-7 cells overexpress both the mdr1 gene and the pi class isozyme of glutathione S-transferase (GST-pi) (EC 2.5.1.18). The latter is one of several isozymes known to have a ligand-binding function in addition to drug-metabolizing capabilities. Although we have recently shown that transfection of a functional GST-pi expression vector is insufficient to confer resistance to doxorubicin in cells that lack P-glycoprotein expression [Mol. Pharmacol. 36:22-28 (1989)], we examined the possibility that GST-pi interacts with P-glycoprotein to alter multidrug resistance. To do this, we have cloned cDNAs encoding these proteins from AdrR MCF-7 cells, constructed expression vectors containing these two genes, and transfected these vectors sequentially into drug-sensitive MCF-7 cells. The human mdr1 cDNA isolated from AdrR MCF-7 is a variant gene whose sequence differs from that isolated previously from vinblastine-resistant KB cells [Cell 53:519-529 (1989)], resulting in an amino acid substitution of alanine to serine at position 893 (mdr1/893ala). Transfection of eukaryotic expression vectors containing the mdr1 gene isolated from AdrR MCF-7 cells produced a multidrug-resistant phenotype in recipient cells, with a cross-resistance pattern similar to that in the AdrR MCF-7 cells. To determine whether GST-pi expression could augment resistance provided by mdr1, two clones transfected with mdr1, one with high levels (153% of mdr1 RNA in AdR MCF-7 cells) and one with low levels (10% of mdr1 RNA in AdrR MCF-7 cells), were subsequently cotransfected with a GST-pi expression vector and pSVNeo and selected for resistance to G418. Six of these clones contained levels of GST-pi that were 8- to 18-fold greater than GST levels found in mdr1-expressing clones transfected with nonspecific DNA. We found no difference in the degree of resistance to doxorubicin, actinomycin D, and vinblastine between the clones expressing mdr1 only and the clones expressing both mdr1 and GST-pi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)