Transient inhibition of Calyculin A induced premature chromosome condensation by hyperthermia.

The analysis of chromosomal aberrations by premature chromosome condensation (PCC) induced by Calyculin A (Cal) is feasible in tumor biopsies from patients and has the potential to predict sensitivity to radiotherapy. As hyperthermia (HT) improves radiotherapy outcome in certain tumor sites, it was investigated whether PCC induction is still possible after temperatures reached in the clinic. Human cervical carcinoma (CaSki) and lung carcinoma (SW-1573) cells were incubated with Cal to induce PCC immediately after 1 h treatment at temperatures ranging from 41 degrees C to 43 degrees C and after recovery for up to 24 h after treatment with 43 degrees C. Levels of phosphorylated Cdc2 (at the Tyr15 residue), histone H3 (at the Ser10 residue) and Cyclin B1 were investigated by immunoblotting. The amount of cells positive for phosphorylated histone H3 was determined by flow cytometry. Temperatures > or =42.5 degrees C inhibited the induction of PCC by Cal, while recovery of PCC-induction was observed at >20 h after treatment in both cell lines. The phosphorylation status of Cdc2 as well as of histone H3 in cells treated with Cal directly after HT at 43 degrees C was similar to that of cells treated with Cal alone or treated with Cal 24 h after HT at 43 degrees C. HT alone did not affect the levels of phosphorylated Cdc2, while phosphorylation levels of histone H3 were increased as compared with control status of these two proteins. Phosphorylated and total Cyclin B1 levels were not influenced by any of the treatments. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that HT at 43 degrees C did not interfere with phosphorylation of histone H3. Our data indicate that HT transiently inhibits PCC induction by Cal in a temperature-dependent manner. Therefore, an interval of at least 24 h after HT should be applied before taking tumor biopsies for karyogram analysis of patients treated with temperatures above 42.5 degrees C.

Gadolinium enhances the sensitivity of SW-1573 cells for thermal neutron irradiation.

Gadolinium neutron capture therapy (Gd-NCT) is an experimental cancer treatment based on the physical principal that neutron capture by gadolinium-157 ensures the release of focal high-dose radiation, such as gamma-rays and electrons. Survival and induction of chromosomal aberrations of human SW-1573 cells was studied after thermal neutron irradiation without and with gadolinium. After neutron irradiation with Gd-DTPA, an alpha-enhancement factor of 2.3 was obtained compared to thermal neutron irradiation alone. Gd-DTPA could not radioenhance the cells for gamma-ray irradiation. Induction of colour junctions and chromosome fragments by thermal neutron irradiation and Gd-NCT were studied using PCC-FISH. Correlations (r2-value) between survival and chromosome aberrations ranged from 0.81 to 0.94 for colour junctions and from 0.78 to 0.98 for chromosome fragments of chromosomes 18 and 2 respectively. Thermal neutron irradiation with or without gadolinium induced more chromosome aberrations than gamma-ray irradiation. After correction for chromosome length it appeared that both chromosomes were equally sensitive to radiation. It is concluded that Gd-NCT at a non-toxic concentration of gadolinium is effective in inducing cell death and chromosome aberrations in in vitro cell cultures.

Effects of cisplatin and gamma-irradiation on cell survival, the induction of chromosomal aberrations and apoptosis in SW-1573 cells.

PURPOSE: Cisplatin was found to radiosensitize SW-1573 cells by inhibition of PLDR. Therefore, it was investigated whether cisplatin combined with gamma-radiation leads to an increase in the number of chromosomal aberrations or apoptotic cells compared with radiation alone. METHODS: Confluent cultures of the human lung carcinoma cell line SW-1573 were treated with 1 microM cisplatin for 1 h, 4 Gy gamma-radiation, or a combination of both. Cell survival was studied by the clonogenic assay. Aberrations were analysed by FISH in prematurely condensed chromosomes (PCC) and the induction of apoptosis by counting fragmented nuclei. RESULTS: A radiosensitizing effect of cisplatin on cell survival was observed if time for PLDR was allowed. An increased number of chromosomal fragments were observed immediately after irradiation compared with 24 h after irradiation whereas color junctions are only formed 24 h after irradiation. No increase in chromosomal aberrations was found after combined treatment, but a significantly enhanced number of fragmented nuclei were observed when confluent cultures were replated after allowing PLDR. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of PLDR by cisplatin in delayed plated SW-1573 cells did not increase chromosomal aberrations, but increased the induction of apoptosis.

Effect of hyperthermia on uptake and cytotoxicity of cisplatin in cultured murine mammary carcinoma cells.

The cytotoxicity of cisplatin, applied alone or in combination with hyperthermia, to mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells (M8013S) was studied with the cells either treated in medium [Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM), supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum, 100 IU/ml penicillin, 200 mM glutamine and 0.35 g/l NaHCO(3)] or in Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) without serum. To study the role of platinum uptake by the M8013 cells in cytotoxicity, uptake was determined under conditions similar to those used in the survival experiments. Our results show that hyperthermia (30 min at 43 degrees C) enhances the toxicity of cisplatin. Enhanced toxicity by heat treatment is not observed with the cells in HBSS. The thermal enhancement of effects of cisplatin to cells in MEM with serum is clearly related to an enhanced uptake of cisplatin. A novel observation is that in order to obtain a considerable thermal enhancement of the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin, the exposure of the cells to the drug is required not only during the hyperthermic treatment but the exposure has to be maintained for at least 2 h after hyperthermia. These same conditions are also required for enhanced uptake of cisplatin. The present results may indicate that cisplatin has to be bound to some serum component in order to facilitate an 'active' uptake. Hyperthermia leads to a considerable intracellular accumulation of cisplatin, relative to the extracellular concentration. This accumulation takes place during exposure to cisplatin but after heat treatment.

Hyperthermia, cisplatin and radiation trimodality treatment: a promising cancer treatment? A review from preclinical studies to clinical application.

This review discusses available clinical and experimental data and the underlying mechanisms involved in trimodality treatment consisting of hyperthermia, cisplatin and radiotherapy. The results of phase I/II clinical trials show that trimodality treatment is effective and feasible in various cancer types and sites with tolerable toxicity. Based on these results, phase III trials have been launched to investigate whether significant differences in treatment outcome exist between trimodality and standard treatment. In view of the clinical interest, it is surprising to find so few preclinical studies on trimodality treatment. Although little information is available on the doses of the modalities and the treatment sequence resulting in the largest degree of synergistic interaction, the results from in vivo and in vitro preclinical studies support the use of trimodality treatment for cancer patients. Animal studies show an improvement in treatment outcome after trimodality treatment compared with mono- and bimodality treatment. Studies in different human tumour cell lines show that a synergistic interaction can be obtained between hyperthermia, cisplatin and radiation and that this interaction is more likely to occur in cell lines which are more sensitive to cisplatin.