The antitumor intercalating drug ditercalinium binds preferentially to RNA in Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Ditercalinium (DIT; NSC 335153), a 7H-pyridocarbazole dimer, was reported to be capable of binding with high affinity to DNA by bisintercalation. Both the cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of this drug have been attributed to its binding to DNA. DIT inhibits the growth and is cytotoxic to Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells. When FL cells were treated with 0.5-2.5 microM DIT and then stained with acridine orange (AO), which differentially stains DNA and RNA, the green, orthochromatic fluorescence representing AO binding to DNA was unchanged, while the metachromatic red luminescence characteristic of AO binding to RNA was reduced by as much as 40% in 4 hr; the effect was DIT-concentration dependent. The reduction in RNA stainability by DIT in the absence of any significant decrease in RNA content, was also observed with another RNA-specific fluorochrome, pyronin Y (PY). These results indicate that in live cells DIT preferentially binds to RNA rather than DNA, preventing stainability of the former by the monointercalating dyes AO and PY. When FL cells were exposed to 10 microM DIT after being first permeabilized by ethanol, the subsequent stainability of DNA in these cells was reduced by up to 67% and RNA by up to 44%, indicating that under these conditions DIT binds to both DNA and RNA. This observation was confirmed by competition experiments between AO and DIT bound to DNA or RNA in permeabilized cells mixed with equivalent numbers of RNA-containing (DNase-treated) or DNA-containing (RNase-treated) cells, respectively. The mechanisms that protect DNA against binding by DIT in live cells are unknown but are lost in fixed cells and may be related to maintenance of cellular and/or nuclear membrane integrity. If the propensity for other intercalating drugs to bind to RNA in live cells is correlated with their antitumor activity as is DIT, the rationale for designing new drugs based solely on their affinity for DNA should be reevaluated.

Decreased content of the 35 kDa cytoskeletal protein p35 in Friend erythroleukemia cells exposed to dimethyl sulfoxide and retinoic acid is associated with entrance into a quiescent substrate.

1. The effect of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) on cell cycle kinetics, RNA content, and expression of the 35 kDa cytoskeletal protein p35 in exponentially-growing Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells was compared with the prototypic differentiation-inducer dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). 2. Two G1 phase populations of RA-treated FL cells were identified: one with an intermediate RNA content (T-cells) similar to G1 cells in near-plateau-phase control cultures and the other with a very low RNA content (Q-cells) similar to DMSO-differentiated cells; although quiescent, RA-treated cells remained undifferentiated as evidenced by the absence of late-stage markers of erythroid maturation. 3. Decreases in the cellular content of p35 occurred in both DMSO- and RA-treated FL cells, correlating with the onset of accumulation of cells into G1, and stabilized by 48 hr after initial exposure to either inducer. 4. Down-regulation in the cellular p35 content, thus, appears to be linked to entrance of FL cells into a quiescent substrate and independent of the subsequent capacity for erythroid differentiation.

Effects of inhibition of RNA or protein synthesis on CHO cell cycle progression.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, synchronized by selective detachment at mitosis, were treated with various concentrations of actinomycin D (AMD) or cycloheximide (CHX) either immediately, or 1, 2, or 3 hr after mitosis. Since the minimum duration of G1 phase in these cultures was 3.4 hr, the addition of RNA or protein synthesis inhibitors took place at the beginning, first third, second third, or end (G1-S boundary) of G1 phase. The kinetics of exit from G1 phase, the rate and extent of traverse of S phase, and the reaccumulation of RNA were estimated under each set of growth conditions by flow cytometry of acridine orange-stained cells. A mathematical model was constructed to describe the trajectories of the cell populations with respect to their increase in RNA and DNA content in the absence or presence of the inhibitor. The chronologic synchrony imposed on the CHO cell population began to decay within 3 hr, resulting in stochastic entrance of cells into S phase in the absence of inhibitor. Addition of AMD or CHX at 0, 1, 2, or 3 hr after mitosis, regardless of the inhibitor concentration, did not provide evidence of a critical restriction point in G1 beyond which cells were committed to enter S phase and were no longer sensitive to moderate suppression of RNA or protein synthesis. The observed kinetics of cell entrance into an traverse of S phase were consistent with an inherently heterogeneous response to serum stimulation occurring at or just after cell division.

Cytokinetic effects of bifunctional antitumor intercalator ditercalinium on Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Ditercalinium (NSC 335153) is a novel 7H-pyridocarbazole dimer in which the two monomers are joined by a rigid bis(ethylpiperidinyl)-linking chain producing a molecule capable of bisintercalation into DNA with extremely high affinity. The effect of ditercalinium on cell proliferation and its interaction with DNA in situ has been investigated in the Friend leukemia cell system. Ditercalinium caused an inhibition of cell growth at 0.5 microM and cell death at 2.5 microM. However, both the cytokinetic and cytotoxic effects became evident only after 1-2 days of continuous drug exposure. In contrast, monointercalators generally affect cell growth within several hours of administration. Furthermore, whereas most intercalators arrest cells in G2 phase, ditercalinium demonstrated no cell cycle phase specificity. In fact, a stathmokinetic experiment, in which vinblastine was used to prevent cell division in exponentially growing Friend leukemia cell cultures, demonstrated that ditercalinium effectively "froze" cells in position throughout the cell cycle, in a dose-dependent fashion. By determining the sensitivity of DNA in situ in fixed Friend leukemia cells to acid-induced denaturation, it was apparent that ditercalinium, rather than stabilizing DNA as do monointercalators, increased the sensitivity of DNA in situ to denaturation induced by acid. It appears, therefore, that the cytokinetic effects and interaction with chromatin of an agent that has the ability to bisintercalate into DNA are qualitatively different from those induced by classical monointercalating drugs.

Effects of a new amsacrine derivative, N-5-dimethyl-9-(2-methoxy-4-methylsulfonylamino)phenylamino-4- acridinecarboxamide, on cultured mammalian cells.

The effects of N-5-dimethyl-9-(2-methoxy-4-methylsulfonylamino)-phenylamino-4- acridinecarboxamide (CI-921; NSC 343499), a lipophilic and water-soluble derivative of amsacrine (NSC 249992), on cell viability, growth, clonogenicity, and progression through the cell cycle were investigated in suspension cultures of Friend erythroleukemic cells and in in suspension cultures of Friend erythroleukemic cells and in adherent cultures of Chinese hamster ovary cells. CI-921 was less toxic toward stationary than toward exponentially growing Chinese hamster ovary cells; colony formation was inhibited by 50% following a 1-h pulse of 190 versus 80 nM CI-921, respectively. Cell viability was unaffected in Friend erythroleukemic cell cultures at concentrations up to 50 nM, although growth was inhibited by 50% following 24 h of continuous exposure to 9.5 nM or a 1 h pulse of 67.5 nM CI-921. Constant exposure of Friend erythroleukemic cells to 10 nM CI-921 slowed proliferation and resulted in prolongation of cell transit through late S and G2 phases. Higher drug concentrations (50 nM) caused a complete cessation of growth marked by greatly suppressed cell transit through S phase and an irreversible block in G2 phase, about 30 min prior to division. In such cases, unbalanced growth was observed with total RNA and protein content of drug-treated cells increasing by 74 and 34%, respectively. Pulse exposure of cells to CI-921 resulted in transient accumulations of cells in S and/or G2 phase depending upon dose. The cell cycle distribution of stationary cultures treated for 1 h with drug and replated at a low cell density were identical to that of controls. Binding of the drug affected the sensitivity of DNA in situ to acid denaturing conditions which provides additional evidence that CI-921 binds to DNA by intercalation.

Expression of murine gamma fetal antigen in adult hematopoietic tissue and during induced differentiation of Friend erythroleukemia cells.

Quantitative analysis of extracts of various normal adult CD-1 mouse tissues indicated that the serologically defined murine gamma fetal antigen (gamma-FA) was expressed at high levels in hematopoietic tissue in general and in bone marrow (BM) in particular. Metabolic labeling of isolated BM cells indicated that the BM was a site of gamma-FA synthesis in the adult animal. The size(s) of the antigen immunoprecipitated from labeled BM cells (35 and 27 kilodaltons) with anti-gamma-FA serum correlated well with molecular weight estimates of fibrosarcoma-fetal mouse-associated gamma-FA, as determined by molecular sieve chromatography. For ascertainment of the relationship between hematopoietic cell differentiation and gamma-FA content, a multiparameter flow cytometric approach was used to evaluate gamma-FA levels in Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells as a function of growth state (blast or dimethyl sulfoxide-differentiated) and cell-cycle compartment. Differentiated G1-arrested FL cells (G1D) possessed significantly lower gamma-FA-associated immunofluorescence as compared to control cells in the G0-G1 substate. Remaining S- and G2 + M-phase cells in differentiated populations demonstrated an even greater reduction in gamma-FA content relative to control cells in the corresponding cell-cycle phases. The available data support the tentative classification of gamma-FA as a murine differentiation antigen.

Effects of retinoic acid versus dimethyl sulfoxide on Friend erythroleukemia cell growth. I. Cell proliferation, RNA content, and protein content.

The effect of all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), an oxidative product of vitamin A, on cell growth, cell cycle kinetics, RNA content, and protein content of exponentially growing Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells was determined and compared with the results obtained with dimethyl sulfoxide [(DMSO) CAS: 67-68-5; methyl sulfoxide], an inducer of differentiation, and alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a potent inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) activity. Growth inhibition of FL cells was observed only during continuous treatment with RA. While RA did not prevent growth to a high cell density, if cultures were maintained in exponential growth, cell number was reduced by 37, 67.4, and 72.2% after 6-day exposure to 10(-7), 10(-6), and 10(-5) M RA, respectively. In comparison, 280 mM (2%) DMSO and 5 mM DFMO inhibited growth over the same time course by 92 and 97.3%, respectively. DMSO resulted in an early, transient (18-24 hr) accumulation of cells in G1 phase followed by a later (5 day), irreversible accumulation of G1 cells. RA required several cell generations (48-72 hr) before a dose-dependent G1 accumulation was observed. Two populations of RA-treated FL cells could be identified: one with an intermediate RNA content (T-cells) similar to near-plateau-phase control cultures and the other with low RNA content (Q-cells) similar to that observed for DMSO-differentiated (D) cells. The kinetics of the decrease in RNA content of Q-cells paralleled those of D-cells in DMSO-treated cultures; the proportion of Q- versus T-cells in RA-treated cultures was dependent on both concentration and length of exposure. DFMO treatment did not give rise to low-RNA-containing Q-cells. Protein content of RA-treated cells was also diminished and approached that observed for hemoglobin-containing D-cells. FL cells were recoverable from long-term (greater than 5 days) treatment with RA, though 2-3 days were required for reestablishment of exponentially growing cultures; apparently only moderate RNA-containing T-cells repopulated the culture. Neither RA nor DFMO treatment gave rise to benzedine-positive, hemoglobin-containing cells as compared to DMSO that induced differentiation in these cultures.

Effects of retinoic acid versus dimethyl sulfoxide on Friend erythroleukemia cell growth. II. Induction of quiescent, nonproliferating cells.

Treatment of Friend erythroleukemia (FL) cells in vitro with 10(-7) to 10(-5) all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) leads to a concentration-dependent accumulation of a subpopulation of quiescent cells. This subpopulation, termed "Q-cells," contained markedly reduced RNA and protein levels and had a cell cycle distribution with a predominance of cells in G1 phase, which was nearly identical to that found in fully differentiated dimethyl sulfoxide (CAS:67-68-5; methyl sulfoxide)-induced FL cultures. The G1 cells in this RA-induced subpopulation (G1Q cells), though viable, did not enter S-phase, whereas the small percentage of Q-cells with S and G2 DNA content progressed very slowly through the cycle. While the Q-cell population did not contain the differentiation-associated chromatin protein H1 degrees, the cells did manifest a more condensed nuclear chromatin, altered sensitivity to acid denaturation, and reduced accessibility of the DNA in chromatin to acridine orange. The extent of chromatin condensation and the number of free ribosomes versus polysomes in RA-treated FL cells were intermediate between those in untreated and fully differentiated cells, whereas viral budding and the number of nucleoli remained unchanged from those seen in the untreated cell state. The non-Q-cell population in RA-treated cultures, termed "T" (transitional) cells, had an intermediate RNA and protein content and a cell cycle distribution similar to those of control cultures nearing the plateau phase of growth. In the absence of any late markers of differentiation, the Q-cell population was tentatively identified as a unique, quiescent cell population not previously described in the FL cell system.

Effects of a prospective antitumor agent, 1,4-bis(2'-chloroethyl)-1,4-diazabicyclo-[2.2.1] heptane diperchlorate, on cultured mammalian cells.

The effects of 1,4-bis(2'-chloroethyl)-1,4-diazabicyclo-[2.2.1] heptane diperchlorate (CBH; NSC 57198) on cell viability, growth, progression through the cell cycle, survival, and differentiation were investigated in suspension cultures of murine lymphocytic leukemia (L1210) and erythroleukemic (FL) cells and normal human lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and in adherent cultures of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CBH was equally cytotoxic toward stationary and exponentially growing CHO cells. Cell viability was diminished by 50% following 24 hr exposure to approximately 50 micrograms CBH per ml. Treatment of quiescent human lymphocytes for 24 hr with up to 100 micrograms CBH per ml did not appreciably diminish cell viability though the subsequent stimulation of such lymphocytes with PHA was inhibited in a dose dependent fashion. L1210, FL cells, and PHA stimulated human lymphocytes were equally sensitive to CBH, 50% inhibition of growth was obtained following 24 hr treatment with 25 micrograms CBH per ml. Incubation for up to 48 hr with CBH did not result in differentiation of FL cells to mature hemoglobin containing cells. Constant exposure of L1210 cells and PHA-stimulated human lymphocytes to 10-50 micrograms CBH per ml resulted in accumulation of cells in G2 + M phase; higher drug concentrations resulted in cell arrest in mid to late S phase and G2 phase. A short 1-hr pulse of the drug resulted in a transient accumulation of L1210 cells in S and G2 phases. However, cells recovered from a short pulse of drug and by 48 hr, both cell proliferation and the cell cycle distribution appeared normal. A detailed analysis of cell cycle progression of L1210 cells in the presence of the drug indicated that the duration of G2 phase was extended at low concentrations (10 micrograms/ml) while the transit of cells through S was retarded with subsequent accumulation in late S and G2 phase at higher (50 micrograms/ml) concentrations. Concomitant with cell arrest in S and G2 phase an increase in cellular RNA content indicating unbalanced growth was observed. This state of unbalanced growth was reversible in cultures exposed to a 1-hr pulse of up to 100 micrograms CBH per ml; cellular RNA content returned to control values by 48 hr. No effect on nuclear chromatin as assayed by acid denaturation was observed. Though the exact mechanism of drug action is not known, the data are not incompatible with the drug acting as an alkylating agent.