Antiproliferative activity of PEP005, a novel ingenol angelate that modulates PKC functions, alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents in human colon cancer cells.

PEP005 is a novel ingenol angelate that modulates protein kinases C (PKC) functions by activating PKC delta and inhibiting PKC alpha. This study assessed the antiproliferative effects of PEP005 alone and in combination with several other anticancer agents in a panel of 10 human cancer cell lines characterised for expression of several PKC isoforms. PEP005 displayed antiproliferative effects at clinically relevant concentrations with a unique cytotoxicity profile that differs from that of most other investigated cytotoxic agents, including staurosporine. In a subset of colon cancer cells, the IC(50) of PEP005 ranged from 0.01-140 microM. The antiproliferative effects of PEP005 were shown to be concentration- and time-dependent. In Colo205 cells, apoptosis induction was observed at concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 3 microM. Exposure to PEP005 also induced accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. In addition, PEP005 increased the phosphorylation of PKC delta and p38. In Colo205 cells, combinations of PEP005 with several cytotoxic agents including oxaliplatin, SN38, 5FU, gemcitabine, doxorubicin, vinorelbine, and docetaxel yielded sequence-dependent antiproliferative effects. Cell cycle blockage induced by PEP005 in late G1 lasted for up to 24 h and therefore a 24 h lag-time between PEP005 and subsequent exposure to cytotoxics was required to optimise PEP005 combinations with several anticancer agents. These data support further evaluation of PEP005 as an anticancer agent and may help to optimise clinical trials with PEP005-based combinations in patients with solid tumours.

Car radiator burns: a report on 72 cases.

Seventy-two cases of car radiator burns (CRB) were treated in the Burns Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, over a 6-year period (1982-87). All the patients were males and most were between 20 and 40 years old. Chest wall, face and right upper limb were the commonest sites involved. Most of the patients suffered from relatively minor scalds. The scenario of the accidents as well as the topography of the burned areas were characteristic to this particular type of injury. The exceptionally high temperatures in the summer months were significantly related to the incidence of this type of burn.

Antiproliferative effects of sapacitabine (CYC682), a novel 2'-deoxycytidine-derivative, in human cancer cells.

This study assessed the antiproliferative activity of sapacitabine (CYC682, CS-682) in a panel of 10 human cancer cell lines with varying degrees of resistance or sensitivity to the commonly used nucleoside analogues ara-C and gemcitabine. Growth inhibition studies using sapacitabine and CNDAC were performed in the panel of cell lines and compared with both nucleoside analogues and other anticancer compounds including oxaliplatin, doxorubicin, docetaxel and seliciclib. Sapacitabine displayed antiproliferative activity across a range of concentrations in a variety of cell lines, including those shown to be resistant to several anticancer drugs. Sapacitabine is biotransformed by plasma, gut and liver amidases into CNDAC and causes cell cycle arrest predominantly in the G(2)/M phase. No clear correlation was observed between sensitivity to sapacitabine and the expression of critical factors involved in resistance to nucleoside analogues such as deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1, cytosolic 5'-nucleotidase and DNA polymerase-alpha. However, sapacitabine showed cytotoxic activity against dCK-deficient L1210 cells indicating that in some cells, a dCK-independent mechanism of action may be involved. In addition, sapacitabine showed a synergistic effect when combined with gemcitabine and sequence-specific synergy with doxorubicin and oxaliplatin. Sapacitabine is therefore a good candidate for further evaluation in combination with currently used anticancer agents in tumour types with unmet needs.

Analysis of the in vitro effect of exogenous nitric oxide on human lymphocytes.

We investigated the role of endogenous or exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on human lymphocyte function. We used sodium nitroprusside, nitroglycerine, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, sodium nitrite and S-nitroso-L-glutathione as NO-generating compounds. All agents were used at doses that do not produce direct cytotoxicity as measured by trypan blue exclusion as well as chromium-51 release assay. The immune responses examined were peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) proliferation and IL-2 production after activation with OKT3 and PHA; allogeneic mediated proliferation and cell mediated cytotoxicity (CML) in MLR; IgG and IgM production after PBL activation with Con-A; proliferation and expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 mRNA after activation of allogeneic CD4+T cell clones. Cytokine mRNA expression was measured by reverse transcriptase PCR. Our results show that proliferating lymphocytes do not produce a detectable amount of NO as measured by the Griess reaction. In separate experiments, the addition of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) did not affect lymphocyte proliferation. Sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerine exerted a dose dependent antimitogenic effect, inhibited cytokine production and expression, CML generation and antibody production. DNA gel electrophoresis showed no evidence for enhanced programmed cell death. The antimitogenic effect could not be blocked by the NO scavengers, hemoglobin or methylene blue. In contrast, the other nitric oxide generating compounds did not inhibit lymphocyte mitogenesis. The results suggest that human lymphocytes do not produce appreciable amounts of NO to affect lymphocyte mitogenesis. Sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerine have a potent but nonspecific immunoinhibitory effect on human lymphocyte function by a mechanism other than NO production. In addition, pharmacological levels of NO do not inhibit human lymphocyte mitogenesis.