Differential toxicity of cis- and trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) toward mammalian cells: lack of influence of any difference in the rates of loss of their DNA-bound adducts.

DNA-bound adducts formed by cis- or trans-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP or trans-DDP, respectively) have very different effects on DNA synthesis and cell cycle progression in Chinese hamster cells. When the loss of platinum from the DNA of cells treated with pulsed doses of these isomers was corrected for the different effects they produced on DNA replication and cell cycle progression, then adducts formed by either agent were lost slowly from DNA and at comparable rates. The kinetics of accumulation of platinum on the DNA of exponentially growing Chinese hamster cells differed following continuous treatment with a low dose (10 microM) of either cis-DDP or trans-DDP. However, when these DNA binding values were again corrected for the different effects of the two isomers on DNA replication and cell cycle progression, both compounds reacted with DNA to similar extents. The amounts of platinum that accumulated by 30 h on the DNA of stationary-phase Chinese hamster cells treated with a low dose (10 microM) of either cis- or trans-DDP were also similar but resulted in very different effects on cell survival. The amounts of platinum accumulating on the DNA of near confluent African green monkey cells were also similar following continuous treatment with a low dose (10 microM) of either cis-DDP or trans-DDP, after correction for the relatively small amount of DNA synthesis occurring in these cells, and they were similar to the binding of platinum to the DNA of similarly treated Chinese hamster cells. There was no rapid loss of platinum from the DNA of African green monkey cells following treatment with pulsed low or high doses of trans-DDP. It could be concluded that the different cytotoxic effects produced by cis- or trans-DDP resulted from an intrinsic difference in the effects of their respective DNA-bound adducts on DNA replication and were not due to a difference in the rate of repair of such adducts, as previously proposed (R. B. Ciccarelli et al., Biochemistry, 24: 7533-7540, 1985). The accumulation of platinum on the proteins of Chinese hamster or African green monkey kidney cells treated with cis- or trans-DDP was also consistent with the respective toxic effects of the two isomers.

Mechanism of cytotoxicity of anticancer platinum drugs: evidence that cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) and cis-diammine-(1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylato)platinum(II) differ only in the kinetics of their interaction with DNA.

The kinetics of the aquation reactions of cisplatin and carboplatin and their subsequent reactions with DNA, both in vitro and in vivo, have been measured. The results have been extrapolated to indicate the expected cytotoxicity of these compounds in cells obtained from human cancer patients. Rate constants for the aquation at 37 degrees C of cisplatin and carboplatin of 8 X 10(-5) and 7.2 X 10(-7) s-1, respectively, were calculated from the half-life of these compounds in phosphate buffer, pH 7. This difference in their rate of activation was matched by their rates of binding to DNA. By use of a 14C-labeled ligand, carboplatin was shown to bind monofunctionally to DNA, after which there was a time-dependent formation of difunctional interstrand cross-links, formed from some of these initially monofunctional adducts. A similar, although faster, accumulation of cross-links was seen when cisplatin was bound to DNA. The loss of the 14C-CBDCA ligand of carboplatin was calculated to occur with a rate constant of 1.3 X 10(-5) s-1 which was similar to that for the rate of formation of interstrand cross-links and faster than that for the monofunctional reaction with DNA. It was concluded therefore that the CBDCA ligand becomes a more labile leaving group once carboplatin has been monoaquated. In contrast, both chloro-ligands of cisplatin were shown to leave at similar rates. The fact that other difunctional lesions were formed to the same extent, by equal bound doses of cisplatin or carboplatin, was indicated by the unwinding of supercoiled plasmid DNA. The effects of cisplatin and carboplatin on this DNA were the same once bound to the same extent. About a 100-fold larger dose of carboplatin was, as predicted by their rates of aquation, required to produce equivalent binding to plasmid DNA. In vivo, equal binding of the two drugs to DNA of various cell systems resulted in equal cytotoxicity. Again a much larger dose (20- to 40-fold) of carboplatin was required to produce this equal binding. In general a DNA bound platinum level of about 20 nmol/g reduced cell survival by 90%, although certain cell lines were shown to be much more sensitive to DNA bound platinum. Similar binding values, to those above, were obtained in the DNA extracted from cells of human cancer patients treated with cisplatin. It was inferred that the cytotoxic effect of this level of platinum on DNA would be (unless the cells were of a sensitive phenotype) about 90%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inherent sensitivity of cultured human embryonal carcinoma cells to adducts of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) on DNA.

Clinical and experimental data indicate that human embryonal carcinoma cells are unusually sensitive to the antitumor drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin), but the basis of this sensitivity is unknown. Using colony formation assays we measured survival of cultured human embryonal carcinoma cells following cisplatin treatment and related survival to the amount of platinum bound to DNA, determined by isolation of cellular DNA and flameless atomic absorption spectrometry, over a range of drug doses. Similar measurements were carried out on F9 mouse embryonal carcinoma cells and on a fibroblast cell strain from a patient with the genetic disease Fanconi's anemia, a syndrome associated with hypersensitivity to cytotoxic and clastogenic effects of difunctional DNA-binding agents. These results were compared with similar analyses on a variety of cultured cells from previous studies. The embryonal carcinoma cells and the Fanconi's anemia fibroblast strain were among the most sensitive cells on a dose-response basis. Since the amount of platinum bound to DNA after treatment of these cells was similar to values reported for many other cell types, it follows that mouse and human embryonal carcinoma cells are inherently sensitive to DNA-bound platinum adducts, to a degree approaching the sensitivity of fibroblasts from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum and Fanconi's anemia.

Quantitative aspects of the formation and loss of DNA interstrand crosslinks in Chinese hamster cells following treatment with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin). I. Proportion of DNA-platinum reactions involved in DNA crosslinking.

The presence of interstrand crosslinks in the DNA of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cisplatin)-treated Chinese hamster cells was demonstrated by the formation of a species of hybrid-labelled DNA in cells that had been density and radioactively prelabelled with a combination of [3H]thymidine and 2'-deoxy-5-bromouridine (BrdUrd) prior to treatment. The extent of crosslinking and of total binding of platinum to the DNA increased linearly with dose over a wide range of concentrations of cisplatin. Simultaneous measurement of the size of co-isolated 14C-labelled DNA from untreated cells permitted an estimate of the size of the crosslinked DNA and hence of the proportion of bound platinum involved in a crosslinking reaction. No increase in the proportion of crosslinking reactions occurred during several hours post treatment incubation of cells when crosslinks were measured by this technique, in contrast to other studies using different techniques to measure DNA interested crosslinking in cis-platin treated cells (see following paper, Pera, M.F., Jr., Rawlings, C.J., Shackleton, J. and Roberts, J.J (1981) Biochim. Biophys, Acta 655, 152--166). The enforced high concentrations of cisplatin required by this method to detect crosslinks precludes studies of their possible repair.

The effect of monofunctional or difunctional platinum adducts and of various other associated DNA damage on the expression of transfected DNA in mammalian cell lines sensitive or resistant to difunctional agents.

The effects of introducing various DNA damage into pSV2gpt DNA on the subsequent expression of xanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (XGPRT), after its transfection into two Walker 256 cell lines, one which is inherently sensitive only to difunctional agents while the other shows a normal sensitivity, have been examined. Both the sensitive (WS) and the relatively resistant (WR) cell lines were shown to be equally capable of both ligation of DNA double-strand breaks (although the efficiency varied with the actual site of the break) introduced into pSV2gpt and homologous recombination of pSV2gpt fragments (recombination events are thought to be important in the repair of DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinks). Reacting the plasmid with either the difunctional platinum compound, Cisplatin, or the monofunctional reacting Pt(Dien) caused a dose-dependent decrease in the subsequent expression of XGPRT. This decrease was about the same with either agent in either cell line when expressed as a function of dose of drug. However, when the actual binding of platinum to DNA by these compounds was measured, a large difference (due to the higher specific binding of Pt(Dien) to DNA) in the effects of the difunctional, as opposed to the monofunctional agent, was apparent and this was a reflection of the relative cytotoxicities of these compounds towards mammalian cells. Although at doses of Cisplatin equitoxic to WS and WR cells 20-fold less Pt is bound to the DNA of WS cells, no significant difference was seen on the expression of pSV2gpt, reacted with this agent, between WS or WR cells. Based upon a knowledge of the proportions of adducts formed in DNA reacted with Cisplatin, the lesion that inactivates expression of XGPRT was probably the intrastrand crosslink and it was calculated that due to the size of the plasmid, the interstrand crosslink was unlikely to be present at these inactivating doses. It is suggested that the inherent sensitivity of WS cells only to difunctional agents is due to their response to such relatively rare lesions such as a DNA-DNA interstrand crosslink.

Regressions of established breast carcinoma xenografts by carboxypeptidase G2 suicide gene therapy and the prodrug CMDA are due to a bystander effect.

The role of the bystander effect in the treatment of a human breast carcinoma xenograft was studied by suicide gene therapy with carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) and CMDA. Cells expressing enzymatically active surface-tethered bacterial CPG2 [stCPG2(Q)3] were mixed with control beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal)-expressing cells to give stCPG2(Q)3:beta-Gal ratios of, respectively: group 1, 0:100; group 2, 10:90; group 3, 50:50; and group 4, 100:0. Four days after injection of the cells into nude mice, the prodrug 4-[(2-chloroethyl)(2-mesyloxyethyl)amino]benzoyl-L-glutamic acid (CMDA) was administered. Tumor growth delay correlated well with the levels of stCPG2(Q)3 expression: group 1, 0 day delay; group 2, 10 days; group 3, 16 days; and group 4, 90 days. Similarly, the number of cures was strongly correlated to the levels of stCPG2(Q)3 activity: group 1, zero of six cured; group 2, one of six cured; group 3, three of six cured and group 4, four of six cured. There was a good correlation between CPG2 enzyme activity in the tumors and the number of cures. The majority of cells from groups 2 and 3 were apoptotic whereas those from group 1 were not, indicating a substantial bystander effect in the tumors. These results suggest that a bystander effect plays a major role in suicide gene therapy regimens with stCPG2(Q)3 and CMDA.

In suicide gene therapy, the site of subcellular localization of the activating enzyme is more important than the rate at which it activates prodrug.

The bacterial enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) can be expressed both intracellularly (CPG2*) or tethered to the outer surface (stCPG2(Q)3) of mammalian cells, where it is able to activate mustard prodrugs for use in suicide gene therapy protocols. Here we compare the properties of CPG2 expressed in these two locations. CPG2 is active as a dimer, and one of the mutations required to block glycosylation of stCPG2(Q)3 destabilizes the dimers. Some of the mutations to this site partially correct the dimerization defect and recover a proportion of the activity. Surface tethering also recovers some enzyme activity, but through an unknown mechanism. The efficacy of CPG2 in these two locations is compared with the tumor cell lines A2780, SK-OV-3, and WiDr, which are sensitized to the prodrug 4-([2-chloroethyl][2-mesyloxyethyl]amino)benzoyl-L-glutamic acid (CMDA) by both CPG2* and stCPG2(Q)3 expression in suicide gene therapy protocols in vitro. We find that stCPG2(Q)3 is a more efficient mediator of CMDA-dependent cell killing than CPG2*. Lower levels of stCPG2(Q)3 activity are required to give cell killing that can only be achieved by higher levels of CPG2*. In bystander effect assays, low levels of stCPG2(Q)3 are required for efficient killing, whereas relatively high levels of CPG2* activity are required. Also, shorter exposures to prodrug are required for cell killing when stCPG2(Q)3 is expressed compared with when CPG2* is expressed. These data demonstrate that the location of the enzyme in the cell is more important than the enzyme activity as the determinant in mediating cytotoxicity.

Sensitization of colorectal and pancreatic cancer cell lines to the prodrug 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954) by retroviral transduction and expression of the E. coli nitroreductase gene.

Expression of genes encoding prodrug-activating enzymes can increase the susceptibility of tumor cells to prodrugs, and may ultimately achieve a better therapeutic index than conventional chemotherapy. CB1954 is a weak, monofunctional alkylating agent which can be activated by Escherichia coli nitroreductase to a potent dysfunctional alkylating agent which crosslinks DNA. We have inserted the nitroreductase gene into an LNCX-based retroviral vector, to allow efficient gene transfer and expression in colorectal (LS174T) and pancreatic (SUIT2, BxPC3, and AsPC1) cancer cell lines. A clone of LS174T cells expressing nitroreductase showed > 50-fold increased sensitivity to CB1954, and nitroreductase-expressing clones of pancreatic tumor lines were up to approximately 500-fold (SUIT2) more sensitive than parental cells. Concentrations of CB1954 minimally toxic to nontransduced cells achieved 100% cell death in a 50:50 mix of parental cells with SUIT2 cells expressing nitroreductase; and marked "bystander" cell killing was seen with just 10% of cells expressing nitroreductase. Significant bystander cell killing was dependent on a high cell density. In conjunction with regional delivery of vectors and tumor selectivity of cell entry and/or gene expression, nitroreductase and CB1954 may be an attractive combination for prodrug-activating enzyme gene therapy of colorectal and pancreatic cancer.

Mustard prodrugs for activation by Escherichia coli nitroreductase in gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy.

Twenty nitrogen mustard analogues derived from 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB 1954, 1) were evaluated as candidate prodrugs for gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) in Chinese hamster V79 cell lines engineered to express Escherichia coli nitroreductase (NR). Structural variations within the series included the use of N-dihydroxypropyl and (N-dimethylamino)ethyl carboxamide side chains, the use of chloro, bromo, mesyl, and iodo leaving groups on the mustards, and regioisomeric changes. The compounds were assayed for cytotoxicity (IC50) with the NR-expressing and controls of non-NR-expressing cell lines. The proportion of NR-expressing cells required in a mixture for nonexpressing cells to experience 50% of their cytotoxicity (termed the TE50) was used to assess the compounds' ability to induce a bystander effect. This study suggests that 5-[N,N-bis(2-bromoethyl)amino]-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (8), 5-[N,N-bis(2-iodoethyl)amino]-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (9), 2-[N,N-bis(2-bromoethyl)-amino]-3,5-dinitrobenzamide (13), and 2-[N,N-bis(2-iodoethyl)amino]-3,5-dinitrobenzamide (14) showed considerable improvements over 1, exhibiting greater potency, higher IC50 ratios, and lower TE50s, and are thus superior prodrugs to 1 for GDEPT.

Self-immolative prodrugs: candidates for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy in conjunction with a nitroreductase enzyme.

The synthesis and properties of some prodrug candidates for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) are described. These compounds have been designed to generate the corresponding active drug upon interaction with a bacterial nitroreductase that can be conjugated to antibodies that recognize tumor-selective antigens. The active drugs included in the study are actinomycin D, mitomycin C, doxorubicin, 4-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]aniline and 4-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenol. The prodrugs were all 4-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl derivatives of these drugs, which upon enzymatic reduction, generated the drug through self-immolation of the 4-(hydroxyamino)benzyloxycarbonyl group. In the case of actinomycin D, the ratio of the dose required between drug and prodrug to give the same cytotoxicity was greater than 100. The prodrug was also much less toxic (20-100x) than actinomycin D to mice in vivo. Therefore this self-immolative prodrug has a potential application in the treatment of cancer using an ADEPT-type approach.

Significant differences in biological parameters between prodrugs cleavable by carboxypeptidase G2 that generate 3,5-difluoro-phenol and -aniline nitrogen mustards in gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy systems.

Nine new nitrogen mustard compounds derived from 2,6-difluoro-4-hydroxy- (3a-e) and 2,6-difluoro-4-amino- (4a-d) aniline were synthesized as potential prodrugs. They were designed to be activated to their corresponding 3,5-difluorophenol and -aniline (4)-nitrogen mustards by the enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) in gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) models. The compounds were tested for cytotoxicity in the MDA MB-361 breast adenocarcinoma. The cell line was engineered to express stably either CPG2 tethered to the cell surface stCPG2-(Q)3 or beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) as control. The cytotoxicity differentials were calculated between CPG 2-expressing and -nonexpressing cells and yielded different results for the two series of prodrugs despite their structural similarities. While the phenol compounds are ineffective as prodrugs, their aniline counterparts exhibit outstanding activity in the tumor cell lines expressing CPG2. [3,5-Difluoro-4-[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenyl]carbamoyl-l-glutamic acid gave a differential of >227 in MDA MB361 cells as compared with 19 exhibited by 4-[(2-chloroethyl)(2-mesyloxyethyl)amino]benzoyl-l-glutamic acid, 1a, which has been in clinical trials.

Self-immolative nitrogen mustard prodrugs for suicide gene therapy.

Four new potential self-immolative prodrugs derived from phenol and aniline nitrogen mustards, four model compounds derived from their corresponding fluoroethyl analogues and two new self-immolative linkers were designed and synthesized for use in the suicide gene therapy termed GDEPT (gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy). The self-immolative prodrugs were designed to be activated by the enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) releasing an active drug by a 1, 6-elimination mechanism via an unstable intermediate. Thus, N-[(4-¿[4-(bis¿2-chloroethyl¿amino)phenoxycarbonyloxy]methyl¿pheny l)c arbamoyl]-L-glutamic acid (23), N-[(4-¿[4-(bis¿2-chloroethyl¿amino)phenoxycarbonyloxy]methyl¿pheno xy) carbonyl]-L-glutamic acid (30), N-[(4-¿[N-(4-¿bis[2-chloroethyl]amino¿phenyl)carbamoyloxy]methyl¿+ ++phen oxy)carbonyl]-L-glutamic acid (37), and N-[(4-¿[N-(4-¿bis[2-chloroethyl]amino¿phenyl)carbamoyloxy]methyl¿+ ++phen yl)carbamoyl]-L-glutamic acid (40) were synthesized. They are bifunctional alkylating agents in which the activating effects of the phenolic hydroxyl or amino functions are masked through an oxycarbonyl or a carbamoyl bond to a benzylic spacer which is itself linked to a glutamic acid by an oxycarbonyl or a carbamoyl bond. The corresponding fluoroethyl compounds 25, 32, 42, and 44 were also synthesized. The rationale was to obtain model compounds with greatly reduced alkylating abilities that would be much less reactive with nucleophiles compared to the corresponding chloroethyl derivatives. This enabled studies of these model compounds as substrates for CPG2, without incurring the rapid and complicated decomposition pathways of the chloroethyl derivatives. The prodrugs were designed to be activated to their corresponding phenol and aniline nitrogen mustard drugs by CPG2 for use in GDEPT. The synthesis of the analogous novel parent drugs (21b, 51) is also described. A colorectal cell line was engineered to express CPG2 tethered to the outer cell surface. The phenylenediamine compounds were found to behave as prodrugs, yielding IC50 prodrug/IC50 drug ratios between 20- and 33-fold (for 37 and 40) and differentials of 12-14-fold between CPG2-expressing and control LacZ-expressing clones. The drugs released are up to 70-fold more potent than 4-[(2-chloroethyl)(2-mesyloxyethyl)amino]benzoic acid that results from the prodrug 4-[(2-chloroethyl)(2-mesyloxyethyl)amino]benzoyl-L-glutamic acid (CMDA) which has been used previously for GDEPT. These data demonstrate the viability of this strategy and indicate that self-immolative prodrugs can be synthesized to release potent mustard drugs selectively by cells expressing CPG2 tethered to the cell surface in GDEPT.

Self-immolative anthracycline prodrugs for suicide gene therapy.

Four novel potential prodrugs derived from daunorubicin (8, 10) and doxorubicin (12, 14) were designed and synthesized. They are self-immolative prodrugs for suicide gene therapy activation by the enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) subsequently releasing the corresponding anthracyclines, by a 1,6-elimination mechanism. A mammary carcinoma cell line (MDA MB 361) was engineered to express CPG2 intracellularly (CPG2) or extracellularly, tethered to the outer cell membrane (stCPG2(Q)3). The prodrugs derived from doxorubicin showed prodrug/drug cytotoxicity differentials of 21-fold (compound 12) and 23-fold (compound 14). Prodrug 12 underwent an 11-fold activation when assayed in the cell line expressing externally surface-tethered CPG2.

Metabolism of NAD(P)H by blood components. Relevance to bioreductively activated prodrugs in a targeted enzyme therapy system.

NADH was metabolized both by serum components and at the cell surface. The metabolism by serum was either oxidation to NAD+, or hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate to yield nicotinamide mononucleotide (reduced) (NMNH) and AMP. NMNH was further hydrolysed to yield nicotinamide riboside (reduced) (NRH), which was stable. NAD+ was hydrolysed (although at a slower rate than was NADH), but was also reduced to yield NADH. The reduction of NAD+ was catalysed by the enzyme serum L(+)lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27) and was dependent on the concentration of L(+)lactate in the serum. NADPH was hydrolysed in a similar manner to NADH but not oxidized by serum. NADH generated from NAD+ by serum derived from human, foetal calf and horse sources was capable of driving the bioreductive activation of CB 1954 by the enzyme DT diaphorase. Cell surfaces oxidized NADH to NAD+, but did not oxidize NADPH or NRH. These observations suggest that NAD(P)H would be unsuitable as a source of reducing equivalents for the bioreductive activation of prodrugs by a reductase enzyme in Antibody Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (ADEPT). In contrast, NAD+ (which could act as a source of NADH) and NRH could avoid the shortcomings of NAD(P)H, and act as suitable cofactors for an enzyme in an ADEPT system.

Bioactivation of CB 1954: reaction of the active 4-hydroxylamino derivative with thioesters to form the ultimate DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinking species.

5-(Aziridin-1-yl)-4-hydroxylamino-2-nitrobenzamide is the active form of CB 1954 (5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide). This hydroxylamine is formed by the bioreduction of CB 1954 by the enzyme DT diaphorase and accounts for the highly selective cytotoxicity of this compound. The reason why the hydroxylamine derivative is so cytotoxic is that, in contrast to CB 1954, it can react difunctionally as characterized by the formation of DNA-DNA interstrand crosslinks in cells treated by this agent. However, although the 4-hydroxylamine compound can produce these crosslinks in cells it cannot crosslink naked DNA (Knox et al., Biochem Pharmacol 37: 4661-4669, 1988). We show here that 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-4-hydroxylamino-2-nitrobenzamide can become a species capable of binding to DNA and producing interstrand crosslinks, by a direct, non-enzymatic reaction with either acetyl coenzyme A, butyl and propyl coenzyme A or S-acetylthiocholine. Coenzyme A itself cannot produce these effects. The major product of the reaction between the 4-hydroxylamine and thioesters was identified as 4-amino-5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2-nitrobenzamide. However, this compound is not capable of producing the above effects and the major DNA reactive species was a minor product of the reaction. It is proposed that the ultimate, DNA reactive, derivative of CB 1954 is 4-(N-acetoxy)-5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2-nitrobenzamide.

Potentiation of CB 1954 cytotoxicity by reduced pyridine nucleotides in human tumour cells by stimulation of DT diaphorase activity.

The toxicity of CB 1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide] towards human cells was greatly enhanced by NADH (when foetal calf serum was present in the culture medium) and by nicotinamide riboside (reduced) (NRH), but not by nicotinate riboside (reduced). Co-treatment of human cells with CB 1954 and NADH resulted in the formation of crosslinks in their DNA. The toxicity produced by other DNA crosslinking agents was unaffected by reduced nicotinamide compounds. When caffeine was included in the medium, a reduction in the cytotoxicity of CB 1954 occurred. The toxicity experienced by human cell lines after exposure to CB 1954 and NADH was proportional to their levels of the enzyme DT diaphorase NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.6.99.2. It is concluded that NRH, which we have shown to be a co-factor for rat DT diaphorase (Friedlos et al., Biochem Pharmacol 44: 25-31, 1992), is generated from NADH by enzymes in foetal calf serum, and stimulates the activity of human DT diaphorase towards CB 1954.

A new cytotoxic, DNA interstrand crosslinking agent, 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-4-hydroxylamino-2-nitrobenzamide, is formed from 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB 1954) by a nitroreductase enzyme in Walker carcinoma cells.

Walker tumour cells in vivo or in vitro are exceptionally sensitive to the monofunctional alkylating agent 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB 1954) (Cobb LM et al., Biochem Pharmacol 18: 1519-1527, 1969). CB 1954 forms DNA interstrand crosslinks in a time-dependent manner in Walker tumour cells but not in non-toxically affected Chinese hamster V79 cells [(Roberts JJ et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 140: 1073-1078, 1986)]. However, co-culturing Chinese hamster V79 cells with Walker cells in the presence of CB 1954 renders the hamster cells sensitive to CB 1954 and leads to the formation of interstrand crosslinks in their DNA, findings indicative of the formation by Walker cells of a diffusible toxic metabolite of CB 1954. A flavoprotein, of molecular weight 33.5 kDa as estimated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, has been isolated from Walker cells and identified as a form of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone) (DT diaphorase, EC 1.6.99.2). This enzyme, in the presence of NADH or NADPH, catalyses the aerobic reduction of CB 1954 to 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-4-hydroxylamino-2-nitrobenzamide. This new compound can form interstrand crosslinks in the DNA of Chinese hamster V79 cells to which it is also highly toxic.

The properties of total adducts and interstrand crosslinks in the DNA of cells treated with CB 1954. Exceptional frequency and stability of the crosslink.

CB 1954 (5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide) becomes, upon bioactivation, a difunctional alkylating agent. It can be up to a 100,000-fold more cytotoxic in cells that are able to bioactivate it than in those that cannot. This increase in cytotoxicity is much greater than would be predicted from the conversion of a monofunctional alkylating agent to a difunctional one. We now show that the interstrand crosslink formed in the DNA of CB 1954-sensitive cells has some unusual properties. In Walker cells, which are able to activate CB 1954, the interstrand crosslink is the major adduct and can constitute up to 70% of the total adducts. These crosslinks are only poorly excised, as are those produced in V79 cells (which are themselves unable to activate CB 1954) by co-culturing them with Walker cells. Also, CB 1954 is approximately 10-fold more reactive toward the DNA of Walker cells than V79 cells. These observations may explain the extent of the increase in cytotoxicity accompanying the bioactivation of CB 1954.

The bioactivation of 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954)--I. Purification and properties of a nitroreductase enzyme from Escherichia coli--a potential enzyme for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT).

A nitroreductase enzyme has been isolated from Escherichia coli B. This enzyme is an FMN-containing flavoprotein with a molecular mass of 24 kDa and requires either NADH or NADPH as a cofactor. Partial protein sequence analysis showed extensive homology with the "classical nitroreductase" of Salmonella typhimurium and a nitroreductase induced in Enterobacter cloacae. In common with the Salmonella enzyme, the E. coli B enzyme is capable of reducing nitrofurazone. The E. coli nitroreductase is also capable of reducing the anti-tumour agent CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide], a property shared with the mammalian enzyme DT diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone)] as isolated from Walker cells. The reduction of CB1954 by the E. coli enzyme results in the generation of cytotoxic species. Both enzymes also share the properties of being able to reduce quinones and are both inhibited by dicoumarol. The nitroreductase is a more active enzyme against CB1954 (kcat = 360 min-1) than Walker DT diaphorase (kcat = 4 min-1) and also has a lower Km for NADH (6 vs 75 microM).

The bioactivation of 5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954)--II. A comparison of an Escherichia coli nitroreductase and Walker DT diaphorase.

A nitroreductase enzyme that has been isolated from Escherichia coli B is capable of bioactivating CB1954 [5-(aziridin-1-yl)-2,4-dinitrobenzamide] to a cytotoxic agent, a property shared with the mammalian enzyme Walker DT diaphorase [NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.6.99.2] as isolated from Walker cells. In contrast to Walker DT diaphorase, which can only reduce the 4-nitro group of CB1954, the E. coli nitroreductase can reduce either (but not both) nitro groups of CB1954 to the corresponding hydroxylamino species. The two hydroxylamino species are formed in equal proportions and at the same rates. CB1954 is reduced much more rapidly by the E. coli nitroreductase than by Walker DT diaphorase. If the reduction of CB1954 was carried out in the presence of V79 cells (which are insensitive to CB1954) a large cytotoxic effect was evident. This cytotoxicity was only observed under conditions in which the E. coli nitroreductase or Walker DT diaphorase reduced the drug. It is proposed that E. coli B nitroreductase would be a suitable enzyme for antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) in combination with CB1954.