Development and validation of an ultra-high performance LC-MS/MS assay for intracellular SN-38 in human solid tumour cell lines: comparison with a validated HPLC-fluorescence method.

A simple and rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed for measuring intracellular concentrations of the anticancer agent 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38) in tumour cells using camptothecin (CPT) as internal standard. SN-38 extraction was carried out using acidified acetonitrile. SN-38 and CPT were separated on a PFP column using gradient elution with acidified water and acetonitrile. SN-38 and CPT were quantified using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry system. Least square regression calibration lines were obtained with average correlation coefficients of R(2)=0.9993±0.0016. The lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) for SN-38 were 0.1 and 0.3ng/ml, respectively. CPT recovery was 98.5±13% and SN-38 recoveries at low quality control (LQC, 5ng/ml) and high quality control (HQC, 500ng/ml) were 89±6% and 95±8%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day imprecision for LQC was 5.8 and 8.5%, and for HQC was 6.3 and 4.4%, respectively. The method was compared to a validated high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescent method. In addition, the method has been successfully applied to determine the intracellular accumulation of SN-38 investigating the transport through ABCB1 (P-gp) and ABCG2 (BCRP) efflux pumps in colorectal cancer cell lines.

A synergistic interaction between lapatinib and chemotherapy agents in a panel of cell lines is due to the inhibition of the efflux pump BCRP.

Lapatinib is a specific HER1 and 2 targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor now widely used in combination with chemotherapy in the clinical setting. In this work, we investigated the interactions between lapatinib and specific chemotherapy agents (cisplatin, SN-38, topotecan) in a panel of cell lines [breast (n = 2), lung (n = 2), testis (n = 4)]. A high-sensitivity cell proliferation/cytotoxicity ATP assay and flow cytometry were used to determine cell viability, apoptosis, and the effect of the drugs on cell-cycle distribution. CalcuSyn analysis was employed to formally identify synergistic interactions between drugs. Intracellular concentrations of SN-38 were measured using a novel high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. Flow cytometry and HPLC techniques were used to identify the effect of lapatinib on drug influx and efflux pumps, using specific substrates and inhibitors of these pumps. Results showed significant synergy between SN-38, and lapatinib in the majority of cell lines (combination index < 0.75), associated with increased apoptosis. This synergy was not universal but, when observed (Susa S/R, H1975, H358, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines), was related to SN-38 intracellular accumulation (2.2- to 4.8-fold increase, P < 0.05 for each), attributable to the inhibition of the breast cancer-related protein (BCRP) efflux pump by lapatinib. Flow cytometry analysis showed that lapatinib (10 µmol/L) inhibited the efflux of mitoxantrone, a specific substrate of the BCRP pump, in a manner similar to fumitremorgin C, a known BCRP inhibitor, confirming lapatinib as a BCRP inhibitor. This work shows that lapatinib has a direct inhibitory effect on BCRP accounting for the synergistic findings. The synergy is cell line dependent and related to the activity of specific efflux pumps.