Antiproliferative efficacies but minor drug transporter inducing effects of paclitaxel, cisplatin, or 5-fluorouracil in a murine xenograft model for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Drug-induced multidrug resistance (MDR) has been linked to overexpression of drug transporting proteins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in vitro. The aim of this work was to reassess these findings in a murine xenograft model. NOD-SCID mice xenotransplanted with 106 HNO97 cells were treated for four consecutive weeks with weekly paclitaxel, biweekly cisplatin (both intraperitoneal), or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, administered by osmotic pump). Tumor volume and body weight were weekly documented. Expression of drug transporters and Ki-67 marker were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and/or immunohistochemistry. Both paclitaxel and cisplatin significantly reduced tumor volumes after 2–3 weeks. 5-FU-treated animals had significantly lower body weights after 2 or 4 weeks of chemotherapy. None of the drugs affected expression of drug transporters at the mRNA level. However, P-glycoprotein (Pgp) protein expression was increased by paclitaxel (P < 0.01). Ki-67 expression did not change during treatment irrespective of the drug applied. Paclitaxel and cisplatin are effectively tumor volume reducing drugs in a murine xenograft model of HNSCC. Paclitaxel enhanced Pgp expression at the protein level, but not at the mRNA level suggesting transcriptional induction to be of minor relevance. In contrast, posttranscriptional mechanisms or Darwinian selection of intrinsically drug transporter overexpressing MDR cells might lead to iatrogenic chemotherapy resistance in HNSCC.Fil: Theile, Dirk. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Gal, Zoltan. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Warta, Rolf. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Rigalli, Juan Pablo. Universität Heidelberg; Alemania. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lahrmann, Bernd. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Grabe, Niels. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Herold Mende, Christel. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Dyckhoff, Gerhard. Universität Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Weiss, Johanna. Universität Heidelberg; Alemani

The GCC repeat length in the 5'UTR of MRP1 gene is polymorphic: a functional characterization of its relevance for cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND: Among the members of the ATP binding cassette transporter superfamily, MRPs share the closest homology with the CFTR protein, which is defective in CF disease. MRP1 has been proposed as a potential modifier gene and/or as novel target for pharmacotherapy of CF to explain the clinical benefits observed in some CF patients treated with the macrolide AZM. The 5'UTR of the MRP1 gene contains a GCC triplet repeat that could represent a polymorphic site and affect the activity of the promoter. METHODS: The MRP1 5' flanking region was amplified by PCR from 36 CF patients and 100 non-CF subjects and the number of GCC triplets of each allele was determined by sequence and electrophoretic analysis. We performed gene reporter studies in CF airway epithelial cells 16HBE14o-AS3, in basal conditions and in the presence of AZM. RESULTS: We found that the GCC repeat is polymorphic, ranging from 7 to 14 triplets either in CF or in non-CF subjects. Our data are preliminary and have to be confirmed on a larger population of CF subjects. The transcriptional activity of the proximal MRP1 5' regulatory region revealed no statistically significant correlations between the number of repeats and treatment with AZM. CONCLUSION: We identified a novel polymorphism in the 5'UTR of MRP1 gene that provides multiple alleles in a gene relevant for multidrug resistance as well as for CF, determining that this region is transcriptionally active and that this activity does not appear to be influenced by AZM treatment

Differential protection of normal and malignant human myeloid progenitors (CFU-GM) from Ara-C toxicity using cycloheximide

Abstract Cycloheximide, a reversible protein synthesis inhibitor, is thought to block DNA replication in normal cells by preventing synthesis of a labile protein. In animal systems, cycloheximide protects normal cells from cytotoxic S-phase specific agents, such as cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). Malignant cells appear not to be susceptible to cycloheximide- induced cycle arrest and, subsequently, may not be protected from Ara-C cytotoxicity. The effect of cycloheximide on granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) after in vitro Ara-C exposure was examined using normal human bone marrow, malignant progenitors from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and clonogenic cells from the human acute nonlymphocytic leukemia cell lines HL-60 and KG-1. Mononuclear or clonogenic cells were incubated for one hour with cycloheximide, followed by the addition, for three or 17 hours, of Ara-C before being plated in a methylcellulose culture system. CFU-GM survival was significantly increase if normal cells were treated with cycloheximide before Ara-C exposure. Similar cycloheximide pretreatment of CML progenitors and clonogenic HL-60 and KG-1 cells failed to protect CFU- GM from Ara-C-induced cytotoxicity.</jats:p

Expression of the multidrug resistance associated protein and P- glycoprotein in doxorubicin-selected human myeloid leukemia cells

Abstract Drug-resistant sublines of the human U-937 myeloid leukemia cell line were selected in doxorubicin concentrations of 10, 40, and 200 ng/mL (designated U-A10, U-A40, and U-A200, respectively). Northern blot analysis showed overexpression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) gene, but not MDR1, in U-A10 cells as compared with parental U-937 cells. Prolonged passage of U-A10 cells in 10 ng/mL of doxorubicin had little effect on MRP RNA levels, but increased MDR1 expression. The U-A40 and U-A200 cells, derived by selection of U-A10 cells, showed high levels of both MRP and MDR1 expression. None of the drug-resistant cell lines showed MRP or MDR1 gene amplification as judged by Southern blot analysis. U-A10 cells exhibited minimal decreased net accumulation of anthracycline, whereas U-A40 and U-A200 cells showed more significantly decreased drug accumulation as compared with U-937 cells. Subcellular anthracycline accumulation in U-937 cells as determined by fluorescence microscopy showed daunorubicin fluorescence predominately in the nucleus. However, the drug-resistant cell lines showed minimal nuclear drug accumulation with marked redistribution of drug into a vesicular compartment. Treatment with sodium azide/2-deoxyglucose, 2,4-dinitrophenol, or monensin, but not verapamil, abolished the vesicular accumulation. These studies in doxorubicin-selected U-937 cells indicate that induction of MRP overexpression occurs before that for the MDR1 gene. In addition, the drug-resistant cells possess an energy-dependent redistribution of anthracyclines into a nonnuclear vesicular compartment.</jats:p

Differential protection of normal and malignant human myeloid progenitors (CFU-GM) from Ara-C toxicity using cycloheximide

Cycloheximide, a reversible protein synthesis inhibitor, is thought to block DNA replication in normal cells by preventing synthesis of a labile protein. In animal systems, cycloheximide protects normal cells from cytotoxic S-phase specific agents, such as cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). Malignant cells appear not to be susceptible to cycloheximide- induced cycle arrest and, subsequently, may not be protected from Ara-C cytotoxicity. The effect of cycloheximide on granulocyte/macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) after in vitro Ara-C exposure was examined using normal human bone marrow, malignant progenitors from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and clonogenic cells from the human acute nonlymphocytic leukemia cell lines HL-60 and KG-1. Mononuclear or clonogenic cells were incubated for one hour with cycloheximide, followed by the addition, for three or 17 hours, of Ara-C before being plated in a methylcellulose culture system. CFU-GM survival was significantly increase if normal cells were treated with cycloheximide before Ara-C exposure. Similar cycloheximide pretreatment of CML progenitors and clonogenic HL-60 and KG-1 cells failed to protect CFU- GM from Ara-C-induced cytotoxicity.</jats:p

Expression of the multidrug resistance associated protein and P- glycoprotein in doxorubicin-selected human myeloid leukemia cells

Drug-resistant sublines of the human U-937 myeloid leukemia cell line were selected in doxorubicin concentrations of 10, 40, and 200 ng/mL (designated U-A10, U-A40, and U-A200, respectively). Northern blot analysis showed overexpression of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) gene, but not MDR1, in U-A10 cells as compared with parental U-937 cells. Prolonged passage of U-A10 cells in 10 ng/mL of doxorubicin had little effect on MRP RNA levels, but increased MDR1 expression. The U-A40 and U-A200 cells, derived by selection of U-A10 cells, showed high levels of both MRP and MDR1 expression. None of the drug-resistant cell lines showed MRP or MDR1 gene amplification as judged by Southern blot analysis. U-A10 cells exhibited minimal decreased net accumulation of anthracycline, whereas U-A40 and U-A200 cells showed more significantly decreased drug accumulation as compared with U-937 cells. Subcellular anthracycline accumulation in U-937 cells as determined by fluorescence microscopy showed daunorubicin fluorescence predominately in the nucleus. However, the drug-resistant cell lines showed minimal nuclear drug accumulation with marked redistribution of drug into a vesicular compartment. Treatment with sodium azide/2-deoxyglucose, 2,4-dinitrophenol, or monensin, but not verapamil, abolished the vesicular accumulation. These studies in doxorubicin-selected U-937 cells indicate that induction of MRP overexpression occurs before that for the MDR1 gene. In addition, the drug-resistant cells possess an energy-dependent redistribution of anthracyclines into a nonnuclear vesicular compartment.</jats:p