Antitumor quinolones with mammalian topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage activity.

Ninety quinolones were evaluated to determine whether their ability to induce mammalian topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage in vitro correlated with their antitumor activity in vivo. Ten quinolones generated linear DNA at a yield of more than 10% of substrate supercoiled DNA in the mammalian topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage assay. All of these compounds showed a significant increase in life span (greater than 20%) in the murine leukemia P388 model. These antitumor quinolones have closely related structures: two halogens at C-6 and C-8; and cyclopropyl at N-1 of quinolone skeleton. In contrast, many analogues of the above quinolones, as well as new quinolones used clinically as an antibacterial drug, did not induce the cleavable complex in vitro or show antitumor activity in vivo. These findings indicate that quinolone derivatives can be a promising new class of antitumor agent targeting mammalian topoisomerase II.     

Identification of mammalian DNA topoisomerase I as an intracellular target of the anticancer drug camptothecin

Camptothecin, a plant alkaloid with antitumor activity, has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis and a strong inducer of DNA strand breaks in mammalian cells. Previous studies have shown that camptothecin inhibits purified mammalian DNA topoisomerase I by trapping a reversible enzyme-DNA "cleavable complex" (Hsiang et al., J. Biol. Chem., 260: 14873-14878, 1985). Our present studies, using L1210 cells and SV40-infected monkey cells, have shown that camptothecin-induced strand breaks are protein linked. The linked protein is most likely DNA topoisomerase I as revealed by immunoblot analysis, using antibodies against purified mammalian DNA topoisomerase I. Brief heating of camptothecin-treated cells to 65 degrees C resulted in a rapid reduction of the number of protein-linked DNA breaks. Reversal of the camptothecin-induced topoisomerase I-DNA complex by heat was also observed in an in vitro system by using purified mammalian DNA topoisomerase I. Our results suggest that camptothecin interferes with DNA topoisomerase I both in cultured mammalian cells and in the purified system by trapping a reversible enzyme-DNA cleavable complex.     

Involvement of intracellular ATP in cytotoxicity of topoisomerase II-targetting antitumor drugs

The effect of the ATP pool on the cytotoxic action of teniposide (VM-26) has been studied in mouse leukemia cells (L1210). L1210 cells in tissue culture were treated with VM-26 (10 microM) in the presence of DNP, an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation. The simultaneous treatment of DNP (1 mM) increased cell survival 100-200 fold. Pre- or post-treatment with DNP had little effect on cell survival. Other uncouplers and inhibitors of ATP synthesis had effects similar to DNP. The interference of DNP with the cytotoxic action of VM-26 was also seen with another topoisomerase II-targetting drug, m-AMSA, but not with the topoisomerase I-targetting drug camptothecin. Studies using either purified topoisomerase II or cultured mammalian cells had shown that DNP had little effect on the amount of cleavable complexes induced by VM-26. We propose that an ATP requiring process(es) which occurs subsequent to the formation of the cleavable complexes is involved in the cytotoxic action of topoisomerase II-targetting drugs.     

Bcl-2 gene prevents induction of apoptosis in l1210 murine leukemia-cells by sn-38, a metabolite of the camptothecin derivative cpt-11

New camptothecin (CPT) derivatives have recently been synthesized following the finding that CPT has strong antitumor activity due to its inhibition of topoisomerase I through the formation of stable topoisomerase I-DNA cleavable complexes, but has not been clinically used due to its pronounced toxicity. 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-CPT (SN-38), a metabolite of the CPT derivative 7-ethyl-10-[4-(1-piperidino)-1-piperidino] carbonyloxy-CPT(CPT-11), plays an essential role in mediating the antitumor effect of CPT-11. However, the reasons for the cytotoxicity of SN-38 remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated using results of DNA fragmentation assay and cell cycle analysis that SN-38 and CPT both induce apoptosis in L1210 murine leukemia cells. We demonstrated in addition that enforced expression of the bcl-2 gene in L1210 cells by MPZenNeo (bcl-2) retroviral gene transfer increased resistance to the apoptosis induced by SN-38 and CPT. These findings suggest the possibility that the bcl-2 gene impedes the activity of a common pathway for apoptosis induced by SN-38 and CPT.     

In vitro and in vivo pharmacological characterizations of the antitumor properties of two new olivacine derivatives, S16020-2 and S30972-1.

S16020-2, a new olivacine derivative and a topoisomerase II inhibitor, has recently entered clinical trials. New analogues and derivatives have been synthesized from the S16020-2 compound. Preliminary data indicate that S30972-1, one of these S16020-2 derivatives, may exhibit a comparatively higher level of antitumor potency associated with an improved therapeutic index than does S16020-2. The antitumor activities of S16020-2 and S30972-1 were therefore characterized both in vitro and in vivo, with Adriamycin and etoposide chosen as reference compounds. The in vitro data show that S30972-1 is a topoisomerase II inhibitor, mediating its activity through an ATP-dependent mechanism such as S16020-2. The two olivacine derivatives exhibited similar activities in vitro at the levels of the global growth of six human cancer cell lines, of the induction of apoptosis, and of the G2 cell cycle phase arrest. The in vivo antitumor activity characterization included the use of two murine leukemia types (P388-LEU and L1210-LEU), two murine lymphoma-like models (P388-LYM and L1210-LYM), two mammary adenocarcinomas (MXT-HI and MXT-HS), and one melanoma (B16). The data show that S30972-1 is actually more efficient in vivo than S16020-2, a feature that may relate to the fact that S30972-1 is less toxic than S16020-2. The S30972-1 compound exhibited in vivo a level of antitumor activity that was also actually higher than that exhibited by Adriamycin and similar to that exhibited by etoposide.     

DNA topoisomerase II-mediated interaction of doxorubicin and daunorubicin congeners with DNA

Three groups of doxorubicin and daunorubicin analogues, differing by their substituents on the chromophore and sugar moieties, were used in this study. The 3'-N-unsubstituted (Group 1), 3'-N-acyl (Group 2), and 3'-N-alkyl (Group 3) analogues were tested for: (a) in vivo antitumor activity and in vitro cytotoxicity; (b) cellular or tissue uptake and metabolic conversion; (c) strength of DNA intercalation; and (d) interaction with DNA topoisomerase II (topo-II). Compounds of Group 1 were cytotoxic, were strongly intercalative, and, except for those with C-14 side chain substitution, induced the formation of topo-II-DNA cleavable complexes. As shown previously, esterolysis of C-14-acyl substituents was required to yield a metabolite which can interact with topo-II in the purified system. The C-14-substituted compounds of Group 2 and their C-14-unsubstituted metabolites were cytotoxic. These drugs were weak intercalators, and the C-14-unsubstituted cogeners induced cleavable complex formation in the purified system, but with reduced potency relative to doxorubicin. The type of the 3'-N-position substituent determined whether Group 3 analogues were cytotoxic and strong intercalators, or less active and nonintercalating. Although C-14-unsubstituted intercalators of Group 3 did not form cleavable complexes in the purified system, they were cytotoxic. The study shows that DNA intercalation is required but not sufficient for the activity by topo-II-targeted anthracyclines. In addition to the planar chromophore which is involved in intercalation, two other domains of the anthracycline molecule are important for the interaction with topo-II: (a) substitution of the C-14 position totally inhibits drug activity in the purified system, but enhances cytotoxicity by aiding drug uptake and presumably acting on other cellular targets; and (b) substitutions on the 3'-N position of the sugar ring can, depending on the nature of the substituent, inhibit intercalation and/or topo-II-targeting activity. These findings may provide guidance for the synthesis and development of new active analogues.     

Topoisomerase II-mediated DNA damage produced by 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide and related acridines in L1210 cells and isolated nuclei: relation to cytotoxicity

4'-(9-Acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) is a DNA intercalating 9-aminoacridine with clinical activity in adult acute leukemia. m-AMSA has been shown to produce protein-linked DNA strand breaks in mammalian cells through an interaction with the nuclear enzyme DNA topoisomerase II. We have compared the effects of m-AMSA and several acridine analogues (9-aminoacridine; A, NSC 343499; B, SN 16507; C, NSC 140701; D, SN 13553) on DNA integrity and cell survival in L1210 leukemia in vitro. Cells (or isolated nuclei) were treated with drugs (0.1-50 microM) for 0.5-1.0 h and subsequently analyzed using the alkaline elution technique. All drugs, except Compound D, produced DNA-protein cross-links (DPC) in L1210 cells. At 1 microM, potency was in the order, C greater than m-AMSA greater than B greater than A much greater than 9-aminoacridine. In isolated nuclei, DPC and single-strand breaks were produced in essentially a 1:1 ratio, which is consistent with topoisomerase II-mediated protein-linked DNA breaks. Potency differences were less pronounced in nuclei than in cells. In isolated nuclei, Compound D produced extensive DPC not associated with single-strand breaks, which suggests a more complex activity for this compound. Colony formation assays demonstrated the cytotoxicity of most of these acridine analogues (C greater than B greater than A approximately equal to m-AMSA much greater than D = 9-aminoacridine). Correlation of DPC with cell kill gave similar curves for each compound. These results are evidence for a causal relationship between drug-induced topoisomerase II-mediated DNA breaks and cytotoxicity.     

Effects of the bifunctional antitumor intercalator ditercalinium on DNA in mouse leukemia L1210 cells and DNA topoisomerase II

Ditercalinium, a 7H-pyridocarbazole dimer (bisintercalator) belongs to a new class of antineoplastic intercalating agents. To investigate its mechanism of cytotoxicity, the effects of ditercalinium on DNA were assessed using normal (L1210) and drug-resistant (L1210/PyDi1) mouse leukemia cells. Alkaline elution assays demonstrated that ditercalinium produced no DNA strand breaks, DNA-protein cross-links, or DNA-DNA cross-links, eliminating these effects as cytotoxic lesions. This result sets ditercalinium apart from other intercalating agents with respect to its interaction with DNA. Nucleoids (histone-depleted chromatin) from ditercalinium-treated L1210 cells were considerably more compact than those from untreated cells, as determined by sedimentation in neutral sucrose gradients. In contrast, nucleoids from ditercalinium-treated L1210/PyDi1 (resistant) cells were similar in compactness to those from control cells. Thus, ditercalinium altered chromatin structure in vivo. The effect of the bisintercalator on purified DNA topoisomerase II, an intracellular target of monointercalators, was measured in vitro. Ditercalinium (5 X 10(-7) M) completely inhibited both the formation of covalent complexes between this enzyme and simian virus 40 DNA and the enzyme-induced DNA cleavage. In addition, ditercalinium induced DNA catenation in the presence of topoisomerase II and adenosine triphosphate. Thus, the cytotoxicity of ditercalinium may derive from a mechanism that, although involving topoisomerase II, is manifested by condensation of DNA rather than by the induction of protein-associated DNA strand breaks.     

Arrest of replication forks by drug-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA cleavable complexes as a mechanism of cell killing by camptothecin

Camptothecin, which induces an unusual type of DNA damage by trapping cellular topoisomerase I on chromosomal DNA in the form of drug-enzyme-DNA cleavable complexes, inhibits DNA synthesis and specifically kills S-phase cells. Cotreatment of L1210 cells with aphidicolin, which is an inhibitor of replicative DNA polymerases, completely abolished camptothecin cytotoxicity, suggesting the involvement of DNA replication in camptothecin cytotoxicity. In order to study the role of DNA replication in drug action, a cell-free SV40 DNA replication system was used in the present study. Camptothecin inhibited SV40 DNA replication in this cell-free system only in the presence of topoisomerase I. Addition of excess purified calf thymus DNA topoisomerase I to this extract system in the presence of camptothecin resulted in severe inhibition of SV40 DNA replication and the accumulation of linearized replication products, which contained covalently bound DNA topoisomerase I. We propose that the collision between moving replication forks and camptothecin-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA cleavable complexes results in fork arrest and possibly fork breakage, which are lethal to proliferating cells.     

The sensitivity to DNA topoisomerase inhibitors in L5178Y lymphoma strains is not related to a primary defect of DNA topoisomerases

DNA topoisomerase-targeting antitumor drugs are potent inducersof protein-concealed strand breaks in mammalian cells and actby trapping DNA topoisomerases on chromosomal DNA in the formof drug-enzyme-DNA cleavable complexes. It has been proposedthat the cleavable complex is an unusual form of DNA damagethat elicits cellular responses analogous to those caused byDNA damaging agents. The relationship between topoisomerase-targetingdrug-induced damage and radiation-induced damage has been investigatedby analyzing the properties of DNA topoisomerases in mouse L5178Ylymphoma strains that are cross-sensitive to topoisomerase I-IIinhibitors and to UV light or X-ray irradiation. The strainsare LY-R, isolated from L5178Y cells on the basis of increasedresistance to ionizing radiation, and strains LY-S, isolatedfrom LY-R cells following a spontaneous increase in the sensitivityto ionizing radiation. LY-S cells, deficient in the rejoiningof DNA double-strand breaks, show enhanced sensitivity to topoisomeraseII-targeting inhibitors, whereas LY-R cells have an increasedsensitivity to UV radiation and to the topoisomerase I inhibitor,camptothecin. The cellular availability of DNA topoisomeraseI and II and the sensitivity of the enzymes to their specificinhibitors have been measured in the two related strains. Inthe LY-R strain, we found a 30% decrease in topoisomerase Icontent but no difference in camptothecin sensitivity, whileno quantitative or qualitative differences were observed forthe topoisomerase II. The results indicate that variations insensitivity of the L5178Y strains to topoisomerase inhibitorsare unlikely to be related to primary defects of the targetenzymes, and thus it is possible that common pathways existfor processing of topoisomerase-and radiation-induced damage.     

Antitumor agents targeting mammalian topoisomerases]

Topoisomerase II is now viewed as an important cellular target of antitumor drugs including both DNA intercalators (m-AMSA, ellipticine and Adriamycin) and the nonintercalator epipodophyllotoxin derivatives (VP-16 and VM-26). Topoisomerase I is also shown to be the cellular target of camptotecin. These drugs targeting topoisomerase have been used to establish a relationship between drug-induced cleavable complex formation and cytotoxicity. Mechanistically oriented screening based on the identification of these chemotherapeutic targets have identified a number of antitumor agents that induce topoisomerases mediated DNA cleavage. The new antitumor drugs targeting topoisomerases are reviewed.     

Resistance of human leukemic and normal lymphocytes to drug-induced DNA cleavage and low levels of DNA topoisomerase II

Adriamycin, amsacrine, and etoposide produce protein-associated DNA breaks in numerous cell types. However, in vitro exposure to Adriamycin (0.1-50.0 micrograms/ml) resulted in no detectable DNA cleavage in lymphocytes from patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or in either B- or T-lymphocytes from normal donors. In contrast, DNA cleavage was observed in T-cells from CLL patients. Exposure to amsacrine or etoposide caused at least 50-fold less DNA cleavage in CLL and normal lymphocytes as compared to L1210 cells. These findings cannot be accounted for by differences in drug uptake. An attempt was made to explain the relative resistance of human lymphocytes to drug-induced DNA cleavage. DNA topoisomerase II, an intracellular target of tested drugs, was assayed in CLL and normal human blood lymphocytes by immunoblotting. The enzyme was detected neither in unfractionated lymphocytes nor in the enriched B- and T-cells from 28 untreated patients with CLL (Stage 0-IV) and from seven normal donors. Exponentially growing L1210 cells had approximately 7 x 10(5) enzyme copies per cell, suggesting a 100-fold higher content than that of CLL or normal lymphocytes. There were, however, detectable levels of DNA topoisomerase II in cells obtained from patients with diffuse histiocytic, nodular poorly differentiated and nodular mixed lymphomas, in Burkitt's lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and CLL with prolymphocytic transformation. DNA topoisomerase I, a potential target for anticancer chemotherapy, was detectable in CLL and normal lymphocytes, as well as in cells of other malignancies tested. The above results may offer an explanation for the ineffectiveness of Adriamycin in the treatment of CLL. It could be suggested that low levels of DNA topoisomerase II contribute to drug resistance operating in human malignancies with a large compartment of nonproliferating cells.     

10,11-Methylenedioxycamptothecin, a topoisomerase I inhibitor of increased potency: DNA damage and correlation to cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma (HT-29) cells

We had previously shown that 10,11-methylenedioxy-20-(RS)-camptothecin (MDO-CPT) is a more potent inhibitor of purified DNA topoisomerase I than 20-(S)-camptothecin (CPT). The current studies compared the cytotoxicity and DNA damage induced by MDO-CPT and CPT in the human colon carcinoma cell line, HT-29. MDO-CPT was 7- to 10-fold more potent than CPT both for cytotoxicity (ID50 = 25 vs. 180 nM) and production of DNA single-strand breaks (SSB). Kinetics of SSB formation and reversal were similar for MDO-CPT and CPT. DNA-protein crosslinks (DPC) were also produced by both drugs with a SSB/DPC ratio of 1/1. Moreover, no SSB were detected under non-deproteinizing conditions, indicating that both CPT and MDO-CPT produced protein-linked DNA single-strand breaks. A good correlation between cytotoxic potency and protein-linked DNA single-strand break production was observed for CPT and MDO-CPT, implying a causal relationship between drug-induced cytotoxicity and topoisomerase I inhibition. The sensitivity of human colon HT-29 cancer cells to camptothecins may be a selective phenomenon since these cells normally express natural resistance to current chemotherapeutic drugs, including topoisomerase II inhibitors.     

Unusual potency of BN 80915, a novel fluorinated E-ring modified camptothecin, toward human colon carcinoma cells

BN 80915 is the lead compound from a novel class of E-ring modified camptothecin analogues, the homocamptothecins, which show potent antitumor activities in animal models. Here, we report that BN 80915 induces up to 2-fold more cleavable complexes between plasmid DNA and purified human topoisomerase I than SN-38 and camptothecin. BN 80915 also induces DNA-topoisomerase I complexes in living HT-29 colon carcinoma cells, as shown by the in vivo link assay. BN 80915 is an extremely potent inducer of DNA-protein complexes in these cells starting at a concentration of 5 nM in the media. BN 80915 is clearly more potent than SN-38, because at least 20 times more SN-38 is needed to induce comparable levels of cleavable complexes. Kinetic experiments show that BN 80915 induces cleavable complexes within minutes that remain stable for at least 6 h in the presence of drug. Whereas the majority of the complexes are reversed within 15 min after drug removal, a substantial fraction (30%) persists for at least 4 h, in contrast with SN-38-treated cells, where all complexes have disappeared by this time. BN 80915 shows strong antiproliferative effects toward HT-29 cells with an IC50 of 0.3 nM compared with 20 nM for SN-38 and 40 nM for topotecan. BN 80915 is also potent against other colon carcinoma cells as well as toward cells growing in three dimensions as multicellular spheroids. HL-60 cells expressing functional P-glycoprotein or multidrug resistance protein show no cross-resistance toward BN 80915. Taken together, our results show that BN 80915 is unusually potent toward human colon carcinoma cells because of the formation of high levels of stable, covalent DNA-topoisomerase complexes.     

Hyperthermia, thermotolerance and topoisomerase II inhibitors.

The cytoxicity of both intercalating (m-AMSA) and non-intercalating (VP16, VM26) topoisomerase II-targeting drugs is thought to occur via trapping DNA topoisomerase II on DNA in the form of cleavable complexes. First, analysis of cleavable complexes (detected as DNA double-strand breaks) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed the correlation between cleavable complex formation and cytotoxicity of three topoisomerase-targeting drugs in HeLa S3 cells (the order of effects being VM26 > m-AMSA > VP16). In contrast to many antineoplastic agents, hyperthermic treatments were found to protect cells against the toxicity of all three topoisomerase II drugs. Hyperthermia treatment does not alter drug accumulation but reduces the ability of the drug-topoisomerase II complex to form the cleavable complexes. Nuclear protein aggregation induced by heat at the sites of topoisomerase II-DNA interaction may explain such an effect. In thermotolerant cells, the toxic effects of VP16 but not m-AMSA were reduced. For both drugs, however, the status of thermotolerance did not affect cleavable complex formation by the drugs. Thus, protection against VP-16 toxicity seems not to be associated with heat-induced activation of the P-gp 170 pump or altered topoisomerase II-DNA interactions. Rather, a protective (heat shock protein mediated?) mechanism against non-intercalating topoisomerase II drugs seems to occur at a stage after DNA-drug interaction. Finally, heat treatment before topoisomerase II drug treatment reduced toxicity and cleavable complex formation in thermotolerant cells to about the same extent as in non-tolerant cells, consistent with the presumption of nuclear protein aggregation being responsible for this effect.     

Homocamptothecin, an E-ring modified camptothecin with enhanced lactone stability, retains topoisomerase I-targeted activity and antitumor properties.

Homocamptothecin (hCPT) is a semisynthetic analogue of camptothecin (CPT) with a seven-membered beta-hydroxylactone resulting from the insertion of a methylene spacer between the alcohol moiety and the carboxyl function of the naturally occurring six-membered alpha-hydroxylactone of CPT. This E-ring modification provides a less reactive lactone with enhanced stability and decreased protein binding in human plasma. Biological testing against CPT revealed that, instead of being detrimental, the modified lactone of hCPT has a positive impact on topoisomerase I (Topo I) poisoning properties. In vitro tests showed hCPT to fully conserve the ability to stabilize Topo I-DNA cleavage complexes and to stimulate a higher level of DNA cleavage than CPT. A similar trend toward improvement was also observed in antiproliferative assays with human tumor cell lines (including cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein). In two distinct in vivo models, using L1210 murine leukemia or human colon carcinoma HT29, hCPT was found to be more efficacious than CPT. The slow, but irreversible, hydrolysis of hCPT, instead of the fast equilibrium of CPT, may account for its good in vivo activity. Overall, these results provide evidence that a highly reactive lactone is not a requisite for the Topo I-mediated antitumor activity of CPT analogues, and that hCPT is an interesting pharmacological tool with improved solution behavior as well as a promising new template for the preparation of more efficacious Topo I poisons.     

NK314, a novel topoisomerase II inhibitor, induces rapid DNA double-strand breaks and exhibits superior antitumor effects against tumors resistant to other topoisomerase II inhibitors

NK314 is a novel synthetic benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloid that shows strong antitumor activity. It inhibited topoisomerase II activity and stabilized topoisomerase II-DNA cleavable complexes. The DNA breaks occurred within 1h after treatment with NK314 even without digestion of topoisomerase II by proteinase K, whereas etoposide required digestion of the enzyme protein in cleavable complex to detect DNA breaks. Pretreatment with topoisomerase II catalytic inhibitors, ICRF-193 and suramin, reduced both cleavable complex-mediated DNA breaks and proteinase K-independent DNA breaks, but protease inhibitors and nuclease inhibitors only decreased the latter. These results indicate that NK314 might affect topoisomerase II in the different manner from cleavable complex formation and activate intracellular proteinase and nuclease to produce DNA fragmentation. As a result of this unique mechanism of DNA breakage, NK314 showed substantial growth inhibition of topoisomerase II inhibitor-resistant tumors.     

Antagonistic effect of aclarubicin on the cytotoxicity of etoposide and 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide in human small cell lung cancer cell lines and on topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage

The effect of combinations of the anthracycline aclarubicin and the topoisomerase II targeting drugs 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin-9-(4,6-O-ethylidene-beta-D-glucopyra noside) (VP-16) and 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) was investigated in a clonogenic assay. The cytotoxicity of VP-16 was almost completely antagonized by preincubating cells with nontoxic concentrations of aclarubicin. The inhibition of cytotoxicity was not seen when the cells were exposed to aclarubicin after exposure to VP-16. The inhibition was significant over a wide range of aclarubicin concentrations (3 nM to 0.4 microM), above which the toxicity of aclarubicin became apparent. A similar effect was seen on the toxicity of m-AMSA. In contrast to aclarubicin, preincubation with Adriamycin did not antagonize the effect of VP-16. With purified topoisomerase II and naked DNA, aclarubicin did not stimulate the formation of cleavable complexes between topoisomerase II and DNA. Aclarubicin concentrations above 1 microM inhibited the baseline formation of cleavable complexes elicited with the enzyme alone. Low (1 to 10 nM) aclarubicin concentrations increased the formation of cleavable complexes obtained with VP-16 and m-AMSA; however, at aclarubicin concentrations above 1 microM an antagonistic effect was obtained. In cells, the m-AMSA- and VP-16-induced, protein-concealed DNA strand breaks were completely inhibitable by aclarubicin preincubation with no synergic dose levels. Our results suggest that aclarubicin inhibits topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage. This inhibition could represent the mechanism of action of the drug and explain the lack of cross-resistance to the classical anthracyclines. The observed antagonism could have consequences for scheduling of aclarubicin with topoisomerase II-active anticancer drugs.     

L1210 cells selected for resistance to methoxymorpholinyl doxorubicin appear specifically resistant to this class of morpholinyl derivatives.

We investigated the mechanism of resistance in murine L1210 leukaemia cells selected after treatment with FCE 23762 methoxymorpholinyl doxorubicin: (MMRDX), a methoxymorpholinyl derivative of doxorubicin active in vitro and in vivo on multidrug-resistant (mdr) cells, currently undergoing phase I clinical trials. The resistant subline obtained after repeated in vitro treatments, L1210/MMRDX, is resistant in vitro and in vivo to all tested methoxymorpholinyl derivatives and to cyanomorpholinyl doxorubicin, but shows resistance to morpholinyl derivatives only in vivo or following their activation with rat S9-liver fractions in vitro. L1210/MMRDX cells are sensitive to classic mdr- and altered topoisomerase (AT)-mdr-associated drugs. These cells do not appear to overexpress the mdr1 gene, nor do they exhibit impaired intracellular drug accumulation and efflux or altered levels of glutathione and glutathione S-transferase. The extent of DNA single-strand break formation and, after microsomal activation, of DNA interstrand cross-links after treatment with MMRDX was similar in the parent and the resistant subline. The mechanism of resistance in L1210/MMRDX cells remains to be identified but may prove a novel one, highly specific for this class of mdr-active anthracyclines.     

Induction of a heat-stable topoisomerase II-DNA cleavable complex by nonintercalative terpenoides, terpentecin and clerocidin

Terpentecin and clerocidin, microbial terpenoides, have been known to be potent antitumor antibiotics. However, the critical biochemical target of these terpenoides has not been identified. Our present studies, using purified mammalian topoisomerase II, have shown that terpentecin and clerocidin induce topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage in vitro with comparable potency to that of demethylepipodophyllotoxin ethylidene-beta-D-glucoside. These terpenoides produced a similar DNA cleavage pattern which is distinctly different from those generated in the presence of the known topoisomerase poisons, demethylepipodophyllotoxin ethylidene-beta-D-glucoside and 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide. Brief heating at 65 degrees C, which abolishes completely the cleavable complex with demethylepipodophyllotoxin ethylidene-beta-D-glucoside, of the reaction mixture containing these terpenoides resulted in slight reduction in DNA cleavage. Thus, differently from other topoisomerase II-active antitumor agents, terpentecin and clerocidin induce formation of a cleavable complex which is stable for heat or salt treatments. The lack of significant DNA binding or intercalation activity of terpentecin and clerocidin suggests that topoisomerase II is a cellular target for these drugs.