Potentiation of vincristine and Adriamycin effects in human hemopoietic tumor cell lines by calcium antagonists and calmodulin inhibitors

verapamil, a calcium-influx blocker, enhanced the cytotoxicity of vincristine (VCR) in vitro 6- to 12-fold in eight human hemopoietic tumor cell lines established from acute lymphatic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, and Burkitt's lymphoma. Great enhancement of VCR cytotoxicity was obtained in a VCR-resistant subline of K562 myelogenous leukemia. A maximum of approximate 100-fold increase in VCR cytotoxicity occurred. Heterogeneity in VCR sensitivity (80-fold difference in sensitivity) was observed in vitro among these human tumor cells. BALL and Daudi cells of B-cell type were more susceptible to VCR. At 6.6 or 20 microM of verapamil, the values for the concentration of drug required for 50% inhibition of cell growth for each cell line fell into a rather narrow range, and heterogeneity in VCR sensitivity among cell lines was circumvented in vitro. Verapamil also enhanced the cytotoxicity of Adriamycin, although the extent of enhancement was considerably small. Enhancement of VCR cytotoxicity also occurred with other calcium antagonists and calmodulin inhibitors. At maximum effective concentration of these reagents, a 3- to 5-fold increase in VCR cytotoxicity occurred in K562 cells. In VCR-resistant K562 cells, a more prominent enhancement (20- to 45-fold) was observed with these reagents. VCR resistance was circumvented in vitro. The mechanism of enhancement of VCR cytotoxicity was explained by the enhanced accumulation of VCR in K562, especially in resistant cells.     

人恶性淋巴瘤细胞Raji长春新碱耐药株Raji/VCR的建立及其生物学特性

目的：建立人恶性淋巴瘤细胞Raji长春新碱（VCR）耐药株Raji/VCR并初步研究其生物学特性。方法：采用大剂量VCR间歇诱导法建立耐药株Raji/VCR。MTT法测定其对VCR、足叶乙甙(VP-16）和阿霉素（ADM）的药物敏感度,Real-time RT-PCR法测定细胞DMR1mRNA水平,流式细胞仪检测P-gp表达和细胞内柔红霉素（DNR）浓度。结果：历时近8月建成人恶性淋巴瘤多药耐药株Raji/VCR,其对VCR、ADM、VP-16的耐药倍数分别为8、5和3。Raji/VCR的DMR1mRNA及P-gp表达明显高于亲本细胞,而细胞内DNR浓度明显下降。结论：耐药株Raji/VCR具有多药耐药细胞的基本生物学特性,可用于肿瘤多药耐药的相关研究。     

Effects of quinidine and related compounds on cytotoxicity and cellular accumulation of vincristine and adriamycin in drug-resistant tumor cells

Quinidine, which has antiarrhythmic activity, greatly enhanced the cytotoxicity of vincristine (VCR) in tumor cells and especially in VCR-resistant sublines of P388 leukemia (P388/VCR) and human myelogenous leukemia. A nontoxic concentration of quinidine increased VCR cytotoxicity in these resistant tumor cells about 50 to 80 times, and the drug in combination with VCR could completely reverse VCR resistance of these cell lines. Quinidine also enhanced the cytotoxicity of Adriamycin, especially in the Adriamycin-resistant subline of P388 leukemia; this enhancement (8-fold) was less than that of VCR toxicity in the VCR-resistant tumor line. When administered daily for 10 days with VCR, quinidine at doses of 50 to 125 mg/kg significantly enhanced the chemotherapeutic effect of VCR in P388/VCR-bearing mice. Some other antiarrhythmic agents also showed similar effects in vitro, but these effects were considerably lower than that of quinidine. Quinidine increased the cellular levels of VCR and daunomycin in VCR-resistant sublines of mouse and human tumors and the ADM-resistant mouse tumor line in vitro, respectively. Quinidine also enhanced the cellular accumulation of VCR in P388/VCR cells in vivo. Thus, the therapeutic effect observed in P388/VCR-bearing mice might be due to the enhanced accumulation of VCR in P388/VCR cells by quinidine. The increase of cellular accumulation of VCR was partly explained by inhibition of efflux of VCR and daunomycin from the resistant tumor cells. The mechanism of this phenomenon is discussed in relation to previous findings on calcium channel blockers.     

Establishment of vincristine-resistant and vindesine-resistant lines of murine lymphoblasts in vitro and characterisation of their patterns of cross-resistance and drug sensitivities

Summary Clinical evidence suggests some lack of cross resistance between vincristine (VCR) and vindesine (VDS). To investigate this phenomenon experimentally, drug-resistant L5178Y lymphoblast cell lines have been derived in vitro. These lines, under conditions of continuous drug exposure, exhibit a 50-fold order of resistance. Resistance appears due, at least in part, to impaired cellular drug accumulation and retention. Exposure of these resistant cells to VCR or VDS for 24 h showed that the presence or absence of cross resistance was dose-dependent, being most noticeable at low concentrations (<0.5 ng/ml) and absent at higher drug levels. Cross resistance also showed some dose-dependency for vinblastine and formyl-leurosine, but this was not seen with other drugs. Marked and complete cross resistance at all concentrations tested was noted with adriamycin and 4-epiadriamycin in both resistant lines, which, however, retained the same sensitivities as the parent line to VM26, VP-16-213 5-fluorouracil, and methotrexate. Responses to actinomycin D and mAMSA differed in these two resistant lines. VDS-resistant cells exhibited cross resistance to both drugs, whilst VCR-resistant cells showed only slight resistance to actinomycin D whilst retaining full sensitivity mAMSA.This observation that cross resistance between VCR and VDS is not invariable in vitro appears to reflect clinical experience.     

Characteristics of vincristine resistance in vincristine resistant human myelogenous leukemia K562

A stable vincristine (VCR)-resistant variant (K562/VCR) was established from human myelogenous leukemia K562 by continuous exposure of the cells with increasing concentration of VCR up to 30 nM, followed by the maintenance of the cells in the presence of 30 nM of VCR for 6 months. In four clones with different VCR sensitivity, the extent of VCR-resistance and Adriamycin-resistance was always parallel among the clones, indicating a tight relationship between VCR- and ADM-resistance mechanisms. The clones accumulated significantly low amounts of VCR in the cells. The amounts of VCR in the clones and K562/VCR were inversely related to the extent of resistance of the cells. The rate and the extent of VCR efflux from the cells were parallel to the extent of resistance of the cells to VCR. One VCR-resistant clone, KV-11, was found to possess diminished amounts of beta-tubulin.     

Differential expression of steroid receptors,hsp27, and pS2 in a series of drug resistant human breast tumor cell lines derived following exposure to antitumor drugs or to fractionated X-irradiation

Summary This study examined whether levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and expression of estrogen regulated pS2 and/or heat shock protein (hsp) 27 were associated with drug resistance in a series of MCF-7 sublines expressing modest (i.e. 3- to 14-fold), yet clinically relevant, levels of resistance to vincristine (VCR). These sublines were variously derived following pulsed exposures to VCR, to fractionated X-irradiation, or to alternating drug and X-ray treatments. This selection procedure more closely reflects the clinical treatment of breast tumors than the use of continuous drug exposures. The drug-selected sublines exhibited the classical multidrug resistance phenotype (MDR) characterized by cross-resistance to vinblastine (VLB), etoposide (VP-16), and Adriamycin (ADR), overexpression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), impaired accumulation of [³H]-VCR and of Rhodamine-123 (Rh 123), and altered activities of certain drug detoxification enzymes. This classic MDR phenotype was associated with a lack of mitogenic response to estrogen or antiestrogen, related to loss of detectable ER and PR; consistent with these data, neither pS2 nor hsp27 expression was detectable. In contrast, X-ray-pretreated VCR-resistant cells (MCF/DXR-10) cells exhibited a distinctive resistance phenotype proving cross-resistant to VLB and VP-16 but not to ADR, and Pgp overexpression was not detectable. Furthermore, these VCR-resistant DXR-10 cells retained parental levels of ER and PR, exhibited sensitivity to estrogen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen, and expressed detectable levels of pS2 and hsp27. Comparable characteristics to these MCF-7/DXR-10 cells were also identified in a similarly-derived X-ray-pretreated VCR-resistant subline of the ZR-75-1 human breast tumor cell line. These data therefore indicate that functional ER are frequently, but not invariably, modified in tumor cells which express resistance to multiple drugs.     

Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on vincristine-resistance in human neuroblastoma cells

PUFAs such as GLA (n-6) or DHA (n-3) were shown to exert antitumor activity on a human neuroblastoma cell line (NCG) and its VCR-resistant subline (NCG/VCR1, 8.6-fold resistant to VCR) in vitro. The NCG/VCR1 line had markedly decreased intracellular accumulation of [3H]-VCR and an accelerated drug efflux, compared to the NCG. The cytotoxic activity of PUFAs was correlated with the generation of MDA-like products in these cells. When VCR was added simultaneously with GLA or DHA to culture medium, the cytotoxic effect of VCR was about 2-fold enhanced, accompanied by about 1.5-2.0-fold increase of intracellular [3H]-VCR in both cell lines. Fatty acid analysis of membrane phospholipids of the NCG and the NCG/VCR1 cells treated with GLA or DHA showed an increased total PUFAs and SFAs, associated with markedly decreased total MUFAs and an inverted PUFAs/MUFAs ratio. Such phospholipid modification may have altered the membrane physical properties and enhanced the VCR cytotoxicity by increasing intracellular VCR accumulation; however, these PUFAs did not affect the drug efflux sufficiently enough to overcome completely the VCR resistance in the NCG/VCR1 cells. These results indicate that PUFAs partially alleviate the VCR-resistance in human neuroblastoma cells, not directly acting on VCR-resistance mechanism(s).     

TGF-β1对人肝癌细胞系凋亡的调控作用研究

目的肝细胞对TGF-β1敏感性的丧失据认为是肝癌重要的致病因素之一。本研究旨在明确人肝肿瘤细胞系中TGF-β1的作用及其与凋亡的关系。方法选用三种含不同p53基因状态的人肝肿瘤细胞系,应用脱氧核糖核苷酸末瑞转移酶介导的dUTP缺口末端标记技术(TUNEL)对TGF-β1诱导的肝肿瘤细胞的凋亡进行定量检测。结果在应用TUNEL检测三个细胞系中,TGF-β1仅能诱导Hep3B细胞(缺失p53)则凋亡较少。这提示凋亡p53基因的表达具有明确的联系。结论HepG2细胞系比Huh-7和Hep3B系细胞更易发生TGF-β1诱导的凋亡,TGF-β1通过p53依赖性途径诱导肝癌细胞系发生凋亡。     

In vivo circumvention of vincristine resistance in mice with P388 leukemia using a novel compound, AHC-52

A novel compound partially analogous to nifedipine, AHC-52, was found to sensitize multidrug-resistant tumor cells. AHC-52 at 0.5 microgram/ml completely reversed the in vitro resistance to vincristine (VCR) in VCR-resistant P388 cells (P388/VCR). Of various regimens examined for the in vivo treatment of P388/VCR-bearing mice, the combination of 0.05 mg/kg of VCR with 100 mg/kg twice a day of AHC-52 daily demonstrated the best result with a 206% increase in life prolongation. This result was comparable with that observed in parental P388-bearing mice treated with the optimal dose of VCR alone, indicating almost complete circumvention of resistance by combination VCR-AHC-52 therapy. In addition, the combination of both agents exhibited therapeutic effects in the treatment of P388-bearing mice with some long term survivors. This result was presumably due to the elimination of heterogeneity of VCR sensitivity in this cell population. These results suggest that combination chemotherapy using a sensitizing agent such as AHC-52 will be effective in not only circumvention of multidrug resistance but also retardation of its occurrence.     

小鼠多药耐药白血病细胞系的建立及其生物学特性观察

目的：建立小鼠多药耐药白血病细胞系P388/VCR并研究其生物学特性。方法：小鼠淋巴细胞白血病细胞系P388,通过长期、单一、逐步提高浓度的方法建立多药耐药的白血病细胞系P388/VCR。采用悬浮细胞培养和半固体培养观察该细胞系的生长规律：流式细胞术分析细胞周期分布及柔红霉素在细胞内的积聚量;RT-PCR方法检测mdrLa基因表达;四氮甲基唑蓝(MTT)法研究P388/VCR细胞系的耐药谱。结果：经过6个月单一、小剂量及间歇给药的方法诱导P388细胞成为多药耐药细胞系P388/VCR。与亲本细胞系P388比较,细胞生长曲线及倍增时间无明显差异,软琼脂培养集落形成率及大集落形成率差异不显著。细胞周期分析P388/VCR细胞S期比例降低。P388／VCR细胞除对原诱导药物具有耐药性外,对其他多种抗肿瘤药物如柔红霉素、高三尖杉酯碱、米托蒽醌、足叶乙苷等也具有交叉耐药性。流式细胞仪检测细胞内柔红霉素含量P388/VCR细胞平均荧光值为3．72,明显低于P388细胞的17．31。RT-PCR检测mdrla基因的表达结果为：P388细胞阴性,P388/VCR细胞阳性。结论：多药耐药细胞系P388／VCR具有mdrla基因表达阳性及对多种抗肿瘤药物耐药的特征。     

Development of resistance to vincristine and doxorubicin in neuroblastoma alters malignant properties and induces additional karyotype changes: a preclinical model

Cytotoxic drug treatment of neuroblastoma often leads to the development of drug resistance and may be associated with increased malignancy. To study the effects of long-term cytotoxic treatment on malignant properties of tumor cells, we established 2 neuroblastoma cell sublines resistant to vincristine (VCR) and doxorubicin (DOX). Both established cell lines (UKF-NB-2(r)VCR(20) and UKF-NB-2(r)DOX(100)) were highly resistant to VCR, DOX and vice-versa but retained their sensitivity to cisplatin. UKF-NB-2(r)VCR(20) and UKF-NB-2(r)DOX(100) expressed significant amounts of P-glycoprotein, while parental cells were P-glycoprotein negative. GD2 expression was upregulated, whereas NCAM expression was decreased in both resistant cells. Spectral karyotype (SKY) analysis revealed complex aberrant karyotypes in all cell lines and additional acquired karyotype changes in both resistant cells. All cell lines harbored high levels of N-myc amplification. Compared to parental cells, UKF-NB-2(r)VCR(20) and UKF-NB-2(r)DOX(100) exhibited more than 2-fold increase in clonal growth in vitro, accelerated adhesion and transendothelial penetration and higher tumorigenicity in vivo. We conclude that development of drug resistance and acquisition of certain karyotypic alterations is associated with an increase of additional malignant properties that may contribute to the poor prognosis in advanced forms of NB. The 2 novel neuroblastoma cell sublines also provide useful models for the study of drug resistance in aggressive forms of neuroblastoma.     

Clinical significance and correlation of miR-200c and P-gp expression in gastric cancer and the effects on multidrug resistance

BackgroundPoor prognosis is common in gastric cancer patients due to multidrug resistance (MDR)-induced recurrence and metastasis. In the present study, we investigated the expression of microRNA (miR)-200c in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines and its relationship with the expression of the drug resistant gene ABCB1, which encodes P-glycoprotein (P-gp).MethodsThe basic characteristics of 102 patients with gastric cancer were reviewed. Real time-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were employed to detect the expression levels of miR-200c and P-gp in gastric carcinoma tissues and cell lines. The correlation of miR-200c messenger RNA (mRNA) level with clinicopathological characteristics and P-gp protein expression were analyzed. SGC7901/vincristine (VCR) cells were transfected with miR-200c mimics or a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the ABCB1 gene. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and flow cytometry were used to determine the role of miR-200c and ABCB1 on the viability and apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cell lines.ResultsThe level of miR-200c in carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues, and the expression level of P-gp in carcinoma tissues was obviously higher than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.01, P=0.029). The expression levels of miR-200c and P-gp were associated with the malignant characteristics of gastric cancer, and patients with high expression of miR-200c or negative expression of P-gp had a better prognosis (P=0.006, P=0.022). MiR-200c negatively regulated the ABCB1 gene in gastric cancer cell lines. MiR-200c overexpression and ABCB1 down-regulation increased the sensitivity of SGC7901/VCR cells to VCR and reversed MDR by promoting cell apoptosis.ConclusionsThe expression level of miR-200c decreases in gastric carcinoma tissues and drug-resistant gastric cancer SGC7901/VCR cells. Overexpression of miR-200c may enhance the sensitivity of SGC7901/VCR cells to VCR by regulating the expression of P-gp.     

Development of resistance to vincristine in a childhood rhabdomyosarcoma growing in immune-deprived mice

A cell line of childhood rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) has been grown as a xenograft in immune-deprived mice. The tumor responded to vincristine (VCR), but not to vinblastine, doxorubicin or actinomycin D. The rate and frequency at which resistance developed from administration of VCR once weekly was investigated. Tumor growth could be inhibited for 6 weeks, after which time 11 of 16 xenografts grew progressively despite continued treatment. That this was a tumor-acquired resistance was confirmed by growing both parent and “resistant” lines in the same host. Under these conditions VCR completely inhibited growth of the parent tumor, but not growth of the resistant line. Continued passage of the resistant line for 10 months in mice either treated with VCR (1.5 mg/kg/wk) or untreated, demonstrated that resistance to VCR was stable in the absence of selection pressure. In addition, the VCR-resistant line acquired a stable change in karyotype with the addition of a number 9 chromosome and an additional, unknown marker.     

Comparison of DR5 and Fas expression levels relative to the chemosensitivity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines

The relationship between p53 gene status and the expression of DR5 and Fas was evaluated as a function of sensitivity of 11 acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines to adriamycin, etoposide, vincristine, methotrexate and dexamethasone. There was up to a 37-fold increase in expression of DR5 following treatment with ADR or VP-16 only in cells with wt p53. A direct correlation was observed between enhanced DR5 expression and sensitivity to ADR and VP-16. There was no induction of DR5 following treatment with VCR, MTX or DEX. There was up to a 51-fold increase in the median level of expression of Fas following treatment with ADR and VP-16, and unlike DR5 this occurred in cells with either wild-type or mutant p53. Nevertheless, a direct correlation was observed between Fas expression and drug-sensitivity. Conversely, there was only a two-fold increase in expression of Fas after exposure to VCR, MTX and DEX. These findings suggest that DR5 mediates sensitivity to ADR and VP-16 in a p53-dependent manner, whereas, Fas appears to mediate sensitivity to these two drugs independent of p53 status. DR5 and Fas do not appear to play a major role as determinants of chemosensitivity to VCR, MTX and DEX.     

Circumvention of multidrug resistance by a newly synthesized quinoline derivative, MS-073.

Newly synthesized quinoline derivatives were investigated for their efficacy to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR). In this study, one of the most effective quinoline derivatives, MS-073, was compared with verapamil with regard to its ability to overcome MDR in vitro and in vivo. MS-073 at 0.1 microM almost completely reversed in vitro resistance to vincristine (VCR) in VCR-resistant P388 cells. The compound also reversed in vitro VCR, adriamycin (ADM), etoposide, and actinomycin D resistance in ADM-resistant human myelogenous leukemia K562 (K562/ADM) cells, ADM-resistant human ovarian carcinoma A2780 cells, and colchicine-resistant human KB cells. MS-073 administered i.p. daily for 5 days with VCR enhanced the chemotherapeutic effect of VCR in VCR-resistant P388-bearing mice. Increases in life span of 19-50% were obtained by the combination of 100 micrograms/kg of VCR with 3-100 mg/kg of MS-073, as compared to the control. The ability of MS-073 to reverse MDR was remarkably higher, especially at low MS-073 doses, than that of verapamil, both in vitro and in vivo. MS-073 enhanced accumulation of [3H]VCR in K562/ADM cells. Photolabeling of P-glycoprotein with 200 nM [3H]azidopine in K562/ADM plasma membranes was completely inhibited by 10 microM MS-073, indicating that MS-073 reverses MDR by competitively inhibiting drug binding to P-glycoprotein.     

Heterogenous susceptibility to CD95-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells correlates with bcl-2 and bcl-x expression and is sensitive to modulation by interferon-gamma.

The expression and functionality of the Fas receptor (CD95/APO-1) play an important role for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Various types of tumor cells have been shown to escape immune recognition by constitutive resistance to CD95-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, several apoptosis-related proteins have been reported to influence CD95 sensitivity. We tested an unselected panel of 11 melanoma cell lines for sensitivity to CD95 and the corresponding expression of CD95, CD95L, bcl-2, bcl-x, bcl-xS, bax and FLIP proteins. Despite detection of CD95 cell-surface expression in 9 out of the 11 cell lines tested, only 3 melanoma cell lines were sensitive to anti-CD95-MAb-induced cell death. Apoptosis-related proteins CD95L, bcl-2, bcl-x, bcl-xS and bax were found to be heterogenously expressed in different melanoma cell lines tested. The susceptibility of melanoma cells to anti-CD95-MAb-mediated apoptosis was associated with low protein expression of both bcl-2 and bcl-x. The level of CD95 cell-surface expression in melanoma cells was no indicator for CD95 sensitivity. Furthermore, FLIP protein was detectable in 7 out of the 11 cell lines, but showed no correlation to CD95 sensitivity. Certain cytokines have been described as modulating the susceptibility of tumor cells to CD95-induced cell death. Since IFN-alpha was proved to be clinically efficient in melanoma therapy, we tested whether interferons have the ability to induce sensitivity to CD95 in primarily resistant melanoma cell lines. Here we show that IFN-gamma, but not IFN-alpha, is able to increase the susceptibility of sensitive cell lines and to induce CD95 sensitivity in resistant melanoma cell lines, accompanied by up-regulation of the protein expression level of CD95 and/or bcl-xS.     

Multidrug resistance gene 1 expression in salivary gland adenocarcinomas and oral squamous-cell carcinomas

In combined chemotherapy for head-and-neck cancer (HNC), salivary gland-cell adenocarcinoma (SGA) shows insufficient clinical outcome, and it has been suggested that the sensitivity and/or the mechanism of resistance to anti-cancer drugs are different between SGA and oral squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of our study was to clarify whether P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression is associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) in HNC and the difference in the process of its development between SGA and SCC. In immunohistochemical analysis, P-gp expression was found in the ductal cells of salivary glands but not in oral mucosal epithelium. In cancer tissues, a few SCC cells in 12 of 37 and most cells in all SGAs expressed P-gp. The intensive P-gp expression was significantly found in SGA compared with SCC. In an in vivo chemotherapeutic model using tumor-bearing nude mice, P-gp expression in counterparts was observed in only a few cells of the HSY line, while no P-gp expression was observed in Hepd cells. However, P-gp expression was developed in both HSY and Hepd cell lines after vincristine (VCR) treatment. RT-PCR showed that the mean ratios of mdr1 mRNA expression levels in HSY clones were 3.7-fold higher than those in Hepd clones after VCR treatment, while each cell line exhibited both induction and activated production of P-gp. These results suggest that P-gp-related MDR in SGA is an inherent phenotype caused by both high levels of P-gp induction and activated P-gp production during VCR treatment, while that in SCC is an acquired phenotype chiefly caused by induction of P-gp.