Cross-linking of DNA induced by chloroethylnitrosourea is presented by O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase

Claudin-7 indirectly regulates the integrin/FAK signaling pathway in human colon cancer tissue

The claudin family of proteins is integral to the structure and function of tight junctions. The role of claudin-7 (Cldn-7, CLDN7) in regulating the integrin/focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/ERK signaling pathway remains poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated differences in gene expression, primarily focusing on CLDN7 and integrin/FAK/ERK signaling pathway genes, between colon cancer and adjacent normal tissues. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to verify the results of mRNA and protein expression, respectively. In silico analysis was used to predict co-regulation between Cldn-7 and integrin/FAK/ERK signaling pathway components, and the STRING database was used to analyze protein-protein interaction pairs among these proteins. Meta-analysis of expression microarrays in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify significant correlations between Cldn-7 and components of predicted genes in the integrin/FAK/ERK signaling pathway. Our results showed marked cancer stage-specific decreases in the protein expression of Cldn-7, Gelsolin, MAPK1 and MAPK3 in colon cancer samples, and the observed changes for all proteins except Cldn-7 were in agreement with changes in the corresponding mRNA levels. Cldn-7 might indirectly regulate MAPK3 via KRT8 due to KRT8 co-expression with MAPK3 or CLDN7. Our bioinformatics methods supported the hypothesis that Cldn-7 does not directly regulate any genes in the integrin/FAK/ERK signaling pathway. These factors may participate in a common network that regulates cancer progression in which the MAPK pathway serves as the central node.

MGMT inhibitors--The Trinity College-Paterson Institute experience, a chemist's perception

The DNA repair protein, O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (MGMT) can confer resistance to the cancer chemotherapeutic effects of the class of DNA damaging drugs generally referred to as the O(6)-alkylating agents. Inactivation of MGMT is thus a practical approach to improving the efficacy of such agents. An account is given of the collaboration between groups at Trinity College, Dublin and the Paterson Institute, Manchester which led to the development of the MGMT inactivating drug, Patrin (PaTrin-2, Lomeguatrib). The development of a simpler method of synthesis of O(6)-arylmethylguanines opened up the way to make a series of O(6)-heteroalkylmethyl analogues of the archetypal MGMT pseudosubstrate, O(6)-methylguanine. Of these, the furfuryl and thenyl compounds were the most active against recombinant Human MGMT in an in vitro assay. The 4-bromothenyl derivative was chosen for clinical trial as the most active compound. The MGMT active site tolerates O(6)-substituted guanines where the side chain can be quite large, but does not tolerate those with an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring with an 'ortho' substituent.

Role ofO6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase in Protecting against 1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU)-Induced Long-Term Toxicities

O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) protects from the mutagenic and toxic lesions induced by 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), and in many tumors, AGT overexpression provides a means of resistance. To circumvent this, O6-benzylguanine, an inactivator of AGT, has been developed and is currently in clinical development with BCNU; however, the potential long-term toxicities associated with this treatment are unknown. With the inactivation of AGT by O6-benzylguanine, a higher number of toxic and mutagenic O6-alkylguanine lesions introduced by methylating or chloroethylating agents would be expected. In this study, cohorts of mice were treated with vehicle, O6-benzylguanine (30 mg/kg), BCNU alone (low dose of 15 mg/kg or high dose of 50 mg/kg), or O6-benzylguanine (30 mg/kg) plus BCNU (15 mg/kg) and followed for 12 months post-treatment. Mice treated with O6-benzylguanine plus BCNU or high-dose BCNU died significantly earlier (p < 0.0001) than mice in the other three cohorts with a median survival of 8.3 (O6-benzylguanine plus BCNU) and 7.9 months (high-dose BCNU). Histopathologic sections of tissues revealed that the most common morphological diagnosis in animals treated with O6-benzylguanine plus BCNU (15 mg/kg) or BCNU (50 mg/kg) was cytomegaly in the lung with greater severity observed in mice receiving the combination O6-benzylguanine plus BCNU. Four of five mice analyzed in this cohort had alveolar histiocytosis, with one also having alveolar edema. In contrast, liver and kidney toxicity was only observed in mice treated with BCNU (50 mg/kg). These results suggest that O6-benzylguanine enhances long-term pulmonary toxicity associated with BCNU in mice.

Human-yeast chimeric repair protein protects mammalian cells against alkylating agents: enhancement of MGMT protection

Chemotherapeutic DNA alkylating agents are common weapons employed to fight both pediatric and adult cancers. In addition to cancerous cells, nontarget tissues are subjected to the cytotoxicity of these agents, and dose-limiting toxicity in the form of myelosuppression is a frequent result of treatment. One approach to prevent myelosuppression that results from the use of chemotherapeutic agents is to increase the levels of DNA repair proteins in bone marrow cells. Here we report our second successful attempt to create a fusion protein that possesses both direct reversal and base excision repair pathway DNA repair activities. The chimeric protein is composed of the human O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) and the yeast Apn1 proteins and retains both MGMT and AP endonuclease activities as determined by biochemical analysis. We have also demonstrated that the chimeric protein is able to protect mammalian cells from the DNA alkylating agents 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The protection by the chimeric protein against BCNU is even greater than MGMT alone, which has potential translational significance given that MGMT is currently in clinical trials. Additionally, we show that the chimeric MGMT-Apn1 protein can protect mammalian cells from dual treatments of BCNU and MMS and that this effect is greater than that provided by MGMT alone. The data support our previous finding that a protein with multiple DNA repair activities can be constructed and that this and other constructs may play an important clinical role in guarding against dose-limiting effects of chemotherapy, particularly in situations of multiple drug use.

Transfer of drug resistance genes in hematopoietic progenitors for chemoprotection: is it still an option?

For numerous malignancies a relationship between the intensity of antineoplastic chemotherapy and tumor response has been demonstrated. Myelotoxicity is the main cause of chemotherapy-associated morbidity and of treatment delays. The concept of myeloprotective cytostatic drug resistance gene transfer to normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) therefore sparks great enthusiasm. While initial studies using murine retroviral vectors on murine HSC showed that the concept works, a number of clinical studies in the last decade were not informative because of limitations in transduction efficiency and transgene expression.Furthermore, possible side effects such as unforeseen transgene activity and vector integration-based leukemogenesis have been reported. Among others, these developments raised some scepticism against the feasibility of myeloprotective gene transfer. Recently, considerable improvements have been achieved in vector design, HSC manipulation, selection protocols and risk assessment methods which are discussed in detail here. Based on these experimental studies successful clinical trials can now be anticipated.

The sensitivity of MCF10A breast epithelial cells to alkylating drugs is enhanced by the inhibition of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase transcription with a synthetic double strand DNA oligonucleotide

Cytoxicity of alkylating chemotherapeutic drugs is affected by the cellular content of the enzyme O6_ methylguanine-DNA methyl transferase (MGMT). Since high levels of the enzyme confer the efficient repair of DNA alkylation, the chemotherapeutic potential of alkylating chemicals can be maintained either increasing drug dosage or reducing the amount of endogenous MGMT. This study strives to the latter end by competing away a transcriptional activator of the MGMT gene from its native enhancer sequence using a synthetic double strand DNA oligonucleotide (MEBP-ODN). MEBP-ODN was administered in culture medium to MCF10A human breast epithelial cells expressing high level of MGMT. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analyses showed decrease in both MGMT mRNA and protein content. Concomitantly, MEBP-ObN exposed cells were more sensitive to the alkylating drug mitozolomide than their controls, which were not exposed to MEBP-ODN. These results indicate that the cis-acting MEBP-ODN can efficiently deplete MGMT protein by working as decoy binding site for the transcriptional activator MEBP. This approach represents a successful strategy to counteract the protective role of MGMT repair enzyme during an alkylating drug based chemotherapeutic regimen.

Protection of hematopoietic cells from O(6)-alkylation damage by O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase gene transfer: studies with different O(6)-alkylating agents and retroviral backbones

Overexpression of O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) can protect hematopoietic cells from O(6)-alkylation damage. To identify possible clinical applications of this technology we compared the effect of MGMT gene transfer on the hematotoxicity induced by different O(6)-alkylating agents in clinical use: the chloroethylnitrosoureas ACNU, BCNU, CCNU and the tetrazine derivative temozolomide. In addition, various retroviral vectors expressing the MGMT-cDNA were investigated to identify optimal viral backbones for hematoprotection by MGMT expression. Protection from ACNU, BCNU, CCNU or temozolomide toxicity was evaluated utilizing a Moloney murine leukemia virus-based retroviral vector (N2/Zip-PGK-MGMT) to transduce primary murine bone marrow cells. Increased resistance in murine colony-forming units (CFU) was demonstrated for all four drugs. In comparison to mock-transduced controls, after transduction with N2/Zip-PGK-MGMT the IC50 for CFU increased on average 4.7-fold for ACNU, 2.5-fold for BCNU, 6.3-fold for CCNU and 1.5-fold for temozolomide. To study the effect of the retroviral backbone on hematoprotection various vectors expressing the human MGMT-cDNA from a murine embryonic sarcoma virus LTR (MSCV-MGMT) or a hybrid spleen focus-forming/murine embryonic sarcoma virus LTR (SF1-MGMT) were compared with the N2/Zip-PGK-MGMT vector. While all vectors increased resistance of transduced human CFU to ACNU, the SF1-MGMT construct was most efficient especially at high ACNU concentrations (8-12 microg/ml). Similar results were obtained for protection of murine high-proliferative-potential colony-forming cells. These data may help to optimize treatment design and retroviral constructs in future clinical studies aiming at hematoprotection by MGMT gene transfer.

A novel fluorometric oligonucleotide assay to measure O( 6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase, methylpurine DNA glycosylase, 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase and abasic endonuclease activities: DNA repair status in human breast carcinoma cells overexpressing methylpurine DNA glycosylase

DNA repair status plays a major role in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis and resistance to genotoxic agents. Because DNA repair processes involve multiple enzymatic steps, understanding cellular DNA repair status has required several assay procedures. We have developed a novel in vitro assay that allows quantitative measurement of alkylation repair via O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and base excision repair (BER) involving methylpurine DNA glycosylase (MPG), human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1) and yeast and human abasic endonuclease (APN1 and APE/ref-1, respectively) from a single cell extract. This approach involves preparation of cell extracts in a common buffer in which all of the DNA repair proteins are active and the use of fluorometrically labeled oligonucleotide substrates containing DNA lesions specific to each repair protein. This method enables methylation and BER capacities to be determined rapidly from a small amount of starting sample. In addition, the stability of the fluorometric oligonucleotides precludes the substrate variability caused by continual radiolabeling. In this report this technique was applied to human breast carcinoma MDA-MB231 cells overexpressing human MPG in order to assess whether up-regulation of the initial step in BER alters the activity of selected other BER (hOGG1 and APE/ref-1) or direct reversal (MGMT) repair activities.

Anticancer drug resistance in primary human brain tumors

The difficult clinical situation still associated with most types of primary human brain tumors has fostered significant interest in defining novel therapeutic modalities for this heterogeneous group of neoplasms. Beginning in the 1980s chemotherapy has been incorporated into the treatment protocol of a number of intractable brain tumors. However, it has predominantly failed to improve patient outcome. The unsatisfactory results with chemotherapeutic intervention have chiefly been attributed to tumor cell resistance. In recent years, there has been a literal explosion in our understanding about the mechanisms by which cancer cells become chemoresistant. During the course of their evolution (intrinsic resistance) or in response to chemotherapy (acquired resistance) these cells may follow a number of pathways of genetic alterations to possess a common (multidrug) or drug-specific (individual drug) resistant phenotype. Genomic aberrations, deregulation of membrane transporting proteins and cellular enzymes, and an altered susceptibility to commit to apoptosis are among the steps on the way that contribute to the genesis of chemotherapeutic treatment failure. Although, through the years we have come to yield information and inferences as to the roles that different molecular events may have in the resistance phenotype of cancer cells, the actual involvement of single genetic alterations in conferring drug resistance in primary brain tumors remains debatable. This uncertainty and, besides, the lack of proper drug resistance diagnostics, in a vicious circle, hinder the development of effective resistance-modulation strategies. Clinical non-responsiveness to chemotherapy remains a formidable obstacle to the successful treatment of brain tumors and one of the most serious problems to be solved in the therapy of these lesions. Future advances in the chemotherapeutic management of these neoplasms will come with an improved understanding of the significance and interrelationship of the multiple biological systems operative in promoting resistance to this treatment modality. The focus of this review is to summarize current knowledge concerning major drug resistance-related markers, to describe their functional interaction en route to chemoresistance, and to discuss their implication in rendering human brain tumor cells resistant to chemotherapy.

Polymyxin permeabilization as a tool to investigate cytotoxicity of therapeutic aromatic alkylators in DNA repair-deficient Escherichia coli strains

Chlorambucil (CLB; N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-p-aminophenylbutyric acid) and its biologically active beta-oxidation product phenylacetic acid mustard (PAM; N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-p-aminophenylacetic acid) are bifunctional aromatic alkylators. CLB is in wide clinical use as an anticancer drug and also as an immunosuppressant. The chemical structures indicate that CLB and PAM are mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic, but the mode of action has remained obscure. We have investigated the biological effects of CLB and PAM with DNA repair-deficient Escherichia coli strains. In contrast to MNNG (N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanine), CLB and PAM were not toxic to E. coli, but permeabilization of the outer membrane of the cells through use of polymyxin B nonapeptide (PMBN) rendered them susceptible to these compounds. The importance of DNA repair, shown by reversal of damage and attenuation of the toxicity of CLB and PAM, was indicated by the susceptibility of cells lacking O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase I and II (ada ogt). Similarly, the protective role of base excision repair (BER) was substantiated by demonstration of an even more increased susceptibility to CLB and PAM of cells lacking 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase I and II (alkA1 tag-1). Cells deficient in mismatch repair (mutS) appeared to be slightly more sensitive than normal cells to CLB and PAM, although no such sensitivity to MNNG was observed. This implicates the role of mismatches in CLB- and PAM-related cytotoxicity. It is generally believed that bifunctional alkylating agents, like CLB and PAM, exert their cytotoxic action via DNA cross-linking. Our results with O(6)-methyltransferase- and 3-methyladenine-DNA glycosylase-deficient cells indicate that removal of the adducts prior to the formation of cross-links is an important mechanism maintaining cell viability. We conclude that PMBN permeabilization provides a valuable tool to investigate genetically engineered E. coli cells, whose outer membrane is not naturally permeable to mutagens or other interesting compounds.

Sensitivity to DNA cross-linking chemotherapeutic agents in mismatch repair-defective cells in vitro and in xenografts

Together with tolerance to killing induced by methylating agents, loss of mismatch repair (MMR) has previously been found to be associated with hypersensitivity to the DNAcross-linking agent 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-nitrosourea(CCNU) in several human tumor cell lines (Aquilina et al., 1998). Here, we have investigated whether MMR might act as an efficient repair pathway and provide protection against the clastogenicity induced by CCNU and whether the hypersensitivity of MMR-defective cells is extended to other cross-linking agents. An increase in cell killing and in the frequency of micronuclei was observed after CCNU exposure in 2 hPMS2-defective clones (clones 6 and 7) compared with the parental HeLa cells. Introduction of a wild-type copy of chromosome 7 in clone 7 led to re-expression of the hPMS2 protein and brought survival and chromosomal damage upon CCNU exposure to parental levels. Our data indicate that MMR protects against the clastogenic damage induced by this drug. The hPMS2-defective HeLa cells were also hypersensitive to killing by mitomycin C. Mitomycin C sensitivity was confirmed in an hMLH1-defective clone derived from Raji cells and in msh2-defective mouse embryo fibroblasts derived from knock-out mice. hPMS2-defective and parental HeLa cells were transplanted into nude mice, and the animals were treated with mitomycin C. While parental cell growth rate was unaffected, the growth of MMR-defective tumor was significantly reduced. Our results indicate that the in vitro hypersensitivity to mitomycin C conferred by loss of MMR is paralleled in vivo and may have implications for the chemotherapy of MMR-defective tumors.

Activation of human O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase gene by glucocorticoid hormone

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), a ubiquitous DNA repair protein, removes the mutagenic DNA adduct O6-alkylguanine, which is synthesized both endogenously and after exposure to alkylnitrosamines and alkylating antitumor drugs such as 2-chloroethyl-N-nitrosourea (CNU). The MGMT gene is highly regulated in mammalian cells and its overexpression, observed in many types of tumor cells, is often associated with cellular resistance to CNU. Dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocorticoid hormone, was found to increase MGMT expression in HeLa S3 cells, concomitant with their increased resistance to CNU. Two putative glucocorticoid responsive elements (GREs) were identified in the human MGMT (hMGMT) promoter. Transient expression of the luciferase reporter gene driven by an hMGMT promoter fragment containing these GREs was activated by dexamethasone. DNase I footprinting assays demonstrated the binding of glucocorticoid receptor to these sequences. In vitro transcription experiment showed that these DNA sequences are functional in glucocorticoid receptor signal-mediated activation of transcription. These results suggest glucocorticoid-mediated induction of the MGMT gene contributes to high level expression of MGMT.

Excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency gene 2 expression and chloroethylnitrosourea resistance in human glioma cell lines

OBJECTIVE

Nitrosoureas are the standard chemotherapeutic agents for malignant brain tumors. However, their anticancer effects are limited because many tumors are resistant to these agents. Nucleotide excision repair can repair bulky deoxyribonucleic acid adducts, including deoxyribonucleic acid damage induced by ultraviolet light and some chemotherapeutic agents, and may be implicated in nitrosoureas resistance. In this study, we compared excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency Gene 2 (ERCC2), an important component of the nucleotide excision repair system, with 1 ,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea or (2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea resistance in human glioma cell lines.

METHODS

ERCC2 expression was evaluated by using established quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. 1,3-Bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea and (2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea cytotoxicity were determined by a modification of the sulforhodamine B colorimetric anticancer drug screening assay.

RESULTS

A significant correlation between ERCC2 expression and 1 ,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea or (2-chloroethyl)-3-sarcosinamide-1-nitrosourea cytotoxicity was determined (r=0.737, P=0.0226 and r=0.789, P=0.0113, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that nucleotide excision repair, specifically ERCC2, may play an important role in nitrosoureas drug resistance in human gliomas.

Creation of a fully functional human chimeric DNA repair protein. Combining O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and AP endonuclease (APE/redox effector factor 1 (Ref 1)) DNA repair proteins

A dose-limiting toxicity of certain chemotherapeutic alkylating agents is their toxic effects on nontarget tissues such as the bone marrow. To overcome the myelosuppression observed by chemotherapeutic alkylating agents, one approach is to increase the level of DNA repair proteins in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Toward this goal, we have constructed a human fusion protein consisting of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase coupled with an apurinic endonuclease, resulting in a fully functional protein for both O6-methylguanine and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site repair as determined by biochemical analysis. The chimeric protein protected AP endonuclease-deficient Escherichia coli cells against methyl methanesulfonate and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) damage. A retroviral construct expressing the chimeric protein also protected HeLa cells against 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea and methyl methanesulfonate cytotoxicity either when these agents were used separately or in combination. Moreover, as predicted from previous analysis, truncating the amino 150 amino acids of the apurinic endonuclease portion of the O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase-apurinic endonuclease protein resulted in the retention of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase activity but loss of all AP endonuclease activity. These results demonstrate that the fusion of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and apurinic endonuclease proteins into a combined single repair protein can result in a fully functional protein retaining the repair activities of the individual repair proteins. These and other related constructs may be useful for protection of sensitive tissues and, therefore, are candidate constructs to be tested in preclinical models of chemotherapy toxicity.

The chloroethylnitrosoureas: sensitivity and resistance to cancer chemotherapy at the molecular level

The chloroethylnitrosoureas were developed in a synthetic program that began with the observation that N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was an effective agent against L1210 cells. The antitumor activity of the chloroethylnitrosoureas is based on their reactions with DNA, especially the formation of a cytosine-guanine crosslink in DNA. Resistance occurs when the enzyme, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase, repairs an intermediate in crosslink formation. Inhibition of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase often restores sensitivity to the chloroethlylnitrosoureas although evidence is accumulating that other repair mechanisms may also contribute to the resistance phenomenon. Continuing investigations in this field center on finding agents whose reactions with DNA are more specific, on elucidating other resistance mechanisms, and on overcoming resistance by developing new inhibitors of repair enzymes.

Application of antisense ribonucleic acid complementary to O6-methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase messenger ribonucleic acid for therapy of malignant gliomas

OBJECTIVE

A derivative of chloroethylnitrosoureas, 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl)methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea (ACNU), is a drug of choice for the chemotherapy of human malignant brain tumors. However, the cytocidal effect of ACNU is effectively repressed through repair of ACNU-mediated deoxyribonucleic acid lesions by O6-methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferase (MGMT). Because a variety of human tumors, including brain tumors, contain high levels of MGMT activity, we investigated the effect of antisense ribonucleic acid (RNA) complementary to MGMT messenger RNA on ACNU resistance in tumor cells.

METHODS

We established a stable ACNU-resistant clone, C6AR, from the rat glioma cell line C6 exposed to a stepwise increasing concentration of ACNU. We transfected a plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid-encoding antisense MGMT RNA under the control of the human metallothionein promoter into C6AR cells and determined the effect of the antisense RNA on ACNU resistance of tumor cells by a colony-forming efficiency assay.

RESULTS

C6AR cells expressed abundant MGMT messenger RNA, although the transcription level of the MGMT gene in parental C6 cells was below the lower limits of detection under the same assay conditions. ACNU resistance of C6AR cells was significantly repressed by transfected gene-dependent antisense MGMT RNA expression that resulted in decreased survival of the tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

ACNU resistance resulting from the expression of MGMT in rat glioma cells is significantly overcome by the expression of antisense MGMT RNA. This result suggests that the antisense MGMT RNA system might be a useful strategy for overcoming ACNU resistance in the treatment of intractable malignant gliomas.

Inhibition of DNA repair as a means of increasing the antitumor activity of DNA reactive agents

Chemotherapeutic alkylnitrosoureas (BCNU, CCNU, streptozotocin) and alkyltriazenes (DTIC, temozolomide) produce a cytotoxic lesion at the O(6)-position of guanine. The DNA repair protein, O(6)-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase removes damage from the O(6)-position in a single-step mechanism without co-factors. There is extensive evidence that this protein is one of the most important factors contributing to alkylnitrosourea and alkyltriazene treatment failure. There is an inverse correlation between the level of this protein and the sensitivity of cells to the cytotoxic effects of O(6)-alkylating agents. Attempts have been made to modulate AGT activity using anti-sense technology, methylating agents, O(6)-alkylguanines, and O(6)-benzylguanine analogs. O(6)-Benzylguanine and its analogs are clearly the most potent direct inactivators of the AGT protein. The mechanism involves O(6)-benzylguanine acting as a low-molecular weight substrate with transfer of the benzyl group to the cysteine residue within the active site of the repair protein. Pretreatment of cells with non-toxic doses of O(6)-benzylguanine results in an increase in the sensitivity to O(6)-alkylating agents. Animal studies revealed that the therapeutic index of BCNU increased when administered in combination with O(6)-benzylguanine. This drug is currently in phase I clinical trials. Evidence from animal studies indicates that myelosuppression may be the dose-limiting toxicity, thus, efforts are aimed at improving the therapeutic index by the stable expression of O(6)-benzylguanine-resistant AGT proteins into targeted normal tissue such as bone marrow. The successful modulation of alkyltransferases brings on an exciting new era for alkylnitrosoureas and alkyltriazenes.

O 6-Benzylguanine Potentiates the In Vivo Toxicity and Clastogenicity of Temozolomide and BCNU in Mouse Bone Marrow

The effects of treatment of mice with O6-benzylguanine (O6-BeG) on the levels of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (ATase) in the hematopoietic compartment and on the in vivo sensitivity of hematopoietic progenitor cells to the toxic and clastogenic effects of the antitumor agents 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-nitrosourea (BCNU) and temozolomide were studied. When the overall effects of BCNU alone or with O6-BeG pretreatment were compared, dose potentiating factors of 4.17 for marrow cellularity, 4.57 for granulocyte macrophage-colony forming cells (GM-CFC) and 8.25 for colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) in O6-BeG pretreated versus nonpretreated animals were observed. A similar trend of dose potentiation was observed for temozolomide, although it was of lower magnitude: 1.20 for marrow cellularity, 1.63 for GM-CFC, and 1.68 for CFU-S. When the clastogenic effects of BCNU and temozolomide were examined in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay, a significantly (P < .05 to .001) higher frequency of micronuclei formation was observed in mice that received O6-BeG pretreatment compared with mice that received no pretreatment. These data suggest that the use of O6-BeG as a tumor-sensitizing agent before treatment of patients with O6-alkylating agents may lead to more severe hematological toxicity and possibly to an increased incidence of secondary leukemias as a result of elevated mutation frequencies in these patients.

O 6-Benzylguanine Potentiates the In Vivo Toxicity and Clastogenicity of Temozolomide and BCNU in Mouse Bone Marrow

The effects of treatment of mice with O6-benzylguanine (O6-BeG) on the levels of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (ATase) in the hematopoietic compartment and on the in vivo sensitivity of hematopoietic progenitor cells to the toxic and clastogenic effects of the antitumor agents 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-nitrosourea (BCNU) and temozolomide were studied. When the overall effects of BCNU alone or with O6-BeG pretreatment were compared, dose potentiating factors of 4.17 for marrow cellularity, 4.57 for granulocyte macrophage-colony forming cells (GM-CFC) and 8.25 for colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) in O6-BeG pretreated versus nonpretreated animals were observed. A similar trend of dose potentiation was observed for temozolomide, although it was of lower magnitude: 1.20 for marrow cellularity, 1.63 for GM-CFC, and 1.68 for CFU-S. When the clastogenic effects of BCNU and temozolomide were examined in the mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay, a significantly (P < .05 to .001) higher frequency of micronuclei formation was observed in mice that received O6-BeG pretreatment compared with mice that received no pretreatment. These data suggest that the use of O6-BeG as a tumor-sensitizing agent before treatment of patients with O6-alkylating agents may lead to more severe hematological toxicity and possibly to an increased incidence of secondary leukemias as a result of elevated mutation frequencies in these patients.

The relationship of a novel drug-resistant phenotype in C3H10T1/2 cells selected with alkylating agents to neoplastic transformation and ATP metabolism

We investigated the resistance to alkylating agents in parental, drug-selected and neoplastically transformed C3H10T1/2 (10T1/2) murine fibroblasts. Similar levels of resistance to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) were observed in cells selected for resistance to MNNG or 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) as well as in cells transformed by a single treatment with MNNG. Surprisingly, neither the levels of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AT) nor glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were altered in drug-resistant cells. In contrast, changes in ATP metabolism were observed in both transformed and MNNG-selected cells after treatment with MNNG. Specifically, 3 h after treatment with 5 microg/ml MNNG, ATP levels decreased by 85% and 74% in MNNG-selected and transformed cells, respectively, compared to only a 28% decrease in parental cells. Therefore, rather than contributing to cell sensitivity to alkylating agents, the ability to rapidly utilize ATP and tolerate resulting decreases in ATP levels may in some cases play a role in protection from the cytotoxic effects of alkylating agents.

DNA interstrand cross-linking and cytotoxicity induced by chloroethylnitrosoureas and cisplatin in human glioma cell lines which vary in cellular concentration of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase

Fifteen human glioma cell lines were examined for their sensitivity to 1,3-bis(chloroethyl)-nitrosourea (BCNU, carmustine) and cis-dichlorodiamminoplatinum (cisplatin), the induction of DNA interstrand cross-linking (DNA-ISC) induced by the two agents and cellular O6-alkylguanine alkyltransferase (ATase) activity. Cell lines differed in their sensitivities to BCNU by up to 12-fold and to cisplatin by up to 21-fold. For both drugs, the extent of DNA-ISC was related to the drug sensitivity. There was a wide range of cellular ATase levels. Increasing ATase levels correlated with increased resistance to BCNU and with decreased formation of DNA-ISC following treatment with BCNU. In contrast, following treatment with cisplatin, there was no correlation between cellular ATase content and cytotoxicity or between ATase and DNA-ISC. Four sublines of varying ATase activity were prepared from one of the cell lines. These sublines showed a sensitivity to BCNU in inverse proportion to ATase activity, while sensitivity to cisplatin was more uniform. The experiments confirm the direct relationship between ATase concentration and sensitivity to BCNU in glioma cells. Although there was some correlation between cisplatin cytotoxicity and BCNU cytotoxicity, this was not mediated through ATase.

Protective effect of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) on the cytotoxic and recombinogenic activity of different antineoplastic drugs

The DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) removes alkyl groups from the O6 position of guanine in DNA and thus may protect cells against genotoxic effects of agents inducing this lesion. To analyze quantitatively the level of protection mediated by MGMT against antineoplastic drugs, we determined the cytotoxic and recombinogenic (sister-chromatid exchange inducing) effects of various chemotherapeutic agents in a pair of isogenic Chinese hamster cell lines deficient and proficient for MGMT, generated upon transfection with human MGMT cDNA. Furthermore, we compared the responses of the human cell lines HeLa MR (MGMT deficient) and HeLa S3 (MGMT proficient) to the various agents. It is shown that: (1) MGMT proficient cells are resistant in cell killing to the methylating drug streptozotocin and all the chloroethylating nitrosoureas tested. There was a marked agent specificity in protection. The level of resistance provoked by MGMT increased in the order BCNU < CCNU < ACNU < HeCNU < streptozotocin. (2) MGMT did not protect cells against killing induced by chlorambucil, cisplatin, melphalan, activated cyclophosphamide (malosfamide) and activated ifosfamide (4-hydroperoxy-ifosfamide). (3) MGMT caused protection against the recombinogenic effect of all nitrosoureas tested. The lowest level of protection was again observed for BCNU, followed by CCNU, ACNU < HeCNU < streptozotocin. (4) MGMT proficient cells did not exhibit resistance in SCE induction towards cyclophosphamide (activated by microsomes), 4-hydroperoxy-ifosfamide, mafosfamide, chlorambucil and melphalan. Some protection was afforded, however, against cisplatin (and transplatin). This effect was abolished by pretreatment of cells with O6-benzylguanine, which depletes MGMT, indicating that some lesion(s) induced by cisplatin giving rise to SCEs can be repaired by MGMT. Taken together, these results indicate that streptozotocin, HeCNU and ACNU are more selective than CCNU and BCNU in killing MGMT deficient cells, and that in the cases of cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, chlorambucil, cisplatin and melphalan MGMT is not involved in mediating cytotoxic drug resistance.

Increasing DNA repair methyltransferase levels via bone marrow stem cell transduction rescues mice from the toxic effects of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, a chemotherapeutic alkylating agent

The chloroethylnitrosourea (CNU) alkylating agents are commonly used for cancer chemotherapy, but their usefulness is limited by severe bone marrow toxicity that causes the cumulative depletion of all hematopoietic lineages (pancytopenia). Bone marrow CNU sensitivity is probably due to the inefficient repair of CNU-induced DNA damage; relative to other tissues, bone marrow cells express extremely low levels of the O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protein that repairs cytotoxic O6-chloroethylguanine DNA lesions. Using a simplified recombinant retroviral vector expressing the human MGMT gene under control of the phosphoglycerate kinase promoter (PGK-MGMT) we increased the capacity of murine bone marrow-derived cells to repair CNU-induced DNA damage. Stable reconstitution of mouse bone marrow with genetically modified, MGMT-expressing hematopoietic stem cells conferred considerable resistance to the cytotoxic effects of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), a CNU commonly used for chemotherapy. Bone marrow harvested from mice transplanted with PGK-MGMT-transduced cells showed extensive in vitro BCNU resistance. Moreover, MGMT expression in mouse bone marrow conferred in vivo resistance to BCNU-induced pancytopenia and significantly reduced BCNU-induced mortality due to bone marrow hypoplasia. These data demonstrate that increased DNA alkylation repair in primitive hematopoietic stem cells confers multilineage protection from the myelosuppressive effects of BCNU and suggest a possible approach to protecting cancer patients from CNU chemotherapy-related toxicity.

Strategic down-regulation of DNA polymerase beta by antisense RNA sensitizes mammalian cells to specific DNA damaging agents

Previously, mouse NIH 3T3 cells were stably transfected with human DNA polymerase beta (beta-pol) cDNA in the antisense orientation and under the control of a metallothionein promoter [Zmudzka, B.Z. and Wilson, S.H. (1990) Som. Cell Mol. Gen., 16, 311-320]. To assess the feasibility of enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy by an antisense approach and to confirm a role for beta-pol in cellular DNA repair, we looked for increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents under conditions where beta-pol is down-regulated in the antisense cell line. Such a sensitization is anticipated only where beta-pol is rate-limiting in a DNA repair pathway. A number of agents were tested: cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (cisplatin); 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU); ionizing radiation and the radio-mimetic drug bleomycin; the bifunctional alkylating agents nitrogen mustard and L-phenylalanine mustard (melphalan); the monofunctional alkylating agent methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the cases of cisplatin and UV radiation, a significant enhancement of cytotoxicity was observed. Damage as a result of both of these agents is thought to be repaired by the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. The results suggest that, in this cell line, beta-pol is involved in and is rate-limiting in NER. We propose that down-regulation of beta-pol by antisense approaches might be used to enhance the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin and other DNA damaging chemotherapeutic agents.

Sequential therapy with dacarbazine and carmustine: a phase I study

Depletion of the DNA-repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) increases the sensitivity of cells in culture and of human tumor xenografts to chloroethylnitrosoureas such as carmustine (BCNU). We have previously demonstrated that dacarbazine (DTIC) can deplete AGT activity in cells in culture and in human tumor xenografts. A phase I trial of DTIC followed immediately by BCNU was conducted to determine the DTIC dose resulting in maximal depletion of AGT in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of cancer patients and to determine the maximally tolerated dose of DTIC given as a 4-h infusion immediately prior to a fixed dose of BCNU. A 4-h infusion of DTIC followed by a 2-h infusion of BCNU was given to 42 patients with refractory solid tumors. Complete depletion of AGT activity was not achieved at DTIC doses of up to 750 mg/m2. The dose-limiting toxicity was hematologic, although at higher doses of BCNU (> or = 100 mg/m2) we observed significant nonhematologic toxicity. Our recommended phase II doses are 1,000 mg/m2 DTIC followed by 75 mg/m2 BCNU. AGT activity in PBMC of the 28 patients studied decreased to a mean of 62% +/- 11% (SE) of the baseline value at 4 h after initiation of the DTIC infusion. At 24 h after initiation of the DTIC infusion, AGT activity in PBMC was depleted to a mean of 65% +/- 14% of the baseline value. There was no direct correlation between the DTIC dose and the extent of AGT depletion. Baseline PBMC AGT levels varied widely among patients.

Drug resistance in brain tumors

Resistance to chemotherapy in brain tumors is complex and may involve multiple mechanisms. For commonly used drugs, such as nitrosoureas and platinum compounds, major mechanisms may involve increaded DNA repair or removal of the drug-DNA adducts. For water soluble nitrosoureas and also for platinum compounds, other mechanisms, such as alteration in drug transport, may be important. Another major mechanism may involve glutathione and glutathione-S-transferase pathways. For vinca alkaloids and epipodophyllotoxins p-glycoprotein mediated MDR appears to be the major feature in drug resistance. In addition, alteration of tubulin and topoisomerase II have been described in resistance to vinca alkaloids and epipodophyllotoxins respectively. Recently, increased multidrug resistance associated protein gene expression has been found in glioma cells and brain tumor samples; its clinical significance requires further investigation.

Purification of a HeLa cell nuclear protein that binds selectively to DNA irradiated with ultra-violet light

Ultraviolet (UV) light induces a variety of lesions in DNA of which the pyrimidine dimer represents the major species. Pyrimidine dimers exist as both a cyclobutane type and a 6-4' (pyrimidine-2'-one) photoproduct. We have purified a protein of M(r) approximately 125,000 from HeLa cell nuclei which binds efficiently to double-stranded DNA irradiated with UV light but not to undamaged DNA. This protein was designated UVBP1 (UV damage binding protein 1). UVBP1 did not recognise DNA damaged by cisplatin. Using oligonucleotides with a single dipyrimidine site for induction of UV photoproducts, binding of UVBP1 to a TC-containing substrate was shown to be more efficient than to substrates containing a TT, a CT or a CC pair. This binding specificity implies selective recognition of the 6-4' photoproduct. Further evidence for this was provided by the finding that hot alkali treatment of the substrate (which selectively hydrolyses 6-4' photoproducts) abrogated binding of UVBP1, whereas incubation with DNA photolyase to remove cyclobutane dimers did not. No detectable DNA helicase, ATPase or exonuclease activity was associated with the purified protein. We suggest that UVBP1 may be involved in the lesion recognition step of DNA excision repair and could contribute to the preferential repair of 6-4' photoproducts from the DNA of UV-irradiated mammalian cells.

Effect of O6-benzylguanine on the sensitivity of human colon tumor xenografts to 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU)

A number of trials were conducted to determine the effect of O6-benzylguanine pretreatment on the sensitivity of human colon tumor xenografts to the antitumor effects of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). O6-Benzylguanine has been shown to inactivate the DNA repair protein, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which is primarily responsible for resistance to alkylnitrosoureas including BCNU. Colon tumor xenografts carried in nude mice were analyzed for their AGT content, and tumors with low, intermediate and high levels were chosen for further study. The AGT activity of HC-1, GC-3, VRC-5 and CX-1 human colon tumor xenografts was 16, 113, 180 and 367 fmol/mg protein, respectively. Treatment of mice consisted of vehicle alone, 6.25 to 50 mg/kg BCNU administered alone or BCNU (6.25 to 25 mg/kg) 1 hr after 120 mg/kg O6-benzylguanine on days 7 and 14 post-inoculation. Toxicity studies revealed that pretreatment with O6-benzylguanine increased the toxicity of BCNU, requiring administration of about 4-fold less drug. The growth of the VRC-5 tumor at day 42 post-inoculation was inhibited by 39% following treatment with 12.5 mg/kg BCNU alone and 92% when BCNU was combined with O6-benzylguanine pretreatment. The combination of O6-benzylguanine and BCNU (12.5 mg/kg) at day 42 resulted in an inhibition of HC-1 and CX-1 tumor growth by 84 and 72%, whereas BCNU alone inhibited growth by 54 and 14%, respectively. Therefore, the degree to which the antitumor effect of BCNU was increased by O6-benzylguanine pretreatment was dependent on the AGT activity, with a greater effect in tumors of intermediate or high activity. These data suggest that there is a role for O6-benzylguanine combined with BCNU in the treatment of human colon tumors.

Expression in mammalian cells of the Escherichia coli O6 alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase gene ogt reduces the toxicity of alkylnitrosoureas

V79 Chinese hamster cells expressing either the O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyltransferase (ATase) encoded by the E. coli ogt gene or a truncated version of the E. coli ada gene have been exposed to various alkylnitrosoureas to investigate the contribution of ATase repairable lesions to the toxicity of these compounds. Both ATases are able to repair O6-alkylguanine (O6-AlkG) and O4-alkylthymine (O4-AlkT) but the ogt ATase is more efficient in the repair of O4-methylthymine (O4-MeT) and higher alkyl derivatives of O6-AlkG than is the ada ATase. Expression of the ogt ATase provided greater protection against the toxic effects of the alkylating agents then the ada ATase particularly with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) and N-butyl-N-nitrosourea (BNU) to which the ada ATase expressing cells were as sensitive as parent vector transfected cells. Although ogt was expressed at slightly higher levels than the truncated ada in the transfected cells, this could not account for the differential protection observed. For-N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) the increased protection in ogt-transfected cells is consistent with O4-MeT acting as a toxic lesion. For the longer chain alkylating agents and chloroethylating agents, the protection afforded by the ogt protein may be a consequence of the more efficient repair of O6-AlkG, O4-AlkT or both of these lesions in comparison with the ada-encoded ATase.

Comparison between BCNU and procarbazine chemotherapy for treatment of gliomas

We compared sequential single-agent BCNU and procarbazine (PCB) chemotherapy in 31 patients with gliomas [grade IV (10), grade III (15), grade II (6)]. Patients had failed surgical biopsy +/- resection and radiation therapy. All patients were treated initially with BCNU 150-300 mg/m2 by intra-arterial or intravenous route every 6 weeks. After CT evidence of tumor progression, all patients received PCB 150 mg/m2/day for 28 days every 8 weeks. Patient responses to BCNU were CR (0), PR (7), SD (12), progression (12), and to PCB CR (2), PR (9), SD (6), and progression (14). Kaplan-Meier estimates of median time to failure for all patients were shorter for BCNU, 5.0 months (range 1.5-20), than for PCB, 6.0 months (range 2-50+). There was a statistically significant difference (Mantel-Cox test, p = 0.02) in the distribution of time to disease progression between the two drugs, especially for grade III tumors (p = 0.02). The cumulative proportion of patients without disease progression at 6 months was 26% while on BCNU, compared to 48% while on PCB; at 12 months the cumulative proportions were 3% for BCNU compared to 35% for PCB. Although there was no formal washout period between administration of the two drugs, no carryover effect was evident. These data provide further evidence that PCB has significant activity against malignant glioma and may, in fact, be more effective than BCNU.

The effects of O6-benzylguanine and hypoxia on the cytotoxicity of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in nitrosourea-resistant SF-763 cells

O6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) activity is associated with resistance of brain tumor cell lines to the cytotoxic effects of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). SF-763 cells exhibit high AGT activity and are resistant to BCNU. In this study, we compared the effects of the AGT inhibitor O6-benzylguanine (BG) on the cytotoxicity of BCNU in oxic and hypoxic SF-763 cells; we also measured AGT activity, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, and polyamine levels to determine if there was any correlation with cell survival as determined by colony-forming efficiency assay. Exponentially growing monolayer cells were pretreated with 10 microM BG for 2 h under oxic or hypoxic (95% nitrogen/5% CO2) conditions and then exposed to graded concentrations of BCNU for 1 h. BG significantly lowered AGT activity but had no cytotoxic effect in oxic or hypoxic cells; hypoxia alone was not cytotoxic. The cytotoxicity of BCNU was 4 times higher in BG-treated hypoxic cells than in oxic cells treated with BCNU alone; the BCNU doses required for a 1-log cell kill were 75 and 300 microM, respectively. ODC activity was lowered by hypoxia alone but was not significantly affected by BG in either hypoxic or oxic cells. Polyamine levels were not significantly affected by hypoxia or BG. These results indicate that pretreatment with BG dramatically lowers AGT activity and increases the cytotoxicity of BCNU in both oxic and hypoxic SF-763 cells. The mechanism of this enhanced cytotoxicity is apparently unrelated to ODC activity or polyamine levels.

Effect of temozolomide and dacarbazine on O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity and sensitivity of human tumor cells and xenografts to 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea

We investigated the ability of 5-(dimethyltriazeno)imidazole-4-carboxamide (DTIC, decarbazine) and an analogue, temozolomide, to deplete cells or tumors of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) and to enhance the antitumor effects of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). Human colon cancer (HT29) cell survival was decreased by almost 1 log when treated with 500 microM temozolomide prior to 150 microM BCNU. Administration of the maximal tolerated dose of DTIC (300 mg/kg) to nude mice carrying HT29 xenografts resulted in complete depletion of AGT activity in tumors at 4 h and 16 h. Administration of 150 mg/kg DTIC caused a 76% reduction in AGT activity at 4 h, but only a 28% reduction at 16 h. The maximally tolerated doses of DTIC and BCNU, alone and in combination, were used to treat nude mice bearing HT29 xenografts. No difference in tumor growth occurred when animals were treated with either BCNU alone (50 mg/kg), DTIC alone (300 mg/kg), DTIC (150 mg/kg) followed by BCNU (12.5 mg/kg), or BCNU (25 mg/kg) followed by DTIC (150 mg/kg). These data suggest that methylating agents such as DTIC may be too toxic to be used in combination with BCNU to deplete tumor alkyltransferase levels effectively and increase the therapeutic index of BCNU.

Effect of O6-benzylguanine on the response to 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea in the Dunning R3327G model of prostatic cancer

The DNA-repair protein O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase is known to protect tumor cells from the antitumor effects of carmustine (BCNU). This repair protein was inactivated in Copenhagen rat prostate tumors by treatment with O6-benzylguanine in attempts to increase the effectiveness of BCNU therapy. The alkyltransferase activity in the liver, kidney, lung, and prostate of Copenhagen rats was 66, 37, 65, and 122 fmol/mg protein, respectively. The activity in the Dunning R3327G rat prostate tumor was found to be 129 and 126 fmol/mg protein from intact and castrated animals, respectively. The level of this protein remained low in the tissues and tumors of rats for up to 24 h and slowly began to rise at 36 h following an i.p. injection of 80 mg/kg O6-benzylguanine. Animal survival and body weight as well as tumor volumes were monitored in rats bearing prostate tumors in the flank area that had received no treatment, O6-benzylguanine alone, BCNU alone (5.5-60 mg/kg), or 80 mg/kg O6-benzylguanine 1 h prior to BCNU (5.5 mg/kg). When O6-benzylguanine was combined with BCNU therapy, there was a regression in tumor growth that was not observed in animals treated with an equal dose of BCNU alone. A similar regression in tumor growth was observed in animals treated with a higher dose of BCNU alone (45 mg/kg); however, this regimen was more toxic than O6-benzylguanine plus BCNU (5.5 mg/kg) as determined by animal weight loss. The mean weight loss observed in animals treated with BCNU alone and in those given the combination was 24% and 6%, respectively. Histopathology revealed that animals receiving either BCNU alone or the combination had a decrease in all types of bone marrow cells, a loss of intestinal crypts, and a decreased number of lymphocytes in the spleen. The enhancement of the antitumor effect on BCNU by pretreatment with O6-benzylguanine supports a role for this therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Characterisation and correction of a mammalian cell mutant defective in late step of base excision repair

An Indian muntjac cell line, SVM, is unusually sensitive to cell killing induced by a range of alkylating agents. Cells transfected with the Escherichia coli ada gene or human genomic DNA have allowed the response of SVM to alkylating agents to be dissociated into two distinct components. Thus, in SVM, which expresses very low levels of alkyltransferase (AT), O6-alkylguanine appears to be the major cytotoxic, clastogenic, and recombinogenic lesion following exposure to agents such as methylnitrosourea (MNU). However, SVM is also very sensitive to agents such as dimethylsulfate (DMS), which produce only very low levels of O6-methylguanine damage. Sensitivity to DMS resides in an inability to complete base excision repair, with the appearance of persistent single-strand DNA breaks (SSBs), and does not appear to involve defects in glycosylase, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, or DNA ligase activities. Another, possibly related, phenotypic trait in SVM is its limited ability to ligate transfected linear plasmid DNA. Transfectants of SVM, harboring human DNA sequences, show a significant correction of DMS-induced cytotoxicity and clastogenicity and a reduction in the levels of DMS-induced DNA SSBs. The DMS-resistant transfectants have an increased ability to ligate linear plasmid DNA, and also express AT, making these lines resistant to alkylating agents such as MNU. These results suggest that cells possess a mechanism that regulates AT expression, plasmid break-joining ability, and certain aspects of base excision repair. Transfectants of SVM containing human DNA provide a means to isolate genes involved in a coordinate response to alkylation damage.

Lack of evidence for a high-affinity sarcosinamide carrier or a catecholamine carrier in Calu-1 lung-cancer cells, HT-29 colon-cancer cells, and DHF fibroblasts

We have previously demonstrated that uptake of the amino acid amide sarcosinamide by the glioma cell line SK-MG-1 occurs via the catecholamine carrier that accommodates epinephrine (Km = 0.284 mM; Vmax = 0.154 nmol/10(6) cells/min). Sarcosinamide chloroethylnitrosourea (SarCNU), a new anticancer agent that exerts increased in vitro antitumor activity against gliomas as compared with BCNU (bis-chloroethylnitrosourea), the standard agent of choice, competitively inhibits sarcosinamide uptake by SK-MG-1 cells [inhibition constant (Ki) = 3.26 mM]. Using radiolabeled N-[3H]-sarcosinamide, we determined the transport of sarcosinamide in HT-29 colon-cancer cells, in Calu-1 lung-cancer cells, and in normal foreskin DHF fibroblasts. Sarcosinamide transport was linear for up to 1 min at 22 degrees C. In HT-29 cells and DHF fibroblasts, the uptake of sarcosinamide followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics of carrier-mediated transport. In HT-29 cells the Michaelis constant (Km) was 2.76 +/- 0.1 mM and the maximal velocity (Vmax) was 2.03 +/- 0.1 nmol/10(6) cells/min, whereas in DHF fibroblasts the respective values were 6.58 +/- 3.90 mM and 12.08 +/- 8.20 nmol/10(6) cells/min. In these two cell lines, neither epinephrine nor leucine significantly reduced sarcosinamide transport. In Calu-1 cells there was no evidence of carrier-mediated transport of either sarcosinamide or epinephrine. These nonglial cell lines lack a high-affinity catecholamine carrier. The increased cytotoxicity of SarCNU in gliomas may correlate with the presence of a high-affinity catecholamine carrier.

The sensitivities of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts to monofunctional and DNA-crosslinking alkylating agents

4 repair-deficient (Mer-) and 2 repair-proficient (Mer+) lines of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts were assayed for colony-forming ability after treatment with MNNG, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), and 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-nitrosourea (HECNU). The sensitivities to MMS, BCNU and HECNU of these SV40-transformed lines were similar to those of comparably treated human tumor cells observed previously. However, unlike human tumor lines, whose post-MNNG survival is strongly dependent upon Mer phenotype, SV40-transformed lines showed a lack of dependence of post-MNNG colony-forming ability on Mer phenotype. No differences in glutathione levels that might explain these differences were detected. The amounts of SV40-specific DNA and RNA among the lines were found to vary widely, but no correlation with Mer phenotype was found.

O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity in human brain tumors

The O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AT) activity in different kinds of human brain tumors was investigated. Twenty-seven brain tumors were analysed. Twenty-five of them showed proficient AT activity with values ranging between 20 and 722 fmol AT/mg protein. The two AT-deficient tumors observed were an oligodendroglioma and an astrocytoma. The relationship between the different histological kinds of tumor, with respect to the AT activity was: meningeomas greater than sarcomas greater than glioblastomas greater than astrocytomas greater than oligodendrogliomas greater than neurinomas greater than lymphomas. The proposal of Kohn (DNA filter elution methods in anticancer drug development. In: Concepts, Clinical Developments, and Therapeutic Advances in Cancer Chemotherapy. Editor: F.M. Muggia. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston) to confine treatments with alkylating antineoplastic agents to AT-deficient tumors, is discussed.

Stimulation and inhibition of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea-induced strand breaks and interstrand cross-linking in Col E1 plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid by polyamines and inorganic cations

The influence of various polyamines and metallic cations on 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU)-induced DNA single-strand breaks and DNA interstrand cross-linking was in Col E1 plasmid using electrophoretic techniques. Spermidine and spermine (0.4 to 1.5 mM concentration range) markedly stimulated BCNU-induced DNA nicking, whereas putrescine had no effect on the nicking process. In contrast to the polyamines, BCNU-induced DNA nicking was decreased by the three inorganic cations, Na+ (100 and 200 mM), Mg2+ (0.5 and 1.5 mM), and Co3+ (NH3)6 (0.2 and 0.4 mM), with the trivalent hexamminecobalt ions being most inhibitory. When the monofunctional N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) was used (instead of the bifunctionally active BCNU) to alkylate Col E1 DNA, nicking of the DNA was inhibited by spermidine. Furthermore, the ability of chloroethylated Col E1 DNA to form interstrand cross-links after treatment with BCU was inhibited by 0.5 mM spermidine and 0.5 mM spermine, both concentrations within the intracellular range. Putrescine at 3-6 mM only marginally stimulated DNA cross-linking. In comparison, the inorganic cations all enhanced Col E1 DNA cross-linking by BCNU, with the rank order of cross-link stimulation being Mg2+, Na+, and Co3+ (NH3)6. These results provide evidence that polyamines can interact with DNA to modulate chloroethylnitrosourea-induced DNA damage and that the interaction is not only a function of the charge on the polyamine molecule but also of the chemical structure of the polyamine.

Evidence that covalent complex formation between BCNU-treated oligonucleotides and E. coli alkyltransferases requires the O6-alkylguanine function

Chloroethylnitrosoureas (CENUs) are thought to induce cytotoxic DNA interstrand cross-links via an initial reaction at O6-position of guanine, yielding a rearranged intermediate, O6,N1-ethanoguanine. Repair of these adducts by mammalian and bacterial DNA alkyltransferases blocks the formation of cross-links. Human alkyltransferase can form a covalent complex with DNA containing BCNU-induced cross-link precursors, but the nature of the DNA-protein linkage remains unknown. Using E. coli alkyltransferases expressed by the ada and ogt genes, we now demonstrate that both enzymes can form such complexes with CENU-treated DNA. We attribute this reaction to the O6-alkylguanine repair function, because an N-terminal fragment of the ada protein, which has only alkylphosphotriester repair activity, failed to form a similar complex. This result is consistent with the idea that complex formation requires an alkyltransferase reaction with a guanine adduct, such as O6,N1-ethanoguanine. It tends to exclude the possibility that such reactions simply involve alkylation of the enzyme by reactive DNA adducts such as chloroethylphosphate or chloroethylguanine.

Depletion of mammalian O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity by O6-benzylguanine provides a means to evaluate the role of this protein in protection against carcinogenic and therapeutic alkylating agents

O6-Alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase was rapidly and irreversibly inactivated by exposure to O6-benzylguanine or the p-chlorobenzyl and p-methylbenzyl analogues. This inactivation was much more rapid than with O6-methylguanine: incubation with 2.5 microM O6-benzylguanine led to more than a 90% loss of activity within 10 min, whereas 0.2 mM O6-methylguanine for 60 min was required for the same reduction. O6-Benzylguanine was highly effective in depleting the alkyltransferase activity of cultured human colon tumor (HT29) cells. Complete loss of activity was produced within 15 min after addition of O6-benzylguanine to the culture medium and a maximal effect was obtained with 5 microM. In contrast, at least 100 microM O6-methylguanine for 4 hr was needed to get a maximal effect, and this reduced the alkyltransferase by only 80%. Pretreatment of HT29 cells with 10 microM O6-benzylguanine for 2 hr led to a dramatic increase in the cytotoxicity produced by the chemotherapeutic agents 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (CCNU) or 2-chloroethyl(methysulfonyl)methanesulfonate (Clomesone). Administration of O6-benzylguanine to mice at a dose of 10 mg/kg reduced alkyltransferase levels by more than 95% in both liver and kidney. These results indicate that depletion of the alkyltransferase by O6-benzylguanine may be used to investigate the role of the DNA repair protein in carcinogenesis and mutagenesis and that this treatment may be valuable to increase the chemotherapeutic effectiveness of chloroethylating agents.

Complementation of N-hydroxyethyl-N-chloroethylnitrosourea hypersensitivity of Mex- cells by microinjection of mRNA from Mex+ cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-9) and HeLa MR cells lack detectable amounts of O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (phenotypically Mex-) and are hypersensitive to the toxic effect of N-hydroxyethyl-N-chloroethylnitrosourea (HeCNU), as compared to Mex+ derivatives. Microinjection of size-fractionated polyA+ mRNA extracted from HeLa S3 (Mex+) into CHO-9 and HeLa MR cells, or from ataxia telangiectasia (Mex+) into HeLa MR cells, gave rise to an increase in survival following treatment with toxic doses of HeCNU. Transient complementation of the Mex- phenotype was achieved with an RNA population 0.8-1 kb in size.