Simplifying the Execution of HepatoPac MetID Experiments: Metabolite Profile and Intrinsic Clearance Comparisons.

The HepatoPac micropatterned coculture (MPCC) hepatocyte system has been shown to be an effective tool to investigate the qualitative human and preclinical species' metabolite profiles of new drug candidates. However, additional improvements to the overall study conditions and execution, layout, and human-donor count could be made. To that end, we have evaluated several ways to increase the amount of data one can generate per MPCC plate and how to more efficiently execute a MPCC study for the purpose of metabolite generation. Herein, we compare a set of compounds using single- and 10-donor pooled human MPCC hepatocytes. Intrinsic clearance and mean metabolic activities assessed by diverse enzyme markers were comparable between the single- and 10-donor pool. We have confirmed that the generated metabolite profiles were indistinguishable between the single- and 10-donor pool and also that rat MPCC can be performed at 400 µl media volume, which greatly simplifies study execution. Additional tips for successful study execution are also described. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: When using the HepatoPac micropatterned coculture (MPCC) system, sometimes simple experimental condition variables or problematic plate designs can hamper productive study execution. We evaluated conditions to increase the amount of data one can generate per MPCC plate and, perhaps more importantly, execute that study more efficiently with less likelihood of error. We describe some of our key learnings, provide an examination of enzyme activity levels and clearance values, and provide some recommendations to simplify the execution of a HepatoPac experiment.

Effect of thiols exported by cancer cells on the stability and growth-inhibitory activity of Pt(IV) complexes.

PURPOSE: The role of thiols in the reduction of Pt(IV) antitumor agents to Pt(II) is well recognized and it is widely thought that this reaction is required for activity. The sources of extracellular thiols in cell culture have been less studied. The purpose of the present work was to determine whether the stability of Pt(IV) complexes in culture medium can be affected by thiols that are released by cancer cells. METHODS: A two-column HPLC assay with UV/visible detection was used to determine the stability of two Pt(IV) complexes in culture medium with and without cells. The kinetics of the thiol release from a human ovarian cancer cell line SK-OV-3 and a human glioblastoma cell line U-87 MG were determined by a modification of the Ellman's method. RESULTS: The stability of a Pt(IV) complex with equatorial iodo ligands, trans, cis-[Pt(en)(OAc)(2)I(2)], was dramatically lower in culture medium in the presence of cells than in fresh culture medium, whereas the half-life of the dichloro analog, trans,cis-[Pt(en)(OAc)(2)Cl(2)], was somewhat increased. Although both complexes showed similar in vitro cell-growth-inhibitory activity, trans, cis-[Pt(en)(OAc)(2)Cl(2)] required a longer incubation time than the iodo analog to reach its maximal effect. The thiol content of the culture medium in the presence of cells was measured after 2 days: the concentrations from cultures of U-87 MG and SK-OV-3 cells were 3. 6 +/- 0.1 microM and 9.3 +/- 0.1 microM respectively, compared to 0. 07 +/- 0.04 microM in fresh medium. During the rapid growth phase, the extracellular thiol content reached a maximum of 20.0 +/- 0.5 microM and 47.8 +/- 0.2 microM for U-87 MG and SK-OV-3 cells respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that the culture medium conditioned by cancer cells can influence the stabilities of certain Pt(IV) complexes in cytotoxicity studies.

Relationships between reduction properties and cancer cell growth inhibitory activities of cis-dichloro- and cis-diiodo-Pt(IV)-ethylenediamines.

The chemical reactivities and cancer cell growth inhibitory activities of a new series of cis-diiodo-Pt(IV)-ethylenediamines were compared and contrasted with their cis-dichloro-Pt(IV)-counterparts, cis-Diiodo-Pt(IV)-ethylenediamines bearing various axial ligands (i.e., OH, OAc, OCOCF3, OSO2CH3) were prepared by oxidizing [PtI2(en)] with 30% H2O2 to yield trans,cis-[PtOH2I2(en)], which was then reacted with either Ac2O, (CF3CO)2O, or (SO2CH3)2O in CH2Cl2. The cis-diiodo-Pt(IV) complexes were readily reduced by biological thiols such as L-cysteine, glutathione (GSH), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 6.9 and 37 degrees C; the kinetics of reduction were second-order with respect to thiol concentration. In contrast, the cis-dichloro analogues were stable in the presence of GSH. The reduction potentials estimated by means of cyclovoltammetry for the Pt(IV) complexes are useful for obtaining a ranking order of reactivity towards biological thiols; however, the reduction potentials alone cannot be used to predict whether a Pt(IV) complex will be reduced by GSH at biologically relevant concentrations. GSH greatly facilitated the platination of calf thymus DNA by the diiodo-Pt(IV) complexes, which was > 90% complete after 24 h at 37 degrees C when the ratio of GSH to Pt(IV) was 2:1. DNA-platination by trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] and trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)] were dependent on the presence of GSH while trans,cis-[Pt(OSO2CH3)2I2(en)] showed 23% DNA platination after 24 h in the absence of GSH. In contrast, the dichloro analogues trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2Cl2(en)] and trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2Cl2(en)] failed to react with DNA in the presence of either low (0.015 mM) to high (3.0 mM) concentrations of GSH. Cell culture experiments with four human cancer cell lines showed that the maximal growth inhibitory activity of the cis-diiodo-Pt(IV)-ethylenediamines was reached within a 24 h exposure to platinum complex, while the dichloro-Pt(IV) analogues required a much longer drug-exposure time (i.e., 96 h) to reach maximal activity.

Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)]: a novel type of cisplatin analog that can be photolyzed by visible light to DNA-binding and cytotoxic species in vitro.

An original approach intended to facilitate the intratumoral activation of Pt(IV) diamines by illumination with visible light to form photolysis products that irreversibly bind to DNA and are cytotoxic to human cancer cells is reported. The novel Pt(IV) complex trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2-(en)] was prepared by the acetylation of trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] with acetic anhydride in CH2-Cl2; trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] was synthesized by oxidation of [PtI2(en)] with 30% aqueous H2O2. trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)] crystallized from methanol as deep-red needles with a = 9.029(4) A, b = 11.443(2) A, c = 12.822(2) A, beta = 95.48(3) degrees, monoclinic space group Cc, and Z = 4. The conformation of the acetato groups around the O-Pt-O axis deviated significantly from the conformation of the acetato groups in the X-ray crystal structure reported for the cis-dichloro analog, which may explain the very different aqueous solubilities of the two compounds. trans,-cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)] and trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] displayed broad ligand-to-metal charge-transfer bands centered at lambda = 389 and 384 nm, respectively (epsilon = 1372 and 1425 M-1 cm-1, respectively), with tailing out to ca. 550 nm. When trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)] was incubated with calf thymus DNA in the absence of light, no covalent binding of Pt to DNA was measurable after 6 h; however, irradiation with light of wavelengths > 375 nm resulted in 63 +/- 13% of the platinum being covalently bound to DNA after 6 h, suggesting that a photoreduction to Pt(II) species took place. Although trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] was also labile to visible light, only 10 +/- 2% DNA platination was observed after 6 h of illumination; however, covalent binding of Pt to DNA took place quantitatively when a reducing agent such as glutathione was added to the photolyzed incubations. These results provide evidence that the photolysis of the trans-dihydroxo analog resulted predominately in the substitution of the iodide ligands for water rather than a reduction of Pt(IV) to Pt(II). When protected from light, trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2-(en)] and trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)], both at a concentration of 10 microM, had half-lives of 6.6 +/- 0.5 and 46.8 +/- 8.8 h, respectively, at 37 degrees C in Eagle's minimum essential medium (EMEM) containing 5% fetal calf serum. When irradiated with light lambda(irr) > 375 nm, the half-lives were decreased by 24- and 53-fold for the diacetato- and dihydroxoplatinum(IV) complexes, respectively. Compared to the "dark" control, the in vitro treatment of TCCSUP human bladder cancer cells with trans,cis-[Pt(OAc)2I2(en)] resulted in 35% greater growth inhibitory activity when during the first 1.5 h of drug exposure the cells were irradiated with light lambda irr > 375 nm. The photolysis of trans,cis-[Pt(OH)2I2(en)] with visible light resulted in a 22% enhancement of antiproliferative activity.

Photolysis of an iodoplatinum(IV) diamine complex to cytotoxic species by visible light.

The feasibility of photolyzing the Pt(IV) complex trans,cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] to cytotoxic species by visible light was evaluated. The synthesis of trans, cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] was achieved by the oxidation of [PtI2(en)] with PCl5 in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature for 30 min in the dark. The UV-Vis spectrum of trans, cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] in water showed a broad ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) band with lambda(max) = 396 nm (epsilon = 1191/M/cm). Although trans,cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] was relatively stable in water in the dark, irradiation at lambda(irr) = 410 nm brought about its rapid decomposition. A detailed analysis of the photodecomposition products was not carried out, but two lines of evidence suggest that I2 and [PtCl2(en)], a known antitumor agent, may be formed as a result of a reductive-elimination type reaction: (i) irradiation of trans, cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] in water at lambda(irr) = 410 nm led to the same spectral changes as when [PtCl2(en)] and I2 together were irradiated at the same wavelength; (ii) the photoinduced loss of trans,cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] was accompanied by the covalent binding of Pt to DNA at a rate comparable to that of [PtCl2(en)] at 37 degrees C, and the presence of 100 mM chloride suppressed this DNA platination. On the other hand, the combined photolysis products, formed when trans,cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] was irradiated in culture medium at lambda(irr) > 375 nm for 60 min, were less potent than [PtCl2(en)] at inhibiting the growth of two human cancer cell lines. Two limitations make the use of trans,cis-[PtCl2I2(en)] in the therapy of cancer impractical: (i) trans,cis- [PtCl2I2(en)] was relatively unstable in the presence of serum: however, [PtI2(en)] did not appear to be a product of the reaction; (ii) the LMCT band extends only weakly into the region of the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e. lambda > 600 nm) where maximal tissue penetration would be expected. In conclusion, these investigations demonstrate that iodo-Pt(IV) diamines can be photolyzed to cytotoxic species by visible light, but the aforementioned limitations must be overcome before this new class of Pt(IV) complexes can be used as antitumor agents.

Chemical stability, biological activity and cellular uptake of a cisplatin analogue having a 1,2-diarylethyleneamine ligand in cultures of human breast cancer cells.

The platinum(II) complex PtCl2(meso-6), which has the estrogenic ligand meso-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4- hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine (meso-6), has been reported to be an effective antitumor drug for estrogen-receptor(ER)-positive tumors in animal experiments. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the observed biological effects could be ascribed to the intact PtCl2(meso-6). Cultures of the ER-positive human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 were used as the in vitro test system. In culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, PtCl2(meso-6) had a half-life of about 2 h, as determined by HPLC analysis, and no PtCl2(meso-6) was detectable after 10 h. The Pt complex bound irreversibly to serum protein. After 30 min, the diamine ligand was found released, with a maximum conversion of about 35% at 24 h. At this time the culture medium still had estrogenic activity, i.e. it induced ER processing in the MCF-7 cells. This indicates that the estrogenic effect was elicited by the released diamine ligand. In contrast, the growth-inhibitory activity of the medium preincubated with PtCl2(meso-6) was lost at a rate similar to the rate of loss of PtCl2(meso-6) from the medium. This accords with the platinum complex being the main cytotoxic entity. When MCF-7 cells were incubated with PtCl2([3H]meso-6), no free Pt complex could be identified in cellular extracts, and most of the cell-associated radioactivity coeluted with meso-6 in HPLC analysis. After 12 h, only 1.4% of the total cellular platinum was bound to DNA, but no tritium label could be detected. In conclusion, diamine ligand is released from the Pt(II) complex and can account for the estrogenic effects so far ascribed to PtCl2(meso-6).

Reversible and irreversible interactions of a cisplatin analog bearing a 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine ligand with plasma and plasma proteins in vitro.

The cisplatin analog [meso-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4-hydroxyphenyl) ethylenediamine]dichloroplatinum(II) [PtCl2(1)], by virtue of its estrogenic 1,2-diphenylethylenediamine ligand 1, was intended to function as a cytotoxic estrogen. This article reports on the reversible and irreversible interactions of this compound with plasma and plasma proteins in vitro. At 37 degrees C [PtCl2(1)] is > 99% reversibly bound to proteins in plasma. At 0 degree C [PtCl2(1)] reversibly binds to albumin at specific binding sites not shared by 1. By use of HPLC the in vitro half-life of total [PtCl2(1)] in plasma was found to be 35 min at 37 degrees C, which is approximately 1/3 the half-life reported for cisplatin under similar conditions. To understand this decreased stability, irreversible reactions of [PtCl2(1)] with albumin and plasma globulins were investigated. The reaction rate of [PtCl2(1)] with albumin is independent of the protein concentration and is comparable to the rate of the first Pt-Cl hydrolysis reaction. Thus, [PtCl2(1)], like cisplatin, reacts irreversibly with albumin through a solvent-assisted SN2 substitution pathway. Because the hydrolysis rate for [PtCl2(1)] is 40% slower than for cisplatin, irreversible reactions of [PtCl2(1)] with albumin cannot account for the decreased stability of the compound in plasma. alpha-Globulins undergo substitution reactions with [PtCl2(1)] by both solvent-assisted and direct SN2 pathways. The half-life of [PtCl2(1)] in the presence of alpha-globulins at concentrations normally present in plasma (6-16 g/liter) is from 41 to 22 min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diamine ligand release from the cisplatin analogue [meso-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4- hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine]dichloroplatinum(II) in cell culture medium.

The stability of the five-membered chelate ring of the cisplatin analogue [meso-1,2-bis(2,6-dichloro-4- hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine]dichloroplatinum(II) was investigated under typical cell culture conditions (IMEM-Richter's medium with 10% fetal calf serum, 37 degrees C). For this purpose, the platinum compound was radiolabeled with tritium in the meta position of the aromatic ring by an acid-catalyzed tritium-exchange reaction, and a reversed-phase HPLC assay with radiochemical detection was developed to monitor for the presence of the free diamine ligand in the cell culture medium. A gradual increase in radioactivity attributed to the free diamine was found in medium containing the dichloroplatinum(II) complex (ca. 25% after 24 h), indicating that the diamine ligand was being released from the metal atom. When 1 mM glutathione (GSH) was included in the incubation medium, the amount of free diamine nearly doubled after 24 h, while the amount of radioactivity attributed to serum protein-platinum adducts decreased relative to incubations without GSH. On the other hand, the omission of serum from the incubations resulted in a dramatic decrease in the amount of radioactivity eluting under the diamine peak, while the concentrations of the two methionine-Pt adducts, which formed in a 1:1 ratio, rose. Through the use of liquid secondary ion mass spectroscopy, the two methionine-Pt adducts were identified as monomethionine metabolites of the title compound, whereby the two chloride ligands have been replaced by the amino acid. These compounds are probably diastereomers since the sulfur of methionine can coordinate to platinum with equal probability either cis or trans to the R-configured benzylamine carbon. On the basis of the chemical shifts of the MeS groups in the 250-MHz 1H NMR, it is concluded that a S,N-five-membered chelate ring is present in these methionine-Pt adducts.