Super in vitro synergy between inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase and inhibitors of other folate-requiring enzymes: the critical role of polyglutamylation.

The combined action among polyglutamylatable and nonpolyglutamylatable antifolates, directed against dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT), 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (AICARFT), and thymidylate synthase (TS), in human ileocecal HCT-8 cells was examined in a 96-well plate growth inhibition assay (96-h continuous drug exposure). An interaction parameter, alpha, was estimated for each of 95 experiments by fitting a seven-parameter model to data with weighted nonlinear regression. In a representative experiment, raising the folic acid concentration in the medium dramatically increased the Loewe synergy for the combination of trimetrexate (TMTX) and the GARFT inhibitor AG2034 (from a mean alpha +/- SE of 1.50 +/- 0.25 at 2.3 microM folic acid to 146 +/- 20 at 78 microM folic acid). Enhancements were also found for combinations of TMTX with the GARFT inhibitors AG2032, Lometrexol, and LY309887, the AICARFT inhibitor AG2009, and the TS inhibitors LY231514 and Tomudex but not with the GARFT inhibitor LL95509 or with the TS inhibitors AG337, ZD9331, and BW1843U89. Replacing TMTX with methotrexate in two-drug mixtures decreased the intensity of Loewe synergy. Examination of isobolograms at different effect levels revealed informative reproducible changes in isobol patterns. No two-drug combinations among inhibitors of GARFT, AICARFT, and TS exhibited Loewe synergy at either 2.3 or 78 microM folic acid. Thus, the ideal requirement for the folic acid-enhanced synergy is that a nonpolyglutamylatable DHFR inhibitor be combined with a polyglutamylatable inhibitor of another folate-requiring enzyme. A hypothesis to explain this general phenomenon involves the critical role of folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase and the effect of the DHFR inhibitor in decreasing the protection by folic acid of cells to the other antifolates.

An inhibitor of glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase is selectively cytotoxic to cells that lack a functional G1 checkpoint.

PURPOSE: We studied the effects of purine depletion on the cell cycle using a specific inhibitor of de novo purine biosynthesis, AG2034, an inhibitor of glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT). METHODS: Cytotoxicity was determined by clonogenic assays, and cell cycle perturbations by flow cytometry. Ribonucleotide pools were measured by anion exchange high-pressure liquid chromatography, and DNA strand-breaks were determined by alkaline elution and by the TUNEL assay. RESULTS: When cells were maintained in standard tissue culture medium, which contained 2.2 microM folic acid, AG2034 was cytostatic in all the cell lines tested. Under low-folate conditions (50 nM folic acid), AG2034 caused up to 50% cell death in cell lines that possessed a functional G1 checkpoint (A549, MCF-7), but was only cytostatic to the remaining cells, even at very high concentrations (100 microM). In contrast, AG2034 at 10 nM or 100 nM killed all the cells in cultures of HeLa/S3 or SW480 cells, which lack a functional G1 checkpoint. Flow cytometry studies indicated that in G1 checkpoint-competent cells, AG2034 caused a G1 arrest. Those cells (up to 50%) that were already in S phase died, but the cells that were in G1 arrest maintained viability, based upon clonogenic assays, for many days. In G1 checkpoint-deficient cells, no G1 arrest was seen after AG2034 treatment, all cells progressed into S phase, and all cells died. Measurement of DNA strand-breaks, either by alkaline elution or by the dUTP end-labelling technique, indicated no DNA strand-breaks 24 h after AG2034 treatment, indicating that purine nucleotide depletion can trigger the G1 checkpoint in the absence of DNA damage. CONCLUSION: Purine depletion causes slow cell death in cells that have passed the G1 checkpoint, but cytostasis in cells that are arrested at the G1 checkpoint. The GARFT inhibitor, at physiological folate concentrations, thus causes selective cytotoxicity to cells lacking a functional G1 checkpoint.

Activities of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitor nelfinavir mesylate in combination with reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors against acute HIV-1 infection in vitro.

Nelfinavir mesylate (formerly AG1343) is a potent and selective, nonpeptidic inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease that was discovered by protein structure-based design methodologies. We evaluated the antiviral and cytotoxic effects of two-drug combinations of nelfinavir with the clinically approved antiretroviral therapeutics zidovudine (ZDV), lamivudine (3TC), dideoxycytidine (ddC; zalcitabine), stavudine (d4T), didanosine (ddI), indinavir, saquinavir, and ritonavir and a three-drug combination of nelfinavir with ZDV and 3TC against an acute HIV-1 strain RF infection of CEM-SS cells in vitro. Quantitative assessment of drug interaction was evaluated by a universal response surface approach (W. R. Greco, G. Bravo, and J. C. Parsons, Pharm. Rev. 47:331-385, 1995) and by the method of M. N. Prichard and C. Shipman (Antiviral Res. 14:181-206, 1990). Both analytical methods yielded similar results and showed that the two-drug combinations of nelfinavir with the reverse transcriptase inhibitors ZDV, 3TC, ddI, d4T, and ddC and the three-drug combination with ZDV and 3TC resulted in additive to statistically significant synergistic interactions. In a similar manner, the combination of nelfinavir with the three protease inhibitors resulted in additive (ritonavir and saquinavir) to slightly antagonistic (indinavir) interactions. In all combinations, minimal cellular cytotoxicity was observed with any drug alone and in combination. These results suggest that administration of combinations of the appropriate doses of nelfinavir with other currently approved antiretroviral therapeutic agents in vivo may result in enhanced antiviral activity with no associated increase in cellular cytotoxicity.

Protein structure-based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 5-thia-2,6-diamino-4(3H)-oxopyrimidines: potent inhibitors of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase with potent cell growth inhibition.

The design, synthesis, biochemical, and biological evaluation of a novel series of 5-thia-2,6-diamino-4(3H)-oxopyrimidine inhibitors of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GART) are described. The compounds were designed using the X-ray crystal structure of human GART. The monocyclic 5-thiapyrimidinones were synthesized by coupling an alkyl thiol with 5-bromo-2, 6-diamino-4(3H)-pyrimidinone, 20. The bicyclic compounds were prepared in both racemic and diastereomerically pure forms using two distinct synthetic routes. The compounds were found to have human GART KiS ranging from 30 microM to 2 nM. The compounds inhibited the growth of both L1210 and CCRF-CEM cells in culture with potencies down to the low nanomolar range and were found to be selective for the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway. The most potent inhibitors had 2,5-disubstituted thiophene rings attached to the glutamate moiety. Placement of a methyl substituent at the 4-position of the thiophene ring to give compounds 10, 18, and 19 resulted in inhibitors with significantly decreased mFBP affinity.

AG2034: a novel inhibitor of glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase.

The glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT) inhibitor, 4-[2-(2-amino-4-oxo-4,6,7,8-tetrahydro-3H-pyrimidino[5,4-6] [1,4]thiazin-6-yl)-(S)-ethyl]-2,5-thienoyl-L-glutamic acid (AG2034), was designed from the X-ray structure of the GARFT domain of the human tri functional enzyme. AG2034 inhibits human GARFT (Ki = 28 nM), has a high affinity for the folate receptor (Kd = 0.0042 nM), and is a substrate for rat liver folylpolyglutamate synthetase (K(m) = 6.4 microM, Vmax = 0.48 nmole/hr/mg). The IC50 for growth inhibition was 4 nM against L1210 cells and 2.9 nM for CCRF-CEM cells in culture. In vitro growth inhibition can be reversed by addition of either hypoxanthine or AICA (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide) to the culture medium. A cell line with impaired transport of reduced folates, L1210/C1920, was resistant to AG2034 indicating that this compound can enter cells by utilizing the reduced folate carrier. AG2034 showed in vivo antitumor activity against the 6C3HED, C3HBA, and B-16 murine tumors and in the HxGC3, KM20L2, LX-1, and H460 human xenograft models, and has been selected for preclinical development towards clinical trials.

AG337, a novel lipophilic thymidylate synthase inhibitor: in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies.

3,4-Dihydro-2-amino-6 methyl-4-oxo-5-(4-pyridylthio)-quinazoline dihydrochloride (AG337) is a water-soluble, lipophilic inhibitor of thymidylate synthase (TS) designed using X-ray structure - based methodologies to interact at the folate cofactor binding site of the enzyme. The aim of the design program was to identify TS inhibitors with different pharmacological characteristics from classical folate analogs and, most notably, to develop non-glutamate-containing molecules which would not require facilitated transport for uptake and would not undergo intracellular polyglutamylation. One molecule which resulted from this program, AG337, inhibits purified recombinant human TS with a Ki of 11 nM, and displays non-competitive inhibition kinetics. It was further shown to inhibit cell growth in a panel of cell lines of murine and human origin, displaying an IC50 of between 0.39 microM 6.6 microM. TS was suggested as the locus of action of AG337 by the ability of thymidine to antagonize cell growth inhibition and the direct demonstration of TS inhibition in whole cells using a tritium release assay. The demonstration, by flow cytometry, that AG337-treated L1210 cells were arrested in the S phase of the cell cycle was also consistent with a blockage of TS, as was the pattern of ribonucleotide and deoxyribonucleotide pool modulation in AG337-treated cells, which showed significant reduction in TTP levels. The effects of AG337 were quickly reversed on removal of the drug, suggesting, as would be expected for a lipophilic agent, that there is rapid influx and efflux from cells and no intracellular metabolism to derivatives with enhanced retention. In vivo, AG337 was highly active against the thymidine kinase-deficient murine L5178Y/TK-lymphoma implanted either i.p. or i.m. following i.p. or oral delivery. Prolonged dosing periods of 5 or 10 days were required for activity, and efficacy was improved with twice-daily dose administration. Dose levels of 25 mg/kg delivered i.p. twice daily for 10 days, 50 mg/kg once daily for 10 days, or 100 mg/kg once daily for 5 days elicited 100% cures against the i.p. tumor. Doses required for activity against the i.m. tumor were higher (100 mg/kg i.p. twice daily for 5 or 10 days) but demonstrated the ability of AG337 to penetrate solid tissue barriers. Oral delivery required doses of > or = 150 mg/kg twice daily for periods of 5-10 days to produce 100% cure rates against both i.m. and i.p. implanted tumors. These results were consistent with the pharmacokinetics parameters determined in rats, for which oral bioavailability of 30-50% was determined, together with a relatively short elimination half life of 2h. Clinical studies with AG337 are currently in progress.

DNA-directed aniline mustards with high selectivity for adenine or guanine bases: mutagenesis in a variety of Salmonella typhimurium strains differing in DNA-repair capability.

Two closely-related aniline monomustards (1 and 2), linked to a DNA-targeting acridine chromophore by a linker chain of different length, show high selectivity for alkylation of polymer DNA. The shorter-chain derivative (2) alkylates mainly at guanine N7 sites, while the longer-chain analogue (1) reacts almost exclusively at adenine N1. The biological effects of these compounds have been studied in standard Ames Salmonella typhimurium strains in order to determine the mutagenic consequences of such well-defined DNA lesions, and the effect of DNA-repair systems on them. Both compounds caused detectable mutations in strains TA1537, TA98 or TA100 and some related strains. Mutation rates were greatly enhanced in strains carrying either a uvrB deletion or the plasmid pKM101. Frameshift mutagenesis by both compounds was completely eliminated by recA deletion, in both the presence or absence of the plasmid. The adenine-selective compound (1) appeared more sensitive to the DNA-repair defects than the guanine-selective derivative (2). Additionally, only the adenine-selective compound (1) caused statistically significant levels of detectable mutation in the repair-proficient strains TA102, TA4001 or TA4006. The bacterial mutagenesis evidence suggests that a bulky, major groove-residing adenine lesion may be more readily recognised by DNA-repair systems, and more likely to lead to a wider range of mutagenic events, than a similar guanine lesion.

Identification of the major lesion from the reaction of an acridine-targeted aniline mustard with DNA as an adenine N1 adduct.

DNA adducts of two acridine-linked aniline half-mustards have been isolated and identified. The compound where the half-mustard is attached to the DNA-targeting acridine moiety by a short linker chain alkylates both double- and single-stranded DNA exclusively at guanine N7, as do the majority of known aromatic and aliphatic nitrogen mustards. The longer-chain analogue, also containing a more reactive half-mustard, shows a strikingly different pattern, alkylating double-stranded DNA to yield primarily (> 90%) the adenine N1 adduct, together with < 10% of the adenine N3 adduct and only trace amounts of the guanine N7 adduct. In the presence of MgCl2 (which is known not to inhibit the interaction of drugs at minor groove sites), the adenine N3 adduct is the major product. The latter compound is the first known aniline mustard (and apparently the first known alkylating agent of any type) to preferentially alkylate adenine at the N1 position in duplex DNA. These results are consistent with previous work [Prakash et al. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 9799-9807], which showed that the preferred site of DNA alkylation by the corresponding long-chain acridine-linked aniline bis-mustards in general was at major groove sites of adenines and identifies the major site of alkylation as adenine N1 and not N7. This selectivity for adenine N1 alkylation is suggested to result from a preference for the acridine mustard side chain of these compounds to project into the major groove following intercalation of the acridine, coupled with structural distortion of the DNA helix to make the N1 positions of adenines adjacent to the intercalation sites more accessible.

Inhibition of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate synthetase by the monophosphate metabolite of 4-amino-8-(beta-D-ribofuranosylamino)pyrimido[5,4-d]pyrimidine: a novel mechanism for antitumor activity.

The aminopyrimidopyrimidine nucleoside 4-amino-8-(beta-D-ribofuranosylamino)pyrimido[5,4-d]pyrimidine (APP), which was previously shown to possess experimental antitumor and antiviral activity, was metabolized within WI-L2 human lymphoblastoid cells to a derivative identified as the beta-D-ribonucleotide (APP-MP). In a subline of WI-L2 cells deficient in adenosine kinase, this metabolite was not formed and APP was not cytotoxic, suggesting that APP is converted by adenosine kinase to its 5'-monophosphate. Because no evidence of di- or triphosphates was seen, the monophosphate appeared to be the active species. Treatment of WI-L2 or L1210 cells with APP (10 microM) for 30 min caused extensive depletion of both purine and pyrimidine ribonucleotides. Purine and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotides were also depleted. Cells were not protected from the cytotoxicity of APP by hypoxanthine plus uridine, but uridine plus adenosine plus 2-deoxycoformycin gave considerable protection. This result was consistent with APP-MP acting as an inhibitor of 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) synthetase, a hypothesis that was confirmed by preparing PRPP synthetase from Novikoff hepatoma cells; APP-MP was a noncompetitive inhibitor, with a Ki of 0.43 mM. APP-MP was found to accumulate in APP-treated cells to a concentration of almost 3 mM. The relevance of PRPP synthetase inhibition to the cytotoxic mechanism of APP is indicated by the fact that depletion of the PRPP pool was seen as early as 15 min after treatment, before any change was apparent in cellular levels of ATP or UTP. DNA synthesis was markedly suppressed within 30 min of APP treatment of WI-L2 cells, and a lesser degree of inhibition of RNA synthesis was apparent after 45 min.

DNA-directed alkylating agents. 3. Structure-activity relationships for acridine-linked aniline mustards: consequences of varying the length of the linker chain.

Four series of acridine-linked aniline mustards have been prepared and evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity, in vivo antitumor activity, and DNA cross-linking ability. The anilines were attached to the DNA-intercalating acridine chromophores by link groups (-O-, -CH2-, -S-, and -SO2-) of widely varying electronic properties, providing four series of widely differing mustard reactivity where the alkyl chain linking the acridine and mustard moieties was varied from two to five carbons. Relationships were sought between chain length and biological properties. Within each series, increasing the chain length did not alter the reactivity of the alkylating moiety but did appear to position it differently on the DNA, since cross-linking ability (measured by agarose gel assay) altered with chain length, being maximal with the C4 analogue. The in vivo antitumor activities of the compounds depended to some extent on the reactivity of the mustard, with the least reactive SO2 compounds being inactive. However, DNA-targeting did appear to allow the use of less reactive mustards, since the S-linked acridine mustards showed significant activity whereas the parent S-mustard did not. Within each active series, the most active compound was the C4 homologue, suggesting some relationship between activity and extent of DNA alkylation.

DNA-directed alkylating agents. 1. Structure-activity relationships for acridine-linked aniline mustards: consequences of varying the reactivity of the mustard.

A series of DNA-targeted aniline mustards have been prepared, and their chemical reactivity and in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity have been evaluated and compared with that of the corresponding simple aniline mustards. The alkylating groups were anchored to the DNA-intercalating 9-aminoacridine chromophore by an alkyl chain of fixed length attached at the mustard 4-position through a link group X, while the corresponding simple mustards possessed an electronically identical small group at this position. The link group was varied to provide a series of compounds of similar geometry but widely differing mustard reactivity. Variation in biological activity should then largely be a consequence of this varying reactivity. Rates of mustard hydrolysis in the two series related only to the electronic properties of the link group, with attachment of the intercalating chromophore having no effect. The cytotoxicities of the simple mustards correlated well with group electronic properties (with a 200-300-fold range in IC50S). The corresponding DNA-targeted mustards were much more potent (up to 100-fold), but their IC50 values varied much less with linker group electronic properties. Most of the DNA-targeted mustards showed in vivo antitumor activity, being both more active and more dose-potent than either the corresponding untargeted mustards and chlorambucil. These results show that targeting alkylating agents to DNA by attachment to DNA-affinic units may be a useful strategy.

Biochemical pharmacology and antitumor properties of 4-amino-8-[beta-D-ribofuranosylamino]pyrimido-[5,4-d]pyrimidine.

1. APP is activated by adenosine kinase to its 5'-phosphate (APP-MP). 2. APP-MP inhibits PRPP synthetase, and depletes cellular PRPP and purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. 3. APP inhibits synthesis of DNA and RNA, and blocks cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle. 4. APP retains full activity against MDR cells. 5. APP is equally active against quiescent and proliferating CHO cells. 6. APP has only weak activity against L1210 leukemia in vivo, but has substantial activity against mammary carcinoma 16/c. 7. In vitro, APP has a relatively high ratio of solid tumor: leukemia activity.

Inhibition of type II topoisomerase by fostriecin.

Fostriecin is a new antitumor antibiotic which is being developed further as an anticancer agent based on its marked activity in murine leukemias. Its mechanism of action, however, has thus far remained unknown. The present study demonstrates that fostriecin inhibits the catalytic activity of partially purified type II topoisomerase from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. Under the experimental conditions employed, fostriecin completely inhibited the enzyme at 100 microM. A general kinetic analysis showed that fostriecin inhibited topoisomerase in an uncompetitive manner with a Ki,app of 110 microM and produced kinetics that were distinctly different from those of VM-26 which exhibited noncompetitive inhibition. Fostriecin did not cause DNA strand breaks in L1210 cells, suggesting that it did not stabilize a cleavable complex as do other known inhibitors of this enzyme. Fostriecin, however, did partially inhibit DNA strand breaks produced by amsacrine. An analysis by flow cytometry showed that L1210 cells exposed to 5 microM fostriecin for 12 hr caused a block in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. These studies thus suggest that the mechanism by which fostriecin produces its antitumor effects may be through inhibition of topoisomerase II and that the type of inhibition is markedly different from existing antitumor agents which inhibit this enzyme.

Biochemical pharmacology and experimental chemotherapy studies with guanine-7-oxide, a novel purine antibiotic.

1. Guanine-7-oxide is a novel purine antibiotic produced by a Streptomyces species, ATCC 39364. 2. Guanine-7-oxide is cytotoxic to murine and human leukemia cells in vitro at sub-micromolar concentrations. Murine and human carcinoma cells are much less sensitive. 3. Guanine-7-oxide has significant in vivo antitumor activity, particularly against the intraperitoneal and subcutaneous L1210 leukemia systems. 4. Guanine-7-oxide, at highly cytotoxic concentrations, has little effect on biosynthesis of RNA and DNA. 5. There is preliminary evidence for an early effect of guanine-7-oxide on cellular protein synthesis. 6. Guanine, guanosine and hypoxanthine protect cells from the cytotoxicity of guanine-7-oxide. 7. Activation of guanine-7-oxide requires the presence of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase in the target cells. 8. Cytotoxic concentrations of guanine-7-oxide do not cause depletion of cellular guanine nucleotides during a two hr incubation period. 9. Guanine-7-oxide is converted within mouse and human cells to a metabolite with chromatographic mobility corresponding to a ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphate.

In vitro DNA strand scission and inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in L1210 leukemia cells by a new class of DNA complexers, the anthra[1,9-cd]pyrazol-6(2H)-ones (anthrapyrazoles).

CI-937 and CI-942 belong to a new class of DNA complexers, the anthra[1,9-cd]pyrazol-6(2H)-ones (anthrapyrazoles), and are being further developed as antitumor drugs based on their curative properties against murine solid tumour models. The biochemical effects of these agents were studied in L1210 leukemia in relation to other clinically used intercalators. After a 1-hr exposure, CI-937 and CI-942 reduced the cloning efficiency of L1210 cells by 50% at 3.0 X 10(-8) and 1.5 X 10(-7) M respectively. Based on an ethidium displacement assay, these drugs bound strongly to DNA, reducing the fluorescence of an ethidium-DNA complex by 50% at concentrations of 23 and 33 nM for CI-937 and CI-942 respectively. This was comparable to mitoxantrone at 15 nM, but much more potent than Amsacrine which required over 1.3 microM. A distinct property of the anthrapyrazoles was a much more potent inhibitory effect on whole cell DNA synthesis than on RNA synthesis. After L1210 cells were exposed to drug for 2 hr the concentration needed to inhibit DNA synthesis by 50% was 0.33 and 0.57 microM for CI-937 and CI-942, respectively, whereas 2.0 and 11.3 microM were required to inhibit RNA synthesis by the same extent. This was in contrast to Adriamycin and mitoxantrone which inhibited both activities equally at similar concentrations. It was apparent that the inhibition of these processes was not due to substrate depletion since intracellular ribonucleoside and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates either remained constant or were elevated after a 2-hr exposure to 1 or 10 microM drug. A similar discriminatory effect was observed on DNA and RNA polymerase in permeabilized cells, and the inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis in this system could be reversed by exogenously added DNA. Since the high incidence of cardiotoxicity associated with the administration of anthracyclines has been related to the formation of reactive oxygen species, the ability of the anthrapyrazoles to augment superoxide dismutase sensitive oxygen consumption was observed in a rat liver microsomal system. CI-937 and CI-942 induced 5- and 10-fold less oxygen consumption than Adriamycin, producing rates of 12.4, 24.2 and 138.9 nmoles/min/mg microsomal protein, respectively, at a drug concentration of 0.5 mM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Biochemical and antitumor activity of tiazofurin and its selenium analog (2-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-4-selenazolecarboxamide).

2-beta-D-Ribofuranosyl-4-selenazolecarboxamide (selenazofurin, CI-935), the selenium analog of tiazofurin (CI-909), was 3- to 10-fold more cytotoxic to murine or human tumor cells in vitro than tiazofurin and was also more active against P388 mouse leukemia in vivo. In vitro cytotoxicity could be reversed by guanosine or guanine but not by other purine nucleosides or bases. Three human tumor cell lines selected for selenazofurin or tiazofurin resistance showed cross resistance between selenazofurin and tiazofurin. Treatment with tiazofurin, selenazofurin, or mycophenolic acid decreased guanylate pools and caused an accumulation of IMP in WIL2 human lymphoma cells. The decrease in guanylate pools was accompanied by inhibition of RNA and DNA synthesis. The NAD analogs of tiazofurin and selenazofurin were inhibitors of L1210 IMP dehydrogenase (IMP:NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.2.1.14), and both showed uncompetitive inhibition with respect to NAD having Kii values of 5.7 X 10(-8)M and 3.3 X 10(-8)M respectively.

The biochemical pharmacology of CI-920, a structurally novel antibiotic with antileukemic activity.

CI-920 is a structurally novel, phosphate-containing polyene lactone antitumor agent isolated from a previously undescribed subspecies of Streptomyces pulveraceus cultured from a Brazilian soil sample. CI-920 was active against murine leukemia P388, and highly active and curative against L1210 leukemia in vivo. CI-920 was less active or inactive against the murine solid tumors tested. Daily administration for five to nine days was more effective against L1210 leukemia than a single dose or doses every four days. Given three times daily for five days, CI-920 was more toxic and less active. CI-920 had similar activity intravenously and intraperitoneally. Oral administration was inactive and nontoxic. Subcutaneous treatment was less effective and more toxic. Structure-activity relationship studies showed that the phosphate group was essential for antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro. Hydrolyzing the lactone ring also resulted in loss of antitumor activity, as did acetylation of the 6-hydroxyl group. Hydroxylation at the 5-position of the lactone ring resulted in partial retention of antitumor activity, but in greater toxicity to mice. Removal of the 13-hydroxyl group resulted in retention of high antitumor activity with approximately three-fold improvement in dose-potency. CI-920 is not cytotoxic to prokaryotic cells. CI-920 causes inhibition of biosynthesis of RNA and DNA in intact L1210 cells. Protein synthesis is also inhibited at higher drug concentrations. The inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis is not an antimetabolite effect, since pools of ribonucleoside triphosphates and deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates are not depleted. CI-920 does not cause DNA strand breakage, as measured by alkaline elution, and is not mutagenic in the Ames test at concentrations up to 200 micrograms/ml. CI-920 does not cause direct inhibition of RNA polymerase or DNA polymerase in permeabilized cells. It is possible that CI-920 must be metabolically activated within the target cells; alternatively it may interact with a component of chromatin other than DNA or the polymerases. Flow cytometry studies showed that growth-inhibitory levels of CI-920 caused accumulation of cells in the G2+M region. Higher drug concentrations caused an S-phase block. CI-920 is an inhibitor and irreversible inactivator of reduced folate membrane transport, and appears to enter cells by this receptor. L1210 cells selected for resistance to CI-920 are cross-resistant to methotrexate, and deficient in reduced folate transport.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Dezaguanine mesylate: a new antipurine antimetabolite.

3-Deazaguanine (dezaguanine, USAN; CI-908) is a new antipurine antimetabolite which is entering Phase I studies in the USA. This compound differs from guanine only in the substitution of a carbon for the 3-nitrogen of guanine. Dezaguanine has an unusual spectrum of activity against experimental rodent tumors; its activity against transplantable rodent leukemias is only modest, but it has significant activity against transplantable rodent solid tumors, particularly mammary adenocarcinomas. Mammary adenocarcinoma models against which this compound is active include slow and fast-growing tumors, hormone sensitive and hormone insensitive tumors, and the subrenal capsule implanted human breast cancer xenograft, MX-1. Dezaguanine must be converted to its nucleotides to be active. Dezaguanine nucleotides inhibit synthesis of guanine nucleotides, and can be incorporated into nucleic acids in place of guanine nucleotides; incorporation into DNA may be particularly important in the cytotoxicity of this compound. Addition of certain purines or purine nucleosides can prevent dezaguanine cytotoxicity in vitro. Preclinical studies suggest that dezaguanine does not undergo deamination to 3-deazaxanthine, and is not metabolized by xanthine oxidase. Therefore, this compound may not be subject to metabolic inactivation in vivo, and active metabolites may have a prolonged half-life. This concept is supported by the prolonged half-life of radiolabelled dezaguanine in rats. Finally, dezaguanine can cross the blood-brain barrier. In summary, the novel biochemical and experimental antitumor properties of dezaguanine indicate that this compound could have better activity against some human solid tumors than currently used purine antimetabolites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Transport of the antitumor antibiotic Cl-920 into L1210 leukemia cells by the reduced folate carrier system.

Cl-920 is a structurally novel antitumor antibiotic which has activity against a wide spectrum of tumor cells in vitro and is curative in L1210 leukemia in vivo. Several lines of evidence indicate that this drug penetrates L1210 cells via the reduced folate carrier system. Reduced folates (100 microM) including leucovorin and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate completely protected L1210 cells from growth inhibition by Cl-920. Protective effects were not observed, however, with folic acid, a compound which is transported by a process distinct from that for reduced folates. Cl-920 was a potent inhibitor of methotrexate influx exhibiting a mixture of competitive and noncompetitive inhibition and having a Ki (slope) of 30.0 microM and a Ki (intercept) of 58.8 microM. The inhibition appeared to be irreversible since, after cells were preincubated with drug, the inhibitory effects persisted after cells were washed in drug-free media. The irreversibility could be eliminated, however, by dithiothreitol, suggesting that Cl-920 may interact with a thiol which is essential to this transport system. Cells made 71-fold resistant to Cl-920 by continuous exposure to increasing concentrations of this drug were 245-fold cross-resistant to methotrexate but were collaterally sensitive to the lipophilic antifolate trimetrexate and contained normal levels of dihydrofolate reductase. This mutant cell line had a severely impaired reduced folate carrier system exhibiting methotrexate influx rates of less than 1% of control cells. Finally, inhibition of methotrexate influx by a number of Cl-920 analogues showed that the intact lactone ring and the presence of the phosphate ester were required for maximum interaction with the carrier system and that the degree of inhibition correlated with relative antitumor potency. These observations are compatible with the concept that Cl-920 utilizes the folate carrier system and could be of fundamental importance for understanding the cytotoxicity and selectivity of Cl-920.

Biochemical pharmacology of the lipophilic antifolate, trimetrexate.

Trimetrexate is a novel lipophilic folate antagonist that causes growth inhibition, inhibition of nucleic acid biosynthesis, and cytotoxicity at nanomolar concentrations in tissue cultures. The potency of trimetrexate cytotoxicity against most cell lines is greater than that of methotrexate. Trimetrexate has antitumor activity in vivo in several murine leukemia and solid tumor systems, including tumors in which methotrexate is inactive. Antitumor activity was seen following oral, intravenous, or intraperitoneal administration. Trimetrexate causes a pronounced and early depression in incorporation of deoxyuridine into DNA. In tumor cell lines resistant to methotrexate because of a drug transport defect, trimetrexate retains activity. In many such cases the methotrexate-resistant tumors show collateral sensitivity to trimetrexate. In methotrexate-resistant cells with impaired drug transport, trimetrexate sensitivity was even more pronounced when cells were grown in folate-free medium supplemented with physiological levels of tetrahydrofolate cofactor. In the human tumor stem cell colony assay, trimetrexate, at concentrations achievable in vivo, gave activity against many human tumors, including samples that were unresponsive to methotrexate. Trimetrexate crosses the blood-brain barrier, and at very high doses may cause neurotoxicity. At conventional doses the primary toxic effects in mice are gastrointestinal. This toxicity is reversible at therapeutic doses. Unlike earlier lipophilic antifolates, trimetrexate has rapid plasma clearance (t1/2 in mice of 45 minutes). Trimetrexate is a tight-binding competitive inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase. The Ki,slope for inhibition of the human enzyme was 4 X 10(-11) M. A dose-dependent decrease in cellular purine ribonucleotide pools is given by trimetrexate. Pyrimidine ribonucleotide pools tend to increase in treated cells. Trimetrexate caused a marked depression of cellular pools of dTTP and dGTP, and a lesser depression in dATP. Cytotoxicity of trimetrexate in vitro was prevented by leucovorin. Leucovorin also protected mice from trimetrexate toxicity. Thymidine protected cells from lethal effects of low concentrations of trimetrexate, but not from high concentrations. The combination of thymidine and hypoxanthine completely protected cells from low and high concentrations of trimetrexate. A new, stable and highly water-soluble formulation of trimetrexate has been developed. Because of the interesting biochemical and pharmacological properties of trimetrexate, and its experimental antitumor activity, clinical trials are planned.