3-4-5-trihydroxybenzamidoxime and tiazofurin

The success of chemotherapy of colon tumours is currently limited. We have therefore used the human colon tumour cell line HT-29 to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of various drug combinations. Trimidox (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzamidoxime), a recently patented inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase was combined with cytosinearabinoside (Ara-C) or 2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine (DFDC) in order to inhibit both pyrimidine de novo and salvage pathways. Synergistic cytotoxic effects were observed. When HT-29 cells were sequentially treated with trimidox (20 microM for 24 h) and Ara-C (2 microM for 2 h), colony numbers decreased to 71% of the value calculated for additive cytotoxicity. When cells were simultaneously treated with trimidox (10 microM and 15 microM) and DFDC (0.2 nM), synergistic inhibition of colony formation was likewise noted (colony numbers decreased to values as low as 73% or 71% of the values calculated for additive cytotoxicity). On the other hand, we combined tiazofurin, an inhibitor of the guanylate de novo pathway, with allopurinol, which inhibits the guanylate salvage pathway by increasing intracellular hypoxanthine concentrations, leading to inhibition of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT). Synergistic cytotoxic effects were observed under these conditions too. When cells were treated with 10 microM tiazofurin and 400 microM or 800 microM allopurinol the number of colonies decreased to 69% and 27%, respectively, of the values calculated for additive effects. Our data suggest these drug combinations to be promising options in the treatment of human colon cancer.

Topics: Allopurinol; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Benzamidines; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Colonic Neoplasms; Cytarabine; Deoxycytidine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Synergism; Gemcitabine; Humans; Hypoxanthine; Hypoxanthines; Ribavirin; Ribonucleotide Reductases; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Stem Cell Assay

Increased ribonucleotide reductase (RR) activity has been linked with malignant transformation and tumor cell growth. Therefore, this enzyme is considered to be an excellent target for cancer chemotherapy. We have examined the effects of a newly patented RR inhibitor, trimidox (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzohydroxamidoxime). Trimidox inhibited the growth of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells with an IC50 of 35 mumol/L. Incubation of HL-60 cells with 50 mumol/L trimidox for 24 hours decreased deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP) and deoxycytidine triphosphate (dCTP) pools to 24% and 39% of control values, respectively. Incubation of HL-60 cells with 20 to 80 mumol/L trimidox even up to a period of 4 days did not alter the distribution of cells in different phases of cell cycle. Sequential incubation of HL-60 cells with trimidox (25 mumol/L) for 24 hours and then with 10 mumol/L tiazofurin (an inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase) for 4 days produced synergistic growth inhibitory activity, and the cell number decreased to 16% of untreated controls. When differentiation-linked cell surface marker expressions were determined in cells treated with trimidox and tiazofurin, a significantly increased fluorescence intensity was observed for the CD 11b (2.9-fold). CD 33 (1.9-fold), and HLA-D cell surface antigens. Expression of the transferrin receptor (CD71) increased 7.3-fold in cells treated with both agents, compared with untreated controls. Our results suggest that trimidox in combination with tiazofurin might be useful in the treatment of leukemia.

Topics: Benzamidines; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division; Deoxyribonucleotides; DNA Replication; DNA, Neoplasm; Drug Synergism; Humans; IMP Dehydrogenase; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute; Neoplasm Proteins; Ribavirin; Ribonucleotide Reductases; Ribonucleotides; Tumor Cells, Cultured