5-10-methylenetetrahydrofolic-acid and Carcinoma

The high-affinity folate-binding protein (FBP) is primarily involved in the uptake of the 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and its expression may be physiologically regulated by the intracellular folate content. The overexpression of FBP on the cell surface of ovarian carcinoma cells may be responsible for an increased folate uptake. We tested the hypothesis of the existence of a defect in the 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in ovarian tumours that could cause reduced intracellular regeneration of the 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and induce increased FBP expression. No sequence mutations were found in the MTHFR gene, but allelic deletions of this gene were frequently detected in ovarian tumours (59%). Chromosomal losses appeared to be confined to the 1p36.3 region to which the MTHFR gene maps. Although it cannot be stated that MTHFR is the target gene of the chromosomal loss involving the 1p36.3 region, a correlation between loss of heterozygosity at this locus and decrease in MTHFR activity was shown, suggesting a role of these allelic deletions in generating a biochemical defect in folate metabolism. Further studies are needed to assess further the relationship between MTHFR and FBP overexpression, but the demonstration of the alteration of a key metabolic enzyme of the folate cycle in a subset of human ovarian tumours is in accordance with the hypothesis of an altered folate metabolism in these neoplasias and might be exploited for therapeutic purposes.

Topics: 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (FADH2); Blotting, Southern; Carcinoma; Carrier Proteins; Chromosome Deletion; DNA Mutational Analysis; DNA Primers; DNA, Neoplasm; Female; Folate Receptors, GPI-Anchored; Heterozygote; Humans; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); Ovarian Neoplasms; Oxidoreductases; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; Receptors, Cell Surface; Tetrahydrofolates; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The human ovarian cell line A2780 was exposed to either cisplatin (10 microM) or 5-fluorouracil (5FUra) (5 microM) for 1 hr. Cytotoxicity was less than 14% with either agent alone. Cisplatin (10 microM) and 5FUra (5 microM) in combination for 1 hr caused a 76% reduction in cell growth. Thymidine (dThd, 10 microM), if given concomitantly with the combination of cisplatin and 5FUra, completely protected the tumor cells. A 30-min exposure to cisplatin increased the intracellular pools of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate 2.5-fold. The capacity of intact cells to form 5-fluorodeoxyuridylate (FdUMP)-thymidylate (dTMP) synthase complex when incubated with fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) was enhanced 2.5-fold when the cells were pretreated with cisplatin. These experiments demonstrate that cisplatin can increase the availability of the reduced folate necessary for tight binding of FdUMP to dTMP synthase, thus enhancing the cytotoxicity of the cisplatin and 5FUra combination.

Topics: Carcinoma; Cell Line; Cisplatin; Drug Synergism; Female; Fluorodeoxyuridylate; Fluorouracil; Folic Acid; Humans; Ovarian Neoplasms; Tetrahydrofolates; Thymidine Monophosphate; Thymidylate Synthase