dioleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine and Ovarian-Neoplasms

Advanced peritoneal carcinomatoses is very difficult to treat. We have explored the potential therapeutic application of gene therapy using cationic liposomes in this disease. The lacZ gene was introduced in vitro into ovarian and endometrial cancer cells using cationic liposomes. The transfection efficiency was similar to that of commercially available liposomes in serum-free medium (11.0-20.9% vs. 5.4-26.0%). In serum-containing medium, the efficiency was 1.9-18.1%, which is comparable with the efficiency in serum-free medium. However, the efficiency of commercial liposomes decreased drastically to between 0.1% and 4.7% in the serum-containing medium. When cultured cells were transfected with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene and ganciclovir (GCV) was added, the anti-tumor effect of GCV was 47-640 times greater than when the same experiment was performed with lacZ gene. Evaluation of anti-tumor effect was performed with the MTT assay. In vivo, the HRA and mEIIL ascitic mice were treated with HSV-tk gene and GCV using the peritoneal route, a significant prolongation of the mean survival time was observed by Kaplan-Meier analysis (16-18 days and 15-30 days, respectively, p < 0.05). These results indicate a potential role for gene therapy in the treatment of advanced intraperitoneal carcinomatoses using the novel cationic liposomes.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cations; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Combined Modality Therapy; Ethanolamines; Female; Ganciclovir; Genes, Reporter; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Lac Operon; Liposomes; Mice; Mice, Nude; Myristates; Neoplasm Transplantation; Ovarian Neoplasms; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Simplexvirus; Thymidine Kinase; Transfection

We have evaluated whether i.p. murine ovarian tumors could be treated with an IL-2 plasmid DNA complexed with the cationic lipid, (+/-)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2, 3-bis(tetradecyloxy)-1-propanaminium bromide/dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMRIE/DOPE). Reporter gene studies were initially conducted in which mice bearing i.p. murine ovarian teratocarcinoma (MOT) were injected i.p. with reporter gene plasmid DNA (pDNA):DMRIE/DOPE. Histochemical analyses revealed that transfection occurred primarily in the tumor cells of the ascites, with only a minority of other ascitic cells or surrounding tissues transfected. IL-2 levels in the MOT ascites were determined after i. p. injection of either IL-2 pDNA:DMRIE/DOPE or recombinant IL-2 protein. IL-2 was detected in tumor ascites for up to 10 days after a single i.p. injection of IL-2 pDNA:DMRIE/DOPE, but was undetectable 24 h after a single i.p. injection of IL-2 protein. In an antitumor efficacy study, MOT tumor-bearing mice injected i.p. with IL-2 pDNA:DMRIE/DOPE on days 5, 8, and 11 after tumor cell implant had a significant inhibition of tumor ascites (p = 0.001) as well as a significant increase in survival (p = 0.008). A cytokine profile of the MOT tumor ascites revealed that mice treated with IL-2 pDNA:DMRIE/DOPE had an IL-2-specific increase in the levels of IFN-gamma and GM-CSF. Taken together, these findings indicate that i. p. treatment of ovarian tumors with IL-2 pDNA:DMRIE/DOPE can lead to an increase in local IL-2 levels, a change in the cytokine profile of the tumor ascites, and a significant antitumor effect.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Ascites; Cytokines; DNA, Bacterial; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Female; Growth Inhibitors; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Interleukin-2; Lipids; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Nude; Ovarian Neoplasms; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Plasmids; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; Teratocarcinoma