hymecromone and Melanoma

The prognosis of metastatic melanoma remains poor due to de novo or acquired resistance to immune and targeted therapies. Previous studies have shown that melanoma cells have perturbed metabolism and that cellular metabolic pathways represent potential therapeutic targets. To support the discovery of new drug candidates for melanoma, we examined 180 metabolic modulators, including phytochemicals and anti-diabetic compounds, for their growth-inhibitory activities against melanoma cells, alone and in combination with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib. Two positive hits from this screen, 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) and ursolic acid (UA), were subjected to validation and further characterization. Metabolic analysis showed that 4-MU affected cellular metabolism through inhibition of glycolysis and enhanced the effect of vemurafenib to reduce the growth of melanoma cells. In contrast, UA reduced mitochondrial respiration, accompanied by an increase in the glycolytic rate. This metabolic switch potentiated the growth-inhibitory effect of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase inhibitor dichloroacetate. Both drug combinations led to increased production of reactive oxygen species, suggesting the involvement of oxidative stress in the cellular response. These results support the potential use of metabolic modulators for combination therapies in cancer and may encourage preclinical validation and clinical testing of such treatment strategies in patients with metastatic melanoma.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Drug Discovery; Glycolysis; Humans; Hymecromone; Melanoma; Mitochondria; Oxidants; Oxidative Stress; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Small Molecule Libraries; Triterpenes; Ursolic Acid

There is a close correlation between tumour progression and hyaluronan production, either by tumour cells or by stromal cells that are stimulated by tumour-derived factors. Inhibition of tumour stimulation of fibroblast hyaluronan may suppress tumour growth and invasion.. To examine the effect of the hyaluronan synthesis inhibitor 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) on the growth of and hyaluronan synthesis by fibroblasts and C8161 and MV3 melanoma cell lines, invasion, and inhibition of tumour cell-derived factor activation of fibroblasts.. Effects of 4-MU on growth and hyaluronan synthesis by fibroblasts and melanoma cells were examined in monolayer culture and fibroblast-contracted collagen lattices, and their effects on the growth and invasion of tumour cells into collagen lattices were also studied.. 4-MU caused a dose-dependent growth inhibition of fibroblast and melanoma cells with maximum inhibition at 0·5 mmol L(-1) 4-MU. At this dose, 4-MU inhibited (3) H-glucosamine incorporation into fibroblast glycosaminoglycans by 52%, and hyaluronan synthesis by 64%. The relative inhibition was more pronounced when fibroblasts were stimulated with C8161 melanoma cell-conditioned medium. 4-MU reduced the level of hyaluronan in fibroblast-contracted collagen lattices, and inhibited both the growth on and invasion into the lattices by melanoma cells. This growth inhibition appears to be predominantly independent of inhibition of hyaluronan synthesis. The effect on growth inhibition was reversible, and 4-MU had no effect on apoptosis.. 4-MU is a potent inhibitor of hyaluronan synthesis, induction of stromal hyaluronan accumulation by tumour cells, and fibroblast and melanoma cell proliferation, and results suggest that 4-MU may have potential as a tumour cell anti-invasive and antiproliferative agent.

Topics: Adult; Apoptosis; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Culture Media, Conditioned; Fibroblasts; Glucuronosyltransferase; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Hyaluronan Synthases; Hyaluronic Acid; Hymecromone; Melanoma; Models, Biological; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Skin Neoplasms; Stromal Cells; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Hyaluronan accumulation on cancer cells and their surrounding stroma predicts an unfavourable disease outcome, suggesting that hyaluronan enhances tumor growth and spreading. 4-Methylumbelliferone (4-MU) inhibits hyaluronan synthesis and retards cancer spreading in experimental animals through mechanisms not fully understood. These mechanisms were studied in A2058 melanoma cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-361 breast, SKOV-3 ovarian and UT-SCC118 squamous carcinoma cells by analysing hyaluronan synthesis, UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcUA) content, and hyaluronan synthase (HAS) mRNA levels. The maximal inhibition in hyaluronan synthesis ranged 22-80% in the cell lines tested. Active glucuronidation of 4-MU produced large quantities of 4-MU-glucuronide, depleting the cellular UDP-GlcUA pool. The maximal reduction varied between 38 and 95%. 4-MU also downregulated HAS mRNA levels: HAS3 was 84-60% lower in MDA-MB-361, A2058 and SKOV-3 cells. HAS2 was the major isoenzyme in MCF-7 cells and lowered by 81%, similar to 88% in A2058 cells. These data indicate that both HAS substrate and HAS2 and/or HAS3 mRNA are targeted by 4-MU. Despite different target point sensitivities, the reduction of hyaluronan caused by 4-MU was associated with a significant inhibition of cell migration, proliferation and invasion, supporting the importance of hyaluronan synthesis in cancer, and the therapeutic potential of hyaluronan synthesis inhibition.

Topics: Base Sequence; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; DNA Primers; Down-Regulation; Female; Glucuronosyltransferase; Humans; Hyaluronan Synthases; Hyaluronic Acid; Hymecromone; Melanoma; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasms; RNA, Messenger; RNA, Neoplasm; Uridine Diphosphate Glucuronic Acid

beta-D-Xylosides are often used to competitively inhibit proteoglycan synthesis by serving as primers for free glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain assembly. Quite unexpectedly, we found that when human melanoma cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells are labeled with [3H] galactose in the presence of 4-methyl umbelliferyl beta-D-xyloside (Xyl beta 4MU), a large portion of the labeled acceptor does not consist of the expected GAG chains, but of the novel GM3 ganglioside-like structure: Sia-alpha 2,3-[3H]Gal beta 1, 4Xyl beta 4MU. Moreover, formation of this derivative is associated with an inhibition of glycosphingolipid synthesis by up to 78% without affecting synthesis of other [3H]Gal-labeled glycoconjugates. Inhibition occurs rapidly and equally for all glycolipid species and is partially abrogated by brefeldin A. Inhibition requires the addition of a single galactose residue to the xyloside within the lumen of the Golgi apparatus. This addition appears to be carried out by galactosyl transferase I that normally synthesizes the core region of GAG chains. Although alpha-xyloside does not inhibit proteoglycan synthesis, it is galactosylated, but not sialylated, and is nearly as effective as a beta-xyloside at inhibiting glycolipid biosynthesis. Similar results were obtained for human macrophage U937, and differentiated or undifferentiated PC12 cells. However, in neuroblastoma cell line MR23, no low molecular weight xyloside products were made and glycolipid synthesis was not inhibited. These results suggest that some of the previously documented effects of beta-xylosides might result, in part, from their inhibition of glycolipid synthesis. The mechanism of inhibition is not a direct competition for glycolipid synthesizing enzymes; rather, it is an unexplained result of formation of Gal beta 1,4Xyl-1 (alpha or beta)4MU.

Topics: Animals; Anions; Brefeldin A; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cyclopentanes; G(M3) Ganglioside; Galactose; Glucuronidase; Glycolipids; Glycosides; Humans; Hymecromone; Macrophages; Melanoma; Neuroblastoma; PC12 Cells; Tritium; Tumor Cells, Cultured

In order to measure cell mediated cytotoxicity to adherent growing cell lines in vitro more rapidly and conveniently, a fluorometric microassay was developed and results were compared with those obtained by the 51Cr release assay. The fluorometric method is based on the hydrolysis of the fluorochrome 4-methylumbelliferyl heptanoate (MUH) by intracellular esterases of viable cells. Melanoma cell monolayers were incubated with lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells for 4 h at various effector: target (E:T) cell ratios (E:T = 16, 8, 4, 2:1). Thereafter surviving adherent melanoma cells were stained with MUH for 30 min and fluorescence was measured directly in a 96 well plate reader. For the calculation of LAK cell cytotoxicity fluorescence values were corrected for the number of nonspecifically detached tumor cells during the washes and the number of nonspecifically adherent LAK cells. Using identical target and effector cell preparations both assays showed a nearly proportional increase of percentage cytotoxicity with rising numbers of lymphocytes. Compared with the 51Cr release assay, however, higher cytotoxicity values were obtained with the fluorometric MUH microassay: 57% with MUH versus 26% with 51Cr and 39% versus 14% for cell lines StML-11 and SKMel-28, respectively (E:T ratio = 16:1). The higher cytotoxicity rates obtained with the fluorometric MUH microassay were not due to the additional 30 min staining with MUH or due to nonspecific hydrolysis of MUH by extracellular esterases released from damaged cells, as could be shown by a series of experiments. In conclusion, a simple and rapid fluorometric microassay has been developed showing reliable reproducibility and a higher sensitivity compared with the 51Cr release assay for the determination of cellular cytotoxicity to adherent growing cell lines, avoiding hazardous radioactive labels.

Topics: Cell Adhesion; Chromium Radioisotopes; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Fluoroimmunoassay; Humans; Hymecromone; Immunity, Cellular; In Vitro Techniques; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated; Melanoma; Tumor Cells, Cultured