roquinimex and Adenocarcinoma

Linomide is a p.o. active antiangiogenic agent that has been demonstrated to be effective in suppressing the in vivo growth of rat and human prostatic cancer xenografts. The present studies were conducted to determine whether the angiogenic molecules, vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are expressed in vitro by DU-145, PC-3, TSU-PR1, and LnCaP human prostate cancer cell lines and whether Linomide inhibits the secretion of these angiogenic molecules. Additionally, two different androgen-responsive human prostatic cancer xenograft models (i.e., PC-82 and A-2) were used to determine whether androgen ablation-induced reduction in tumor growth is associated with a reduction in tumor VEGF and/or bFGF levels. These studies demonstrated that both VEGF and bFGF proteins are expressed to different degrees in the human prostatic cancer cell lines. The secretion of VEGF but not bFGF is up-regulated by hypoxia. Linomide is unable to inhibit either basal or hypoxia-induced secretion of VEGF. Linomide also has no effect on secreted bFGF levels. Castration inhibited tumor VEGF but had no effect on bFGF levels in both the androgen-responsive PC-82 and A-2 human prostatic cancers when grown in severe combined immunodeficient mice. When given in combination, castration potentiated the inhibition of tumor growth induced by Linomide alone. This potentiation is not due to a further inhibition in tumor VEGF levels induced by castration. Although both castration and Linomide inhibit angiogenesis, the former accomplishes it by inhibiting VEGF secretion, whereas the latter has multiple effects at several steps in the angiogenic process other than VEGF secretion. Based on their different but complementary mechanisms of action, simultaneous combination of androgen ablation with Linomide enhances the anti-prostatic cancer efficacy compared to either monotherapies alone and warrants testing in humans.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Androgens; Animals; Cell Hypoxia; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Endothelial Growth Factors; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; Lymphokines; Male; Mice; Mice, SCID; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Orchiectomy; Prostatic Neoplasms; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

Human prostatic cancer cells have a remarkably low rate of proliferation even when they have metastasized to the bone and have become androgen independent (Berges et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 1:473-480, 1995). Due to this low proliferation, patients with such androgen-independent metastatic prostatic cancer cells are rarely treated successfully with the presently available chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, new approaches are urgently needed which are not dependent on the rate of cancer cell proliferation for their effectiveness. One such approach is to inhibit the angiogenic response within localized and metastatic cancer deposits, since the resultant hypoxia-induced tumor cell death does not require cell proliferation. We have previously demonstrated that the quinoline-3-carboxamide, linomide, is an p.o. active agent which inhibits tumor angiogenesis and thus blood flow in a variety of rat prostatic cancers independent of their growth rate, androgen sensitivity, or metastatic ability. Because of its antiangiogenic effects, linomide treatment induces the hypoxic death of rat prostatic cancer cells, thus inhibiting their net growth and metastases. To determine whether human prostatic cancer cells are similarly sensitive to hypoxia-induced death caused by linomide inhibition of tumor angiogenesis, androgen-independent TSU and PC-3 human prostatic cancer cells were xenotransplanted into SCID mice that were either untreated or treated p.o. with linomide. These studies demonstrated that linomide treatment decreases microvessel density in both androgen-independent human prostatic cancers. Microvessel density was decreased from 1.8 +/- 0.4% of the total area in control tumors to 1.0 +/- 0.2% in linomide-treated TSU tumors [i.e., a 44% decrease in microvessel density (P < 0.05)]. Similarly, a 56% decrease (P < 0.05) was observed in the microvessel density of PC-3 tumors (i.e., 2.7 +/- 0.8% of the area in control tumor versus 1.2 +/- 0.2% in the linomide-treated tumors). This inhibition of angiogenesis increased cell death in both TSU and PC-3 cancer cells. This is reflected in both an increase in the area of necrosis and an increase in the apoptotic index in non-necrotic areas. In untreated TSU tumors, 40 +/- 2% of tumor volume was necrotic. Linomide treatment increased this necrotic percentage to 59 +/- 2% [i.e., 48% increase (P < 0.05)]. Linomide therapy also increased apoptotic cell death in non-necrotic tumor areas. In the untreated TSU tumors, 2.9 +/- 0.6% o

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Division; Humans; Hydroxyquinolines; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Mice; Mice, SCID; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Prostatic Neoplasms; Transplantation, Heterologous; Tumor Cells, Cultured