thioguanine-anhydrous and Fibrosarcoma

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP), a key enzyme in the catabolism of 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA), catalyzes the formation of adenine and 5-methylthioribose-1-phosphate. MTAP is expressed in all cells throughout the body, but a significant percentage of human tumors have lost MTAP expression, thereby making MTAP-loss a potential therapeutic target. Here, we have tested an MTAP-targeting strategy based on the idea that MTAP-expressing cells can be protected from toxic purine and uracil analogs by addition of MTA, but MTAP-deleted tumor cells cannot. Addition of as little as 10 μM MTA could entirely protect isogenic MTAP (+) , but not MTAP (-) , HT1080 cells from toxicity caused by the chemotherapy agents 6-thioguanine (6TG) or 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Inhibitor studies showed that MTA protection requires functional MTAP activity. Addition of adenine protected both MTAP (+) and MTAP (-) cells from 6TG and 5FU, consistent with the idea that adenine produced from the MTAP reaction competes with 6TG and 5FU for a rate limiting pool of phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP), which is required for the conversion of purine and uracil bases into nucleotides. Extracellular MTA can also protect mouse mesothelioma cells from killing by 6-TG or the drug L-alanosine in an MTAP-dependent manner. In addition, MTA can protect non-transformed MTAP (+) mouse embryo fibroblasts from 6TG toxicity. Taken together, our data suggest that the addition of MTA to anti-purine-based chemotherapy may greatly increase the therapeutic index of this class of drugs if used specifically to treat MTAP (-) tumors.

Topics: Adenosine; Animals; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Disease Models, Animal; Fibrosarcoma; Fluorouracil; Humans; Mesothelioma; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neoplasms; Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase; Thioguanine; Thionucleosides

The induced expression of xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (XGPRT) by low concentrations (-2 pg/ml) of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) or IFN-beta, in the 2fTPGH cell line caused a 50% cytotoxicity when these cells were grown in medium containing 6-thioguanine. We extended the application of this sensitive, reliable, and easy bioassay to other members of the cytokine family. To activate the IFN signaling pathway, we made receptor chimeras, consisting of the IFN type I receptor intracellular and transmembrane domains, fused to either the interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptors or erythropoietin (Epo) receptor extracellular domains as model systems. 2fTGH cells, stably transfected with these receptor chimeras, responded to very low concentrations of IL-5 or Epo (IC50 values of approximately 15 pg and 3 pg/ml, respectively) and thus can be used as a very sensitive bioassay for both ligands. Background activity of IL-5, Epo, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6, or leptin on cells that did not carry the receptor chimeras was very low. This methodology can in principle be extended to any ligand that acts via clustering of its receptors.

Topics: Biological Assay; Coloring Agents; Culture Media; Enzyme Induction; Erythropoietin; Fibrosarcoma; Gentian Violet; Humans; Interferon alpha-2; Interferon-alpha; Interferon-beta; Interleukin-5; Interleukin-6; Leptin; Ligands; Membrane Proteins; Neoplasm Proteins; Pentosyltransferases; Receptor Aggregation; Receptor, Interferon alpha-beta; Receptors, Erythropoietin; Receptors, Interferon; Receptors, Interleukin; Receptors, Interleukin-5; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Recombinant Proteins; Selection, Genetic; Sensitivity and Specificity; Signal Transduction; Thioguanine; Transfection; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

A new mouse model (Mutatect) that permits detection of mutations at the hprt (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase) locus is described. It is highly sensitive to detection of mutants induced by clastogenic agents such as ionizing radiation. MN-11 cells are grown as a subcutaneous tumour in C57BL/6 mice for a period of 2 weeks, during which time they can be exposed to mutagenic treatments. Cells taken from the animal are cultured ex vivo and 6-thioguanine (6-TG)-resistant mutant clones can be readily identified and scored. This model system may have special utility for detecting multi-locus deletion events (chromosomal mutations) induced by high LET forms of radiation that might be encountered in space.

Topics: Animals; Biological Assay; DNA Damage; DNA, Neoplasm; Dosage Compensation, Genetic; Drug Resistance; Female; Fibrosarcoma; Genes; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Linear Energy Transfer; Male; Methylcholanthrene; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutagenicity Tests; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasm Transplantation; Nondisjunction, Genetic; Space Flight; Thioguanine; Tumor Cells, Cultured; X Chromosome

A model system was developed to allow investigation of the frequency at which clastogenic and/or mutagenic events occur in situ in a transplantable murine fibrosarcoma tumour (MC1A-C1) compared with in vitro culture. The marker selected for detecting these events was the X-linked hprt (hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase) gene. We found that the hprt gene in MC1A-C1 was not suitable for this purpose, most likely because multiple active copies were present. To circumvent the problem, HPRT- [6-thioguanine (6-TG)-resistant] clones were isolated by inactivating all hprt genes with methylnitrosourea. Spontaneous revertants to hypoxanthine/aminopterin/thymidine resistance (HATR) were isolated and found to be approximately 1000 times more sensitive than the parental tumour to induction of 6-TGR mutants by cobalt-60 gamma-rays. This sensitivity is expected for a heterozygous marker, these revertants may therefore possess only one functional hprt locus but two or more active X chromosomes. A clone with a stable hprt gene was identified and a neo gene was introduced. The resulting cell line (MN-11) could be grown as a subcutaneous tumour in syngeneic C57BL/6 animals. The frequency of mutations arising in vivo in the marker hprt gene could be estimated by culturing explanted tumour cells in the presence of 6-TG, using G418 selection to distinguish tumour from host cells. The frequency of mutants in MN-11 cells grown as tumours was found to be 3.4-fold higher than in tissue culture for an equivalent period of time. These data provide the first direct evidence for the existence of mutagenic factors in a tumour environment that might contribute to tumour progression.

Topics: Animals; DNA Damage; Fibrosarcoma; Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neoplasm Transplantation; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thioguanine; Tumor Cells, Cultured; X Chromosome

In Vivo murine tumor experiments were carried out to determine whether 6-thioguanine (6-TG) could enhance the cytotoxic effects of radiation on tumors. The combined effects of single and fractionated x-irradiation were evaluated on the transplanted methylcholanthrene induced fibrosarcoma (Meth-A) in BALB/c mice, a moderately radioresponsive tumor and on the radiation induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) in C3H/He mice, a highly radioresistant tumor. The combined treatment of single administration of 6-TG (25 mg/kg) and of x-irradiation (20 Gy) on Meth-A tumors produced more than 90% tumor control, whereas the radiation alone resulted in less than 5% tumor control. The radiosensitizing effect by 6-TG was higher when the drug was administered either 1 to 8 hr prior to or 24 hr after x-irradiation. The dose modification factor of single dose 6-TG (10 mg/kg) is estimated to be 1.47 for Meth-A tumor and 1.25 for RIF tumor. The tumor control rates of fractionated irradiation alone and with concomitant 6-TG in Meth-A tumors were 14% and 59%, respectively. Based on the studies reported here and well documented pharmacokinetics in humans, it is suggested that combined radiation therapy and 6-TG may provide an enhanced therapeutic effect even in tumor varieties where the drug has no apparent anti-tumor activity on non-irradiated cells.

Topics: Animals; Combined Modality Therapy; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; Fibrosarcoma; Male; Methylcholanthrene; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C3H; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; Thioguanine