tiazofurin and Leukemia--Erythroblastic--Acute

Previous investigations from our laboratory and others have shown the existence of an autonomous intranuclear inositide cycle endowed with conventional lipid kinases and PLC which in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, human osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cells, rat liver and Swiss 3T3 cells is the isoform beta 1, which in the latter cells is activated upon IGF-I stimulation. The behavior of the nuclear inositol lipid cycle has been investigated in nuclei of Friend erythroleukemia cells. These nuclei possess both lipid kinases and PLC. The cycle upon treatment with differentiating agents (i.e., DMSO and tiazofurin) is characterized by an accumulation of polyphosphoinositides and a decrease of DAG due to down-regulation of a specific PLC. Indeed, even if both beta 1 and gamma 1 isoforms are present in these nuclei, when Friend cells undergo terminal erythroid differentiation only the PLC beta 1 isoform is down-regulated as shown by immunochemical and immunocytochemical analysis, by direct determination of enzymatic activity and in the presence of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies as well as by Northern blot for PLC beta 1 message, whilst the amount of PLC gamma 1 and its activity are unaffected by erythroid differentiation. In conclusion, the presence of a specific nuclear PLC whose activity and expression are down-regulated during differentiation of erythroleukemia cells points out a role for nuclear phosphoinositide signalling in the processes of cell differentiation and hints at the nuclear PLC beta 1 as an important step of the cycle in relation to the erythroid differentiative commitment of murine erythroleukemia cells.

Topics: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Nucleus; Diglycerides; Dimethyl Sulfoxide; Erythrocytes; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; Ribavirin; Signal Transduction; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Type C Phospholipases

Tiazofurin, an anticancer drug which inhibits IMP dehydrogenase, decreases cellular GTP concentration, induces differentiation and down-regulates ras and myc oncogene expression, caused apoptosis of K562 cells in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Apoptotic cells were detected by (1) flow cytometry, (2) electron microscopy, and (3) fluorescence in situ nick translation and confocal microscopy, while the DNA ladder was not detectable. The induced apoptosis was abrogated by guanosine which replenishes GTP pools through the guanosine salvage pathways, while it was enhanced by hypoxanthine, a competitive inhibitor of GPRT. The tiazofurin-mediated apoptosis may therefore be linked with the decrease of GTP and the consequent impairment of specific signal transduction pathways. Tiazofurin induced apoptosis also in lymphoblastic MOLT-4 cells, suggesting that this action is not confined to cells of the myeloid lineage, where the differentiating effects of the drug are more pronounced.

Topics: Apoptosis; DNA Fragmentation; Enzyme Inhibitors; Flow Cytometry; Guanosine Triphosphate; Humans; Hypoxanthine; IMP Dehydrogenase; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Ribavirin; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Previous investigations have demonstrated the presence of conventional lipid kinases and phospholipase C (PLC) activities in nuclei of Friend erythroleukemia cells. Moreover, when Friend erythroleukemia cells are treated for 96 h with the antitumor drug tiazofurin, the induction of erythroid differentiation is accompanied by changes in amounts of both phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate due to the inhibition of an uncharacterized nuclear PLC activity. Here, we show that the nuclear PLC beta 1 isoform is down-regulated by tiazofurin (5 microM) treatment of Friend erythroleukemia cells as shown by both Western blot and Northern blot analyses for PLC beta 1 message. This indicates that PLC beta 1 down-regulation is tightly linked with erythroid differentiation of Friend erythroleukemia cells and that the autonomous nuclear signaling via inositol lipid cycle can be controlled by the antitumor drug tiazofurin.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Western; Cell Differentiation; Cell Nucleus; Down-Regulation; Friend murine leukemia virus; Isoenzymes; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Mice; Phosphatidylinositols; Phospholipase C beta; Ribavirin; Signal Transduction; Type C Phospholipases

The effects of three inhibitors of inosine monophosphate (IMP) dehydrogenase on a human erythroleukemic cell line, K562, were studied. Following incubation with these inhibitors, K562 cells underwent differentiation and accumulated hemoglobins. The induction of hemoglobin accumulation was dose dependent; maximum induction was observed at 100, 25, and 3 microM, respectively, for ribavirin, tiazofurin, and mycophenolic acid. The induction was associated with reduction of intracellular GTP content and was blocked by adding guanosine within 24 h after adding inducer. The effective dose for half-maximum induction by ribavirin was 3 times less than that for 50% inhibition of K562 proliferation; however, for tiazofurin and mycophenolic acid, it closely approximated the concentrations which suppressed cellular proliferation. Ribavirin was sequestered preferentially inside the K562 cells, and the induction by ribavirin had a greater than 30-fold increase in hemoglobin. Studies with isoelectric focusing, globin chain analyses, and immunochemical assays indicated that both A gamma and G gamma were detected and that the hemoglobin produced in the ribavirin-treated cells consisted of approximately 60% fetal hemoglobin and its acetylated equivalents. The adult-type alpha globin was found, while no beta globin chains were demonstrated. Thus, accumulation of fetal hemoglobin and production of alpha globin chain in ribavirin-treated cells are different from the pattern of hemoglobins induced by hemin.

Topics: Cell Compartmentation; Cell Division; Erythropoiesis; Hemoglobins; Humans; IMP Dehydrogenase; In Vitro Techniques; Ketone Oxidoreductases; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Mycophenolic Acid; Purine Nucleotides; Ribavirin; Ribonucleosides; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide, NSC 286193) is a synthetic nucleoside inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase. This agent has recently been shown to induce differentiation of human leukemia cell lines. In the present study, we have monitored the effects of tiazofurin on differentiation and proto-oncogene expression in K562 erythroleukemia cells. Tiazofurin induced K562 cell hemoglobin production in a concentration-dependent manner. This induction of a differentiated phenotype was also associated with a loss of proliferative capacity. In contrast to the reversible effects of hemin on induction of K562 cell hemoglobin synthesis, the effects of tiazofurin were irreversible. Northern blot analysis of K562 cells treated with 10 microM tiazofurin demonstrated the accumulation of alpha- and gamma-globin mRNA. The results also demonstrate that there was little if any effect of tiazofurin on levels of c-myc, c-myb, or c-abl mRNA. Furthermore, there were no detectable changes in Ki-ras, Ha-ras or N-ras expression at the mRNA and protein levels in tiazofurin-treated K562 cells. These findings suggest that tiazofurin induces changes in levels of globin transcripts but has little if any effect on c-myc, c-myb, c-abl, or c-ras gene expression in K562 cells.

Topics: Actins; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Division; Cell Line; Gene Expression; Genes; Globins; Hemoglobins; Humans; Kinetics; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogenes; Ribavirin; Ribonucleosides; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide, NSC 286193), is a synthetic nucleoside inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase and blocks guanine nucleotide biosynthesis. In the present study, we examined the effects of tiazofurin on mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cell differentiation and protooncogene expression. Tiazofurin induced hemoglobin production in MEL cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as measured by an increase in benzidine staining. Northern blot analysis of MEL cells treated with 7 mumol/L tiazofurin demonstrated accumulation of both alpha- and beta-globin RNA transcripts. This induction of differentiation was blocked by the presence of exogenous guanosine (100 mumol/L). In contrast to the down-regulation of c-myc and c-myb RNA in MEL cells induced by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), there was no detectable change in levels of these transcripts after tiazofurin treatment. Furthermore, MEL cells induced by tiazofurin did not commit to terminal differentiation. These results suggest a role for guanine nucleotides, at least in part, in the regulation of MEL cell differentiation.

Topics: Animals; Blotting, Northern; Cell Division; Cell Line; Dimethyl Sulfoxide; Hemoglobins; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute; Mice; Proto-Oncogenes; Ribavirin; Ribonucleosides; Transcription, Genetic