title: Influence of dose of [6RS]leucovorin on reduced folate pools and 5-fluorouracil-mediated thymidylate synthase inhibition in human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts.
abstract: Using preclinical models of human colon adenocarcinomas in immune-deprived mice, the influence of dose of [6RS]leucovorin ([6RS]LV, 20 to 1000 mg/m2) administered by 24-h i.v. infusion was determined on the following parameters: (a) plasma concentrations of the active [6S] and inactive [6R] isomers of [6RS]LV and the biologically active diastereoisomer of 5-methyltetrahydrolate (5-CH3-H4PteGlu); (b) expansion of intratumor pools of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolates (CH2-H4PteGlun) and tetrahydrofolates (H4PteGlun), that may influence the binding of 5-fluorodeoxyuridylate to thymidylate synthase; (c) the distribution of polyglutamate forms of CH2-H4PteGlun and H4PteGlun; and (d) (5-fluorouracil (FUra)-mediated thymidylate synthase inhibition in Hx-ELC2, HxGC3, HxVRC5, and HxHC1 tumors. Folypolyglutamate synthetase activities were also determined in each line. Linear increases in plasma concentrations of [6R]LV, [6S]LV, and 5-CH3-H4-PteGlu were determined over the complete range of [6RS]LV doses examined. However, in neoplastic tissues three patterns of biochemical modulation by [6RS]LV were evident. (a) In HxELC2 and HxVRC5 tumors, pools of CH2-H4PteGlun and H4PteGlun were elevated in proportion to the dose of [6RS]LV between dose levels of 50 and 200 mg/m2. Subsequent expansion of these pools continued that was disproportionate to the dose of [6RS]LV until no further increase was observed beyond 800 mg/m2 [6RS]LV, at which point pools were maximally expanded by 4- to 4.5-fold. The extent of retardation of recovery of thymidylate synthase activity increased as the dose of [6RS]LV was increased in both tumors, when FUra (15 or 50 mg/kg), was administered by i.v. bolus injection 3 h into the 24-h infusion of [6RS]LV. This was related to the increase in predominance of CH2-H4PteGlu2-5 with increasing dose of [6RS]LV. (b) For HxHC1 tumors, little expansion of CH2-H4PteGlun and H4PteGlun pools (maximum, 137% of control) was detected at the highest dose levels of [6RS]LV, and no significant modulation of FUra-inhibited thymidylate synthase activity was detected, even at 1000 mg/m2 [6RS] LV. CH2-H4PteGlu5 remained similar or decreased as the dose of [6RS] LV was increased. (c) For line HxGC3, pools of CH2-H4PteGlun and H4PteGlun increased gradually from 169% of control at 20 mg/m2 [6RS] LV to 233% of control at 1000 mg/m2 [6RS]LV, and were intermediate between the expansion observed in HxHC1 in comparison to HxELC2 and HxVRC5 tumors. CH2-H4PteGlu3-5 were elevated at low dose levels of [6RS]LV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemical, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38101.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cheshire
authors.forename: I W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Wainer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jadaud
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Houghton
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates / Q000097:blood*; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013763:Tetrahydrofolates; C013123:5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolic acid; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C023103:folylpolyglutamate synthetase; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil