title: Sensitization of human colon tumour cell lines to carmustine by depletion of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase.
abstract: In nine human colon tumour cell lines the relationship between O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (O6-AGT) activity and carmustine resistance was investigated. Three lines with O6-AGT activity below 25 fmol/mg protein had carmustine ED50 values ranging from 5.0 microM to 11.9 microM; six lines displaying an O6-AGT activity above 240 fmol/mg protein had ED50 values ranging from 28.9 microM to 69.5 microM. In lines with low O6-AGT activity, depletion of the repair protein by O6-benzylguanine resulted in a marginal increase of carmustine cytotoxicity (sensitization factors less than 2). In the majority of cell lines with high O6-AGT activity, pretreatment with O6-benzylguanine resulted in a pronounced sensitization to carmustine. In one line, an optimal time schedule for sensitization of colon tumour cells by O6-benzylguanine was assessed; continuous exposure to O6-benzylguanine > or = 16 h after carmustine exposure) was superior to short-term exposure limited to a period before carmustine treatment.
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Research Centre, Division 0420, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magull-Seltenreich
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zeller
mesh_terms: D002330:Carmustine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C064976:O(6)-benzylguanine; D013311:Streptozocin; D006147:Guanine; D008780:Methyltransferases; D019853:O(6)-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase; D002330:Carmustine