title: Synergistic interactions of etoposide and interleukin-1 alpha are not due to DNA damage in human melanoma cells.
abstract: Several possible mechanisms of the synergistic interactions of IL-1 alpha and VP-16 against A375-C6 human melanoma cells were investigated. Studies indicate that IL-1 alpha did not increase topoisomerase II-dependent VP-16-mediated DNA damage, nor did IL-1 alpha inhibit the repair of VP-16-induced DNA damage in these cells. Furthermore, IL-1 alpha by itself or in combination with VP-16 did not cause significant fragmentation of cellular DNA into oligomers, indicating programmed cell death (apoptosis) was not involved in the mechanism of synergy. In contrast, an IL-1-specific receptor antagonist significantly decreased IL-1 alpha toxicity toward the melanoma cells and nearly eliminated the synergistic interactions of IL-1 alpha with VP-16. These results strongly indicate that synergism of IL-1 alpha with VP-16 was dependent upon an IL-1-receptor-mediated processes. DNA-strand breakage was unlikely to be a primary intracellular target for IL-1 alpha cytotoxicity and synergism with VP-16.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Mimnaugh
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005047:Etoposide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008545:Melanoma; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D005047:Etoposide; D004247:DNA