title: Sensitization by interleukin-1alpha of carboplatinum anti-tumor activity against human ovarian (NIH:OVCAR-3) carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Cytokines are directly cytotoxic to tumor cells in vitro and in vivo, and interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) potentiates the cytotoxicity of a number of clinically active drugs in several human tumor cells, including carcinomas of the breast and ovary. In this study, we found that IL-1alpha potentiated the cytotoxicity of carboplatin in human ovarian NIH:OVCAR-3 cancer cells during simultaneous drug exposure in vitro. Human ovarian carcinoma NIH:OVCAR-3 cells are resistant to clinically relevant concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents, including cisplatin. Both carboplatin and IL-1alpha as single agents inhibited the growth of NIH:OVCAR-3 cells grown as xenograft in nude mice; however, carboplatin was more effective in delaying tumor growth, and this inhibition was dose-dependent. Treatment with IL-1alpha followed by carboplatin caused a significant delay in tumor growth, resulting in a significant enhancement (4-fold) of the anti-tumor effect of carboplatin. In vitro potentiation of carboplatin cytotoxicity by IL-1alpha did not involve formation of nitric oxide as IL-1 or combinations of IL-1 with carboplatin failed to modulate basal nitric oxide production in OVCAR-3 cells. Potentiation of the anti-tumor activity of carboplatin by IL-1alpha was due to a significant (3- to 4-fold) increase in the accumulation of total Pt in IL-1-treated tumor xenograft, resulting in a 2-fold increase in DNA-Pt adduct formation in these tumors. In contrast, IL-1alpha had no significant effect on DNA-Pt adduct formation in the kidney. The potent synergy of IL-1alpha and carboplatin in vitro and in vivo against ovarian carcinoma cells suggests that combinations of carboplatinum and interleukin-1alpha may be effective against this disease in the clinic.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016190:Carboplatin