title: Anti-proliferative effect of two novel palmitoyl-carnitine analogs, selective inhibitors of protein kinase C conventional isoenzymes.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that palmitoyl-carnitine is an anti-proliferative agent and a protein kinase C inhibitor. Two new palmitoyl-carnitine analogs were synthesized by replacing the ester bond with a metabolically more stable ether bond. An LD50 value in the nM range was found in anti-proliferative assays using HL-60 cells and was dependent on the alkyl-chain length. The inhibitory action of these water-soluble compounds on protein kinase C in vitro was greatly increased with respect to palmitoyl-carnitine and was dependent on the length of the alkyl chain. Its effect was mediated by an increase in the enzyme's requirement for phosphatidylserine. Inhibition of the in situ phosphorylation of a physiological platelet protein kinase C substrate and of phorbol ester-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells was also observed. Finally, to test for isoenzyme selectivity, several human recombinant protein kinase C isoforms were used. Only the Ca2+-dependent classic protein kinase Cs (alpha, betaIota, betaIotaIota and gamma) were inhibited by these compounds, yet the activities of casein kinase I, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase were unaffected. Thus, these novel inhibitors appear to be both protein kinase C and isozyme selective. They may be useful in assessing the individual roles of protein kinase C isoforms in cell proliferation and tumor development and may be rational candidates for anti-neoplasic drug design.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Química, P. Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Garcia-Huidobro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Leisewitz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valderrama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bronfman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D051381:Rats; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C403185:AM 44; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D007527:Isoenzymes; C403184:POC 16; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D002331:Carnitine; C064758:Ro 31-8220