title: Apoptosis induced by the homocamptothecin anticancer drug BN80915 in HL-60 cells.
abstract: The homocamptothecin (hCPT) derivative BN80915 containing a seven-membered lactone ring represents one of the most potent topoisomerase I inhibitors described. This anticancer agent, currently undergoing phase I clinical trials, has been shown to produce a greater number of DNA strand breaks than conventional camptothecins with a six-membered lactone ring. To shed light on the mechanism of action of hCPT at the cellular level, we compared the effects of BN80915 and the classic camptothecin SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, on HL-60 human promyelocytic cancer cells. A variety of biochemical events, at both the mitochondrial and the nuclear levels, were characterized to determine how and to what extent the hCPT derivative can induce apoptotic cell death. The use of cytometry, Western blot analysis, confocal microscopy, and different colorimetric assays enabled us to demonstrate that BN80915 is a potent inducer of apoptosis in HL-60 cells. This induction of apoptosis is associated with cell cycle changes, a marked decrease of intracellular pH, activation of caspase-3 and -8, DNA fragmentation, and externalization of phosphatidylserine lipids but no significant changes of the mitochondrial membrane potential or the expression of Bcl-2. The interconnections between these different events are discussed. Collectively, the results indicate that the superior activity expressed at the topoisomerase I level leads to a more pronounced induction of apoptosis by BN80915 compared with SN-38. The study identifies and delineates signaling factors involved in BN80915-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U-524 and Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Antitumorale du Centre Oscar Lambret, Institut de Recherche sur le Cancer de Lille, Lille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lansiaux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Facompré
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wattez
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Demarquay
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lavergne
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bigg
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bailly
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D020169:Caspases; C424962:diflomotecan; D002166:Camptothecin