title: Differential chemosensitizing effect of two glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors in hepatoma cells.
abstract: It has been proposed that ceramide mediates anthracyclin-induced apoptosis and that drug resistance may arise due to upregulated removal of this active lipid through glucosylation. We report that HepG2 hepatoma cells displayed only a modest apoptotic response to doxorubicin treatment, accompanied by a substantial elevation of ceramide levels only at toxic drug concentrations. D,L-threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PDMP) and D,L-threo-1-phenyl-2-hexadecanoylamino-3-pyrrolidino-1-propanol (PPPP), used at concentrations causing a 90% inhibition of ceramide glucosylation, enhanced doxorubicin-elicited ceramide elevation, but only PDMP potentiated apoptosis. Exogenously administered ceramide had only a marginal apoptotic effect on HepG2 cells; moreover, even in this case, apoptosis was propagated by PDMP but not by PPPP. PDMP moderately inhibited P-glycoprotein activity only at the highest concentration tested, but its chemosensitizing effect was still outstanding at lower concentrations, at which P-gp inhibition was no longer observed. These results demonstrate that the chemosensitizing effect of PDMP is, at least partly, independent from its activity as a glucosylceramide synthase inhibitor. Moreover, P-glycoprotein inhibition is not central to the phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spinedi
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D002518:Ceramides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005964:Glucosyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C110417:1-phenyl-2-hexadecanoylamino-3-pyrrolidino-1-propanol; D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002518:Ceramides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009025:Morpholines; D011412:Propanolamines; D011759:Pyrrolidines; C033110:RV 538; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005964:Glucosyltransferases; C023246:ceramide glucosyltransferase