title: Pifithrin-alpha, an inhibitor of p53, enhances the genetic instability induced by etoposide (VP16) in human lymphoblastoid cells treated in vitro.
abstract: Recent studies indicate that p53-dependent apoptosis induced in normal tissues during chemo- and radiotherapy can cause severe side effects of anti-cancer treatments that limit their efficiency. The aim of the present work was to further characterise the role of p53 in maintaining genomic stability and to verify whether the inhibition of p53 function in normal cells by pifithrin-alpha (PFT-alpha) may contribute in reducing the side effects of cancer therapy. Two human lymphoblastoid cell lines, derived from the same donor, TK6 (p53 wild type) and WTK1 (p53 mutated) have been treated with an anti-neoplastic drug, the etoposide (VP16), an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II in presence or in absence of the p53 inhibitor PFT-alpha. Following treatments with VP16 on TK6 and WTK1, we observed a higher induction of chromosome aberrations in WTK1 (p53 mutated) and of apoptosis in TK6 (p53 wild-type) cells. The p53 inhibition by PFT-alpha in VP16 treated TK6 cells produced an increase of chromosomal aberrations and a reduction of apoptosis. Therefore, the temporary suppression of the function of p53 by PFT-alpha, increasing the survival of the normal cells, could be a promising approach to reduce the side-effects of cancer therapy but it is important to consider that the surviving cells could be genetically modified and consequently the risk of secondary tumours could be increased.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Universita' degli Studi della Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carloni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fonti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palma de la Peña
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meschini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palitti
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007621:Karyotyping; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D013844:Thiazoles; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D014050:Toluene; D005047:Etoposide; C121565:pifithrin