RPR-115135, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, increases 5-FU- cytotoxicity in ten human colon cancer cell lines: role of p53.
A new non peptidic farnesyltransferase inhibitor, RPR-115135, in combination with 5-FU was studied in 10 human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116, RKO, DLD-1, Colo-320, LoVo, SW-620, HT-29, HCT-15, Colo-205 and KM-12) carrying several mutations but well characterized for p53 and Ras status. We found that there was a slight tendency (not statistically significant) for the p53 inactivated cells to be less sensitive to 5-FU after 6 days continuous treatment. Simultaneous administration of RPR-115135 and 5-FU, at subtoxic concentrations, resulted in a synergistic enhancement of 5-FU cytotoxicity in the p53 wildtype cells (HCT-116, RKO, DLD-1, Colo-320, LoVo). In the p53 mutated cells (SW-620, HT-29, HCT-15, Colo-205, KM-12) the effect was very complicated. In HCT-15 the combination resulted in antagonism, in KM-12 in antagonism or in synergy (at different concentrations) and in SW-620, HT-29 and Colo-205 cells in synergy but only when 5-FU was administered at high concentrations. Growth inhibition could be accounted for on the basis of a specific cell cycle arrest phenotype (G2-M arrest), as assayed by flow cytometry, only in the p53 functioning cell lines. The combination RPR-115135 + 5-FU increases apoptotic events only in these cell lines. In the mutated cell lines no major alterations on cell cycle arrest phenotype and no induction of apoptosis was observed. Although RPR-115135 can potentiate the effect of 5-FU in cells in which p53 function is disrupted, these data suggest strongly that RPR-115135 significantly enhances the efficacy of 5-FU only when p53 is functioning.
Laboratory Experimental Oncology, Molecular Pathology Section, National Institute for Research on Cancer, Genova, Italy. patrizia.russo@istge.it
Patrizia
P
Russo
Davide
D
Malacarne
Carla
C
Falugi
Sonya
S
Trombino
Patrick M
PM
O'Connor
D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051231:Farnesyltranstransferase; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000502:physiology*
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; C426728:RPR115135; D025803:Tumor Suppressor Protein p14ARF; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D051231:Farnesyltranstransferase; D005472:Fluorouracil