title: UCN-01 (7-hydroxystaurosporine) inhibits DNA repair and increases cytotoxicity in normal lymphocytes and chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes.
abstract: Elevated DNA repair processes represent resistance mechanisms to the treatment of malignancies with alkylating agents. Recently, the cell cycle checkpoint abrogator, UCN-01, was reported to inhibit nucleotide excision repair in cell-free systems. We hypothesized that if UCN-01 was combined with DNA-damaging agents, UCN-01 might inhibit the damage repair processes, thereby enhancing cytotoxicity in quiescent cells. Here, we investigated the effect of UCN-01 on DNA repair and viability of quiescent normal lymphocytes and chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes treated with UV or the cyclophosphamide prodrug 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC). DNA damage repair kinetics were determined as DNA single strand breaks by the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay and by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Pretreatment with UCN-01 inhibited DNA repair initiated by UV or 4-HC in normal lymphocytes as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia lymphocytes in a concentration-dependent manner at clinically relevant levels (50-300 nM). This inhibition was demonstrated by the decreases in incision capability, DNA resynthesis, and in rejoining, suggesting that UCN-01 inhibits the multiple sites of the repair processes. The higher UCN-01 concentration (300 nM) maximized the inhibitory effects and enhanced the UV- or 4-HC-induced cytotoxicity, as determined by annexin V binding or Hoechst 33342 staining. This enhancement was not obtained by the lower concentrations that incompletely inhibited the repair, suggesting the close association between the inhibition of the repair and the enhancement of the cytotoxicity. Our findings suggest that UCN-01 may be a good candidate for combination strategies of cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Box 71, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. wplunket@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Plunkett
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D017304:Annexin A5; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004338:Drug Combinations; C054852:7-hydroxystaurosporine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D019311:Staurosporine