Enzastaurin (LY317615), a protein kinase Cbeta inhibitor, inhibits the AKT pathway and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma cell lines.
Enzastaurin (LY317615), an acyclic bisindolylmaleimide, is an oral inhibitor of the protein kinase Cbeta isozyme. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of enzastaurin in inducing apoptosis in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and to investigate possible mechanisms of apoptosis. Cell proliferation assays were done on a variety of MM cell lines with unique characteristics (dexamethasone sensitive, dexamethasone resistant, chemotherapy sensitive, and melphalan resistant). The dexamethasone-sensitive MM.1S cell line was used to further assess the effect of enzastaurin in the presence of dexamethasone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), interleukin-6, and the pan-specific caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk. Enzastaurin increased cell death in all cell lines at clinically significant low micromolar concentrations (1-3 micromol/L) after 72 hours of treatment. Dexamethasone and enzastaurin were shown to have an additive effect on MM.1S cell death. Although IGF-I blocked the effect of 1 micromol/L enzastaurin, IGF-I did not abrogate cell death induced with 3 mumol/L enzastaurin. Moreover, enzastaurin-induced cell death was not affected by interleukin-6 or ZVAD-fmk. GSK3beta phosphorylation, a reliable pharmacodynamic marker for enzastaurin activity, and AKT phosphorylation were both decreased with enzastaurin treatment. These data indicate that enzastaurin induces apoptosis in MM cell lines in a caspase-independent manner and that enzastaurin exerts its antimyeloma effect by inhibiting signaling through the AKT pathway.
Rizvi
Mujahid A
MA
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Lurie Building 3-250, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. m-rizvi@md.northwestern.edu
Ghias
Kulsoom
K
Davies
Katharine M
KM
Ma
Chunguang
C
Weinberg
Frank
F
Munshi
Hidayatullah G
HG
Krett
Nancy L
NL
Rosen
Steven T
ST
D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000201:enzymology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D064546:Protein Kinase C beta; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D015850:Interleukin-6; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D003907:Dexamethasone; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D064546:Protein Kinase C beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D020169:Caspases; C504878:enzastaurin