Genistein selectively potentiates arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells via reactive oxygen species generation and activation of reactive oxygen species-inducible protein kinases (p38-MAPK, AMPK).
The observation that genistein may behave as a pro-oxidant agent lead us to examine the capacity of this isoflavone to modulate the toxicity of the oxidation-sensitive anti-leukemic agent arsenic trioxide (ATO), and for comparison other anti-tumor drugs. Co-treatment with genistein increased ATO-provoked apoptosis and activated apoptosis regulatory events (Bcl-X(L) down-regulation, cytochrome c and Omi/HtrA2 release from mitochondria, XIAP decrease and caspase-8/Bid and caspase-3 activation) in U937 promonocytes and other human leukemia cell lines (HL60, THP-1, Jurkat, RPMI-8866), but not in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated non-tumor peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Genistein, alone and with ATO, stimulated reactive oxygen species generation, and apoptosis was attenuated by N-acetyl-L-cysteine and butylated hydroxyanisole. Addition of low H(2)O(2) concentrations mimicked the capacity of genistein to increase ATO-provoked apoptosis in leukemia cells, but not in PBLs. By contrast, co-treatment with genistein or H(2)O(2) failed to potentiate the toxicity of DNA-targeting agent cisplatin, the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 and the histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275. Within the here used time-period (14 hr) genistein, alone or with ATO, did not significantly affect Akt phosphorylation and NF-kappaB binding activity, nor decreased intracellular GSH content. However, it elicited N-acetyl-L-cysteine-inhibitable phosphorylation of p38-MAPK and AMPK, and apoptosis was attenuated by pharmacologic inhibitors against these kinases. The pro-oxidant capacity of genistein might be exploited to improve the efficacy of ATO as anti-leukemic agent, and perhaps the efficacy of other oxidation-based therapeutic approaches.
Sánchez
Yolanda
Y
Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
Amrán
Donna
D
Fernández
Carlos
C
de Blas
Elena
E
Aller
Patricio
P
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004357:Drug Synergism; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D020298:U937 Cells; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D010087:Oxides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019833:Genistein; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide