Zinc protoporphyrin IX, a heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor, demonstrates potent antitumor effects but is unable to potentiate antitumor effects of chemotherapeutics in mice.
BACKGROUND
HO-1 participates in the degradation of heme. Its products can exert unique cytoprotective effects. Numerous tumors express high levels of HO-1 indicating that this enzyme might be a potential therapeutic target. In this study we decided to evaluate potential cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of zinc protoporphyrin IX (Zn(II)PPIX), a selective HO-1 inhibitor and to evaluate its antitumor activity in combination with chemotherapeutics.


METHODS
Cytostatic/cytotoxic effects of Zn(II)PPIX were evaluated with crystal violet staining and clonogenic assay. Western blotting was used for the evaluation of protein expression. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the influence of Zn(II)PPIX on the induction of apoptosis and generation of reactive oxygen species. Knock-down of HO-1 expression was achieved with siRNA. Antitumor effects of Zn(II)PPIX alone or in combination with chemotherapeutics were measured in transplantation tumor models.


RESULTS
Zn(II)PPIX induced significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species in tumor cells. This effect was partly reversed by administration of exogenous bilirubin. Moreover, Zn(II)PPIX exerted potent cytostatic/cytotoxic effects against human and murine tumor cell lines. Despite a significant time and dose-dependent decrease in cyclin D expression in Zn(II)PPIX-treated cells no accumulation of tumor cells in G1 phase of the cell cycle was observed. However, incubation of C-26 cells with Zn(II)PPIX increased the percentage of cells in sub-G1 phase of the cells cycle. Flow cytometry studies with propidium iodide and annexin V staining as well as detection of cleaved caspase 3 by Western blotting revealed that Zn(II)PPIX can induce apoptosis of tumor cells. B16F10 melanoma cells overexpressing HO-1 and transplanted into syngeneic mice were resistant to either Zn(II)PPIX or antitumor effects of cisplatin. Zn(II)PPIX was unable to potentiate antitumor effects of 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin or doxorubicin in three different tumor models, but significantly potentiated toxicity of 5-FU and cisplatin.


CONCLUSIONS
Inhibition of HO-1 exerts antitumor effects but should not be used to potentiate antitumor effects of cancer chemotherapeutics unless procedures of selective tumor targeting of HO-1 inhibitors are developed.
Nowis
Dominika
D
Department of Immunology, Center of Biostructure Research, the Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1A, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland. dominika.nowis@wum.edu.pl
Bugajski
Marek
M
Winiarska
Magdalena
M
Bil
Jacek
J
Szokalska
Angelika
A
Salwa
Pawel
P
Issat
Tadeusz
T
Was
Halina
H
Jozkowicz
Alicja
A
Dulak
Jozef
J
Stoklosa
Tomasz
T
Golab
Jakub
J
D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D054697:Cytostatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
D054697:Cytostatic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1