Epigenetic modifiers enhance the synergistic cytotoxicity of combined nucleoside analog-DNA alkylating agents in lymphoma cell lines.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used for treatment of lymphoma. In an attempt to design an efficacious and safe prehematopoietic stem cell transplantation conditioning regimen, we investigated the cytotoxicity of the combination of busulfan (B), melphalan (M), and gemcitabine (G) in lymphoma cell lines in the absence or presence of drugs that induce epigenetic changes. Cells were exposed to drugs individually or in combination and analyzed by the MTT proliferation assay, flow cytometry, and Western blotting. We used ~IC(10) drug concentrations (57 μM B, 1 μM M and 0.02 μM G), which individually did not have major effects on cell proliferation. Their combination resulted in 50% inhibition of proliferation. Reduction to almost half concentration (20 μM B, 0.7 μM M and 0.01 μM G) did not have significant effects, but addition of the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (0.6 μM) to this combination resulted in a marked (~65%) growth inhibition. The cytotoxicity of these combinations correlates with the activation of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated-CHK2 pathway, phosphorylation of KRAB-associated protein-1, epigenetic changes such as methylation and acetylation of histone 3, and activation of apoptosis. The relevance of epigenetic changes is further shown by the induction of DNA methyltransferases in tumor cells with low constitutive levels of DNMT3A and DNMT3B. The addition of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine to (BMG+suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) further enhances cell killing. Overall, BMG combinations are synergistically cytotoxic to lymphoma cells. Epigenetic changes induced by suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine further enhance the cytotoxicity. This study provides a rationale for an ongoing clinical trial in our institution using (BMG+suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) as pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation conditioning for lymphoma.
Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. bvaldez@mdanderson.org
Benigno C
BC
Valdez
Yago
Y
Nieto
David
D
Murray
Yang
Y
Li
Guiyun
G
Wang
Richard E
RE
Champlin
Borje S
BS
Andersson
D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000819:agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000819:agonists / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002066:Busulfan / Q000819:agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D003603:Cytotoxins; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000077209:Decitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000819:agonists / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D004357:Drug Synergism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000819:agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008558:Melphalan / Q000819:agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000379:methods; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000093542:Gemcitabine; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B
D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D001374:Azacitidine; D002066:Busulfan; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D064447:Checkpoint Kinase 2; D003603:Cytotoxins; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D000090205:DNA Methyltransferase 3A; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000077209:Decitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D008558:Melphalan; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000093542:Gemcitabine; D000097584:DNA Methyltransferase 3B; C000717967:DNMT3A protein, human; C576324:ATM protein, human; C578634:CHEK2 protein, human