Total Platination Research Articles

Effects of thiourea and ammonium bicarbonate on the formation and stability of bifunctional cisplatin-DNA adducts: Consequences for the accurate quantification of adducts in (cellular) DNA

Cisplatin reacts with DNA by forming mainly bifunctional adducts via reactive monofunctional intermediates. When freshly platinated DNA was postincubated with thiourea (10 mM, at 23 or 37°C) for periods of up to 24 h, followed by determination of mono- and diadducts, a rapid initial decrease was seen in the fraction of diadducts, followed by a much slower decrease. About 40% diadducts were found after 10-min postincubation at 23°C, which dropped to some 14% after 24 h at 37°C; total platination was hardly affected. Postincubation of “aged” platinated DNA (no reactive monoadducts) only showed the slower decrease. The rapid process is likely to represent monoadduct inactivation, preventing the formation of diadducts, whereas the slow reaction must be interpreted as diadduct-to-monoadduct conversion. Similar reactions, but less efficient than with thiourea, occurred during dialysis against NH 4HCO 3 (0.1–1 M). Pt-containing (di)nucleotides in digested DNA were hardly affected by thiourea. Rapid reduction of the measured level of bifunctional adducts also occurred when cisplatin-treated Chinese hamster ovary cells were postincubated with thiourea, with concomitant increase in survival. It is concluded that quantification of the real levels of mono- and diadducts in freshly platinated DNA requires a posttreatment with thiourea of 30–60 min at 37°C.

Characterization of the unusual expression of cross resistance to cisplatin in a series of etoposide-selected resistant sublines of the SuSa testicular teratoma cell line

Three etoposide-selected resistant sublines of the SuSa testicular teratoma cell line expressing 91-, 21- and 33-fold levels of resistance, proved increasingly cross resistant to cisplatin with levels approximating to 3-, 4- and 6-fold in sublines VPC2, VPC3 and VPC4, respectively. Cisplatin resistance was not associated with any significant modifications in levels of total glutathione or associated enzyme activities. Decreased platinum (Pt) accumulation was detected, although this did not correlate either with total platination levels judged immunochemically or with peak induction of interstrand crosslinks (ISC) determined by alkaline elution. Following exposure to cisplatin in the least resistant subline, whilst peak ISC levels were markedly increased (4-fold). In the most highly resistant subline, VPC4, peak levels of ISCs were even higher (9-fold), although total platination levels remained comparable with those in parental cells. Both VPC2 and VPC4 cells appeared highly proficient in removing ISCs, unlike the parental cells. However, whilst VPC2 cells appeared to share deficient removal of the intrastrand platinated lesions with parental cells, VPC4 cells proved proficient removing specific adducts in the sequence pApG. This unusual expression of cross resistance to cisplatin in a series of etoposide-selected resistant sublines derived from an inherently repair deficient cell line, SuSa, therefore appears to be associated with enhanced removal of the specific intrasstrand crosslinks in the sequence pApG and/or of DNA-DNA ISCs. Similar mechanisms have been implicated in two other cisplatin resistant SuSa sublines selected following in vitro exposure to the drug itself or to fractionated X-irradiation (Hill BT, Cancer Treat Rev 18: 149–190, 1991..

Mechanisms associated with the expression of cisplatin resistance in a human ovarian tumor cell line following exposure to fractionated X-irradiation in vitro.

Interactions between cisplatin (CDDP) and irradiation are of potential significance for the combined modality treatment of cancer. Previous data have indicated that following in vitro exposure to X-irradiation certain tumour cells expressed resistance to CDDP. To identify parameters associated with this CDDP resistance, the human ovarian carcinoma cell line SK-OV-3/P was pre-exposed to fractionated X-irradiation (total dose: 50 Gy) in vitro. The resultant subline (SK-OV-3/DKR-10) proved 2-fold resistant to CDDP, but not to acute X-irradiation. Consistent with unaltered dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase activities, SK-OV-3/DXR-10 cells were neither cross-resistant to methotrexate nor to 5-fluorouracil. Verapamil (6.6 microM) significantly (P less than 0.05) enhanced CDDP-induced cytotoxicity in the resistant DXR-10 subline, but not in the parental cells. Total glutathione levels were significantly (P less than 0.01) lower in the resistant subline and BSO pretreatment failed to influence cytotoxicity, whilst related enzyme activities were not consistently modified in the SK-OV-3/DXR-10 cells. Resistance in these cells was associated with significantly decreased cisplatin uptake (P less than 0.002). Immediately following drug exposure the total platination level of the DNA, quantitated immunochemically, was higher (P less than 0.05) in the resistant subline indicative of increased tolerance to DNA damage. After an 18 h post-treatment incubation the parental cell line appeared proficient in the removal of the intrastrand adduct Pt-AG, but deficient in removing the major adduct Pt-GG and the difunctional Pt-(GMP)2 lesion, whilst the DXR-10 resistant subline appeared proficient in removal of all four Pt-DNA adducts. DNA polymerases alpha and beta activities, however, were comparable in both cell lines. These data implicate both enhanced repair and increased tolerance of DNA damage as mechanisms of resistance to CDDP resulting from in vitro exposure of a human ovarian carcinoma cell line to fractionated X-irradiation.

Enhanced dna repair and tolerance of DNA damage associated with resistance to cis-diammine-dichloroplatinum (II) after in vitro exposure of a human teratoma cell line to fractionated X-irradiation

In vitro exposure of a human testicular teratoma continuous cell line to fractionated X-irradiation resulted in the expression of resistance to cisplatin. In two independently-derived sublines, designated SUSA-DXR 3 and SUSADXR 10 resulting from treatment with either 13 fractions of 1.5 Gy (dose required to reduce survival by 1 log) or 10 fractions of 3 Gy (dose required to reduce survival by 2 logs) respectivves, the IC 50 values for cisplatin were 2− and 3.1-fold higher than that of the parental cell line. These sublines were cross-resistant to carboplatin (approximately 2-fold) but not to adriamycin and they showed unaltered radiosensitivities. The SUSA-DXR 10 subline expressed some cross-resistance to mitomycin C and melphalan but none to Carmustine (BCNU). Total glutathione content was significantly reduced in both SUSA-DXR 10 and SUSA-DXR 13 cells, but the activities of associated enzymes, including the glutathione S-transferases, peroxidase and reductase were not modified significantly in the resistant sublines. Resistance in the SUSA-DXR 10 subline was associated with significantly decreased 195mcisplatin uptake (p < 0.01), but this was not reflected in a reduced level of drug bound to the DNA. The formation and removal of four platinum DNA adducts were immunochemically quantitated. Immediately following drug treatment there was a higher level of total platination of the DNA in the resistant subline indicative of increased tolerance to DNA damage. After an 18 hr post treatment incubation, there was an indication of some repair capacity in this SUSA-DXR 10 cell line, which was not apparent in the parental cells. Neither the parental nor the SUSA-DXR 10 cell line was proficient in the repair of the major adduct Pt-GG, whereas both lines repaired the monofunctional adduct and the adduct Pt(GMP) 2. SUSA-DXR 10 cells were also able to repair the intrastrand adduct Pt-AG and interstrand crosslinks, unlike the repair deficient parental cells. Higher levels of interstrand crosslinks were characteristic of the SUSA-DXR 10 subline. These observations therefore implicate both enhanced repair and increased tolerance of DNA damage as mechanisms of resistance to cisplatin resulting from in vitro exposure of a human teratoma cell line to fractionated X-irradiation.

Characterization of adducts produced in DNA by isomeric 1,2-diaminocyclohexaneplatinum(II) complexes

The cancer chemotherapeutic drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) ( cis-DDP) is active as a result of its bifunctional reactions with DNA. Many other platinum complexes also have therapeutic activity. Of current interest are complexes containing 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH). The DACH ligand exists in three isomeric forms with reported differences in therapeutic activity in the order R, R > S, S > R, S-DACH-Pt. The reaction of the sulphate form of each of these three isomers with DNA has been characterized as a possible explanation for the apparent differences in antitumor activity. These reactions have been characterized by platinating pure DNA followed by enzyme digestion, HPLC separation and analysis by atomic absorption and nuclear magnetic resonance. The spectrum of adducts produced was similar for each isomer and similar to that reported for cis-DDP with adduction at d(GpG), d(ApG) and (dG) 2. The R,S-isomer additionally demonstrated isomeric adducts at d(GpG) and d(ApG). The kinetics of formation of the various adducts was the same for each isomer; total platination of DNA was complete in 15 min as were bifunctional adducts at d(GpG) and (dG) 2. However, rearrangement to bifunctional adducts took several hours in the case of adducts at d(ApG) sequences. These results did not provide a reason for the different activities of the isomers. It is suggested that the interaction of these adducts with metabolic processes such as DNA repair might explain these differences.

Kinetics of reaction of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) with DNA.

A method based on cation exchange chromatography was developed to determine the adducts formed in the reaction of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-Pt) with DNA. DNA was incubated with various concentrations of cis-Pt for various periods of time, ethanol precipitated, and enzymatically digested to nucleosides and Pt-containing oligonucleotides. The unmodified nucleosides were separated from the positively charged intra- and interstrand cis Pt adducts with a weak cation exchanger, CM-Sephadex C-25, and the adducts were further purified by HPLC. The main adduct was shown to be an intrastrand cross-link of cis-Pt bound to the N-7 atoms of two neighboring guanines. The minor adducts were intra- and interstrand cross-links of cis-Pt with adenine and guanine and an interstrand cross-link of cis-Pt with two guanines. At low levels of DNA-modification (cis-Pt:nucleotide = 1:50-1:1000) the intrastrand cross-link of cis-Pt with two guanines consisted of 60-70% of the total platination of DNA. At higher levels of DNA-modification (greater than 1:20), the amount of undigested products increased, indicating shielding of DNA by cis-Pt from nucleolytic enzymes.