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Biomedical subjects

G E Adams

Publications and source records attributed to G E Adams.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Potentiation of the anti-tumour effect of melphalan by the vasoactive agent, hydralazine.

The vaso-active drug hydralazine causes a considerable increase in the cytotoxic effect of melphalan towards the KHT tumour in mice. The enhancement in response, measured as the concentration of melphalan required to achieve a given tumour response, is 3.0 and 2.35 when determined using the regrowth delay assay and the technique for determining surviving fraction in vitro following treatment in vivo respectively. In contrast, measurement of systemic toxicity shows that the addition of hydralazine only causes a small increase (ER = 1.15) in melphalan damage. This suggests that the drug combination may have some therapeutic benefit. The tumour specificity for the action of hydralazine is supported by the finding that binding of 3H-misonidazole is increased in tumours but not in other tissues when mice are treated with hydralazine. Increased binding of labelled misonidazole is associated with an increase in the level and duration of hypoxia, which will occur as a consequence of changes in tumour blood flow brought about by hydralazine. However, hypoxia per se is not responsible for the enhanced effect of melphalan, since the agent BW12C, which also induces substantial tumour hypoxia as a result of changing the O2 affinity of haemoglobin, has no effect on melphalan tumour cytotoxicity.

Animals↗

Dual-function radiation sensitizers and bioreductive drugs: factors affecting cellular uptake and sensitizing efficiency in analogues of RSU 1069.

Alkyl aziridine analogues of the hypoxic cell radiosensitizer RSU 1069 have been synthesized and one of these, RB 7040, containing the tetramethyl substituted aziridine, is a more efficient sensitizer in vitro than RSU 1069 (Ahmed et al., 1986). The extent to which variation in drug uptake can influence the sensitizing efficiency of RSU 1069 and its analogues has been investigated by determining the cellular uptake of these weakly basic sensitizers as a function of the pH of the extracellular medium (pHe) over the range 5.4-8.4. Following exposure of V79 cells to these agents for 1 h at room temperature, the ratio of intra- to extracellular concentration (Ci/Ce) was near unity at pH 5.4. Increasing pHe to 8.4 resulted in no change in the ratio Ci/Ce for RSU 1069 (pKa = 6.04). In contrast, the values of Ci/Ce increased three-fold for RSU 1165 (pKa = 7.38) and eleven-fold for RB 7040 (pKa = 8.45). Radiosensitization by RSU 1069 showed little dependence on pHe over the range studied, whereas increasing pH caused an apparent increase in sensitizing efficiency of both RSU 1165 and RB 7040. However, when the enhancement ratios for sensitization were normalized to take account of the effect of extracellular pH on drug uptake, efficiency of sensitization was independent of pHe. This study suggests that changes in basicity (pKa) may have wider potential for therapeutic exploitation on the basis of selective tumour uptake for this type of agent.

Animals↗

Radiosensitization by the 2,4-dinitro-5-aziridinyl benzamide CB 1954: a structure/activity study.

CB 1954 (2,4-dinitro-5-aziridinyl benzamide) is a radiosensitizer which is up to 10 times more efficient in vitro than would be predicted on the basis of its electron affinity. In order to determine the contribution of the various functional groups comprising the molecule to overall sensitizing efficiency, nine structural analogues have been studied. The redox potential, E7(1), and sensitizing efficiency, C1.6, were obtained for each compound. The value of C1.6 depends on both redox potential and the magnitude of an additional component defined by C1.6/C1.6, where C1.6 is derived from a structure/activity relationship (Adams et al. 1979 b, Wardman 1982) described by the equation: log (C1.6/mol dm-3) = (6.96 +/- 0.22) + (9.54 +/- 0.56)E7(1)V. The magnitude of C1.6/C1.6 for CB 1954 and its analogues depends on alkyl substitution of the amide, the presence/absence and position of the nitro groups and is independent of the presence of the aziridine group. Holding cells in the presence of the drug post-irradiation marginally enhanced sensitization by CB 1954, CB 10-107 and by CB 10-092 but the largest effect was seen with the mononitro compound CB 7060 which also has a value of 26 for C1.6/C1.6. This compound was also interesting in that when combined with 2-phenyl-4(5)amino-5(4)-imidazole carboxamide (phenyl AIC) an enhancement of sensitization was obtained. In contrast, phenyl AIC protected against radiosensitization by CB 1954. Taken together, the data suggest that multiple mechanisms of radiosensitization may contribute to the abnormal radiosensitizing efficiency of CB 1954 and its analogues. This has implications for the further design and development of novel radiosensitizing drugs.

Aminoimidazole Carboxamide↗

Mechanism of action of some bioreducible 2-nitroimidazoles: comparison of in vitro cytotoxicity and ability to induce DNA strand breakage.

The interaction of a series of nitroimidazole-aziridine radiosensitisers, as parent or radiation-reduced species, with plasmid DNA in aqueous solution at pH7 results in strand breakage. The efficiency of strand breakage substantially increases on reduction of the nitroimidazole analogues. The rate of production of strand breaks decreases on interaction with both parent and reduced nitroimidazole analogues as the aziridine moiety is deactivated through alkyl-substitution. These variations in efficiency are reflected in changes in the toxicity towards both oxic and hypoxic cells and in the decrease in toxicity with progressive substitution of the aziridine moiety. The stabilities of these nitroimidazoles in aqueous solution at pH7 have also been determined. However, these stabilities do not parallel the variations in the alkylating efficiency of DNA by the aziridine moiety. These results have been discussed in terms of the relative reactivities of the nitroimidazoles with plasmid DNA and their ability to act as cytotoxic agents, especially following bioreduction and how the findings may relate to the radiosensitising properties of these agents.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Induction of hypoxia in normal and malignant tissues by changing the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin--implications for therapy.

The drug BW12C, which increases the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin, reduces oxygen availability to tissues. This results in protection against radiation damage to the hemopoietic system and epidermal Langerhans cells in CBA mice. The drug also protects against beta-irradiation damage in pig epidermis. BW12C increases the hypoxic cell fraction in tumors and histological examination of an experimental T cell lymphoma shows that the induced hypoxia leads to tumor necrosis.

Aldehydes↗

Analogues of RSU-1069: radiosensitization and toxicity in vitro and in vivo.

A series of nitroimidazoles containing aziridine and alkyl-substituted aziridine functions has been synthesized. The 2-nitroimidazole compounds examined all show greater radiosensitizing efficiency in vitro than misonidazole. The 4- and 5-nitroimidazole analogues are also more efficient than equivalent compounds which do not contain the alkylating aziridine moiety. All the compounds show increased toxicity towards hypoxic cells relative to aerobic cells, but this toxicity is reduced by alkyl-substitution of the aziridine ring. In vivo toxicity can also be reduced by modification of the aziridine function, but such alterations appear to have less effect upon the high radiosensitizing efficiency of these compounds in vivo. As a consequence of this study, compounds of potentially improved therapeutic utility compared to RSU-1069, the first reported member of this class, have been identified.

Animals↗

Studies on the mechanisms of the radiosensitizing and cytotoxic properties of RSU-1069 and its analogues.

RSU 1069 is a substantially more efficient sensitizer than misonidazole when hypoxic Chinese hamster V79 cells are irradiated in vitro at room temperature; such that for 0.5 mmol dm-3 sensitizer an ER of 3.0 is obtained for RSU 1069 whereas an ER of only 1.6 is obtained for misonidazole. However, when irradiation is done at 4 degrees C, the radiosensitization caused by RSU 1069 is reduced to a level close to that obtained with misonidazole, the action remaining unaltered at the lower temperature. This temperature dependent component of sensitization for RSU 1069 suggests the involvement of a slow biochemical process that has an appreciable activation energy. The RSU 1069 analogue RB 7040 is a more efficient radiosensitizer than RSU 1069 particularly at lower concentrations. This compound has a pKa value of 8.45, in contrast to that of RSU 1069 which is 6.04. Weak bases with pKa values in excess of average intra-cellular pH can be taken up preferentially into cells from medium at pH 7.4. It is shown that RB 7040 has a 4 X higher intracellular concentration than RSU 1069 for a similar extracellular concentration. This will explain, at least in part, the greater sensitizing efficiency of this compound when compared to RSU 1069 in vitro.

Animals↗

Cellular fast-mixing techniques: possible applications with particle beams.

In the past cellular fast-mixing techniques have been used to investigate the time resolution of radiation processes that lead to modification of radiation response in bacterial and mammalian cellular systems. So far, published studies have been confined to effects with low-LET electron beams. The brief for this paper was to discuss where, and under what conditions, such a technique could be used to advantage with high-LET particle beams. Criteria for the experimental design, including conditions of flow rate, dose rate, and mixing times, are discussed. Radiobiological problems appropriate for applications of fast-particle beams are also discussed. These include studies to reveal possible multicomponents in cellular sensitization by oxygen and electron-affinic radiation sensitizers, studies designed to assist in the resolution of direct and indirect effects, and resolution of intracellular DNA damage.

Animals↗

Potentiation of cyclophosphamide cytotoxicity in vivo: a study with misonidazole and fifteen other 1-substituted 2-nitroimidazoles.

It has recently been reported that compounds more lipophilic than misonidazole are better potentiators of CCNU tumor cytotoxicity in vivo. There is now a need to extend these studies to include other tumors and cytotoxic drugs. In the present study we have shown that misonidazole (MISO) can potentiate cyclophosphamide cytotoxicity in the Lewis lung carcinoma but not in the B16 melanoma. Further studies in the Lewis lung carcinoma, using 15 1-substituted 2-nitroimidazoles possessing a range of octanol:water partition coefficient (P) (from 0.18- greater than 100) have shown that potentiation increases with increasing lipophilicity. The most efficient compounds at administered dose levels of 1.0 and 2.0 mumol/g were Ro-07-1902, benznidazole (Ro-07-1051) and RSU 1050 which possess octanol:water partition coefficients in the range of 2.5-10. However, on the basis of an equitoxic administered dose (1/2LD50/2d), little difference in potentiation is seen over the range of P studied.

Animals↗

RSU 1069, a 2-nitroimidazole containing an alkylating group: high efficiency as a radio- and chemosensitizer in vitro and in vivo.

Electron affinity as measured by the one-electron reduction potentian, E7(1), is the major factor influencing radiosensitizing efficiency in vitro. RSU 1069 has an electron affinity (E7(1) = 398 mV) similar to misonidazole; however, the ability of this compound to sensitize hypoxic cells is considerably greater in vitro than that of misonidazole, e.g., 0.2 mM RSU 1069 gives an enhancement ratio of greater than 2.0 compared to 1.4 for the same concentration of misonidazole. Radiosensitization studies with the MT tumor in vivo also showed RSU 1069 to be a more efficient sensitizer than misonidazole. An administered dose of 0.08 mg/g RSU 1069 yielded an enhancement of 1.8 to 1.9 using tumor cell survival and tumor cure as end-points. At least a 10-fold higher dose of misonidazole is required for a similar degree of sensitization. Low doses of RSU 1069 also radiosensitize the Lewis lung and B16 experimental tumors. The ability of RSU 1069 to potentiate the cytotoxic action of melphalan and other cytotoxic drugs towards the MT tumor was also examined. RSU 1069 (0.08 mg/g) given to mice 1 hour before melphalan gave an enhancement of 2.8.

Animals↗

Radiation sensitization and chemopotentiation: RSU 1069, a compound more efficient than misonidazole in vitro and in vivo.

Electron affinity as measured by the one-electron reduction potential, E17, is the major factor influencing radiosensitizing efficiency in vitro. RSU 1069 has an electron affinity (E17 = -398 mV) similar to misonidazole; however, the ability of this compound to sensitize hypoxic cells is considerably greater than that of misonidazole, e.g. 0.2 mM RSU 1069 gives an enhancement ratio of 2.2 compared to 1.5 for the same concentration of misonidazole. Radiosensitization studies with the MT tumour in vivo also showed RSU 1069 to be a more efficient sensitizer than misonidazole. An administered dose of only 0.08 mg g-1 RSU 1069 yielded an enhancement of 1.8 to 1.9 using tumour cell survival and tumour cure as end-points. The ability of RSU 1069 to potentiate the cytotoxic action of melphalan towards the MT tumour was also examined. RSU 1069 (0.08 mg g-1) given to mice 1 h before melphalan resulted in an enhancement of 3.0. In contrast, previous studies had shown with a series of nitroimidazoles including misonidazole that Ro 03-8799 was the most effective potentiating agent, but this only gave an enhancement of 2.3 at a 10-fold higher dose than RSU 1069. RSU 1069 is a compound of substantial promise both as a radiosensitizer and chemopotentiating agent and warrants further investigation.

Animals↗

Thiol reactive nitroimidazoles: radiosensitization studies in vitro and in vivo.

Using Chinese hamster V79 cells in vitro a study has been made of the radiosensitizing properties of 4- or 5-nitroimidazoles substituted in the 2, 5 or 4 position with various halo, sulphur ether, sulphonamide, sulphonate, ether or nitro groups. Values of E17 (the one-electron reduction potential measured versus the normal hydrogen electrode at pH7) vary in the range -178 to -565 mV. All the compounds, with one exception, are more efficient radiosensitizers than would be predicted from their redox potentials, and the factor, C1.6/C1.6, by which a compound is more efficient has been calculated. The second-order rate constants, k2, for reaction of these nitroimidazoles with glutathione and/or dithiothreitol were determined. Within each class of nitroimidazole there is a trend for k2 to increase with increasing redox potential. However, there is no clear trend between k2 and C1.6/C1.6. The concentration required to cause a 50 per cent depletion of intracellular glutathione was determined for selected compounds, as was the ability of glutathione-S-transferase to catalyse reaction with thiols. These observations suggested that the relative thiol reactivity measured under chemically controlled conditions does not necessarily indicate thiol reactivity intracellularly. Studies using the MT tumour in mice showed that the high levels of radiosensitization seen in vitro could not be duplicated in vivo. This was attributed to thiol reactivity, resulting in low metabolic stability and rapid depletion of sensitizer in vivo.

Animals↗