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PubMed1997

Impact of overexpression of the reduced folate carrier (RFC1), an anion exchanger, on concentrative transport in murine L1210 leukemia cells.

Transport of reduced folates in murine leukemia cells is mediated by the bidirectional reduced folate carrier (RFC1) and independent unidirectional exit pumps. RFC1 has been proposed to be intrinsically equilibrating, generating transmembrane gradients by exchange with inorganic and organic anions. This paper defines the role of high level carrier expression, through transfection with RFC1 cDNA, on concentrative transport of the folate analog, methotrexate (MTX) in murine L1210 leukemia cells. RFC1 was expressed in the MTXrA line, which lacks a functional endogenous carrier to obtain the MTXrA-R16 clonal derivative. Influx was increased approximately 9-fold in MTXrA-R16 cells without a change in Km. The efflux rate constant was increased by a factor of 5.1 relative to L1210 cells, and this resulted in only a 2.1-fold increase in the steady-state level of free intracellular MTX, [MTX]i, when [MTX]e was 1 microM. The concentrative advantage for RFC1 (the ratio of [MTX]i in MTXrA-R16 to L1210 cells) increased from 1.8 at 0.1 microM MTX to 3.8 at an [MTX]e level of 30 microM. Augmented transport in MTXrA-R16 cells was accompanied by a 2-fold increase in accumulation of MTX polyglutamate derivatives and a approximately 50% decrease in the EC50 for 5-formyltetrahydrofolate and folic acid and the MTX IC50 relative to L1210 cells. These alterations paralleled changes in [MTX]i and not the much larger change in influx at low [MTX]e levels, consistent with the critical role that free intracellular folates and drug play in meeting cellular needs for folates and as a determinant of antifolate activity, respectively. The data indicate that RFC1 produces a large and near symmetrical increase in the bidirectional fluxes of MTX resulting in only a small increase in the transmembrane chemical gradient at low extracellular folate levels. Hence, increased expression of RFC1, alone, may not be an efficient adaptive response to folate deprivation, and other factors may come into play to account for the marked increases in concentrative folate transport which occur when cells are subjected to low folate-selective pressure.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

The role of methotrexate and dihydrofolate polyglutamates in the enhancement of fluorouracil action by methotrexate.

The effect of the methotrexate (MTX)-5-fluorouracil (FUra) combination on L1210 cell viability was highly sequence dependent in that a 1.4 log (25-fold) increase in cytotoxicity was observed when the MTX preceded FUra, as compared to the reverse sequence. The formation of ternary complexes of thymidylate synthetase has been examined as a basis for the interaction of FUra and MTX in L1210 cells. L1210 cells converted 39% of the total intracellular MTX into MTX-poly-gamma-glutamates within 4 hours of a 1 microM MTX exposure. MTX-diglutamate (2,4-diamino,N 10-methylpteroyl-diglutamate) and MTX-triglutamate were the predominant metabolites. In contrast to the ternary complexes formed with MTX and MTX-diglutamate, the 5-fluorodeoxy-uridylate (FdUMP)-7,8-dihydropteroylpentaglutamate-enzyme and the FdUMP-5,10-methylenetetrahydropteroylpentaglutamate-enzyme complexes were stable to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions. MTX-diglutamate enhanced the extent of tight-binding inhibition of thymidylate synthetase activity by FdUMP in the presence of saturating 5,10-methylenetetrahydropteroylpentaglutamate, suggesting that MTX-diglutamate did not antagonize the formation of FdUMP-5,10-methylenetetrahydropteroylpentaglutamate enzyme complex. We propose that the sequence-dependent effect of MTX plus FUra on L1210 cell viability results from MTX and MTX polyglutamate inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase, and consequently a trapping of intracellular folates as dihydrofolate polyglutamates that could increase the extent of FdUMP binding to thymidylate synthetase.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Mammalian folyl polyglutamate synthetase: partial purification and properties of the mouse liver enzyme.

Folyl polyglutamate synthetase has been partially purified from mouse liver, and the general features of this enzyme have been characterized. The purification procedure utilized fractionation with ammonium sulfate, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography on ATP-agarose and resulted in a 350-fold increase in specific activity with 8-20% recovery of enzyme activity. Enzyme could be stabilized by glycerol or by ATP, but stability was not appreciably enhanced by folate. The enzymatic reaction was completely dependent on folate, ATP, and Mg2+ while partial reaction rates were observed in the absence of KCl or beta-mercaptoethanol. Highest reaction rates were observed at pH 8.2-9.5 at 37 degrees C. Chromatography of purified enzyme on calibrated gel filtration columns suggested a molecular weight of 65 000. Mouse liver folyl polyglutamate synthetase coupled [3H]glutamic acid to all of the naturally occurring folates studied. Analysis of the reaction products by high-performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that several folyl oligoglutamates were formed at low substrate concentrations but that only folyl diglutamate was formed at substrate concentrations approaching saturation. Dihydrofolate, tetrahydrofolate, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate, 10-formyltetrahydrofolate, and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate were the best substrates. Folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were also substrates for this reaction, but much higher concentrations of these compounds were required to saturate the enzyme. These data suggest that all of the tetrahydrofolyl compounds (except 5-methyltetrahydrofolate) are the monoglutamyl substrates for polyglutamation in vivo and that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate is not likely to be a direct precursor for folate polyglutamates in mouse liver.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

The effect of the addition of a polyglutamate motif to RGD on peptide tethering to hydroxyapatite and the promotion of mesenchymal stem cell adhesion.

Mimicking endogenous bone-binding proteins, RGD peptides have been synthesized with polyacidic amino acid domains in order to ionically tether the peptides to bone-like synthetic biomaterials, including hydroxyapatite (HA). However, a direct comparison of unmodified RGD with polyacidic-conjugated RGD has not been performed, and thus a benefit for the acidic domain has not been established. We evaluated the peptide/HA bond of RGD peptides with and without an attached polyglutamate sequence (E(7)), as well as examined mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) adhesion and morphology as they were affected by the conjugated peptide. We found that significantly more E(7)RGD was bound to HA than RGD at all coating concentrations tested, and moreover, more E(7)RGD was retained on the HA surface even after extended washing in serum-free media. Consistent with in vitro results, higher levels of E(7)RGD than RGD remained on HA that had been implanted in vivo for 24 h, indicating that the polyacidic domain improved peptide-binding efficiency. At several peptide concentrations, E(7)RGD increased cell adhesion compared to RGD surfaces, establishing a biological benefit for the E(7) modification. In addition, HA pre-coated sequentially with low-density E(7)RGD (1-10 microg/ml) and serum (FBS) stimulated cell adhesion and spreading, compared to either coating alone, suggesting that an ionic linkage allows for the potential adsorption of serum proteins to unoccupied sites, which may be important for bone formation in vivo. Collectively, these results suggest that tethering peptides to HA via a polyglutamate domain is an effective method for improving the peptide/HA bond, as well as for enhancing MSC adhesion.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The measurement of polyglutamate metabolites of the thymidylate synthase inhibitor, ICI D1694, in mouse and human cultured cells.

A method is described for the measurement of the polyglutamates of the quinazoline thymidylate synthase inhibitor, N-(5-[N-(3,4-dihydro-2-methyl-4-oxoquinazolin- 6-ylmethyl)-N-methylamino]-2-theonyl)-L-glutamic acid (ICI D1694). This involved incubation of cells with [5-3H]ICI D1694, extraction of the polyglutamates and their analysis by HPLC using an ion-pairing method. Co-chromatography with ICI D1694 and its synthetic di-hexaglutamate standards (UV detection) aided identification of the [3H]polyglutamates in the fractions recovered from the HPLC. Recovery of the polyglutamates at each stage of extraction and analysis was very good (77-84% overall recovery). Polyglutamates readily accumulated as the tri-, tetra and penta forms and occasionally a small amount of hexaglutamate was found. After mouse L1210 leukemia or human W1L2 lymphoblastoid cells were incubated for 30 min with 0.1 microM [3H]ICI D1694 there was a approximately 6-fold concentration effect intracellularly with most of the 3H associated with polyglutamate forms (approximately 75% and 96% for the L1210 and W1L2, respectively). Even some of the higher chain length tetra- and pentaglutamates could be detected at this time. After 4 hr incubation the total level of intracellular 3H had risen to 2-3 microM, greater than 96% of which was associated with polyglutamates (mainly tetra- and pentaglutamates). Four other human cell lines, two ovarian (CH1 and 41M), the MCF-7 breast and the HT-29 colon, were examined for their ability to form intracellular polyglutamates. A 4 hr incubation with 0.1 microM [3H]ICI D1694 resulted in a substantial intracellular accumulation of the drug (20-100-fold) in its polyglutamate forms with only 2-20% remaining as the parent monoglutamate, depending on the cell line. The major polyglutamate was again cell line dependent, ranging from the tri to the penta form. Prolonging the incubation time to 24 hr allowed a further accumulation of drug with a larger percentage appearing as tri- to hexaglutamates. Although cell lines differed in the total level of polyglutamates formed and the pattern of chain length observed, rapid and extensive polyglutamation of ICI D1694 occurred in all the cell types examined.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Folate analog nonsubstrates and inhibitors of folylpolyglutamate synthetase as potential cancer chemotherapy drugs.

Folate monoglutamates and classical antifols such as methotrexate (MTX) are converted intracellularly to poly-gamma-glutamyl forms by folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). Folylpolyglutamates are absolutely essential for cell survival and proliferation. MTX polyglutamates are strongly implicated in the cytotoxic mechanism of this drug. Two new types of antifol could be targeted toward polyglutamate synthesis. One type would be structurally analogous to a folate monoglutamate or MTX, except it would not form polyglutamates. In the case of a folate, this analog might induce cellular deficiency by displacing natural folates. In the case of MTX, the analog might have a therapeutic advantage if MTX polyglutamates are involved primarily in host toxicity. The second approach is through direct inhibitors of FPGS. Two relevant MTX analogs have been synthesized and tested: 4-amino-10-methylpteroyl-4-fluoroglutamate does not form polyglutamates or does so extremely poorly; the second, 4-amino-10-methylpteroyl-2,5-diaminopentanoate, is an inhibitor of mammalian FPGS, as predicted from the work of Shane and co-workers with reduced pteroyl-2,5-diaminopentanoate.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1983

Intracellular pharmacokinetics of methotrexate polyglutamates in human breast cancer cells. Selective retention and less dissociable binding of 4-NH2-10-CH3-pteroylglutamate4 and 4-NH2-10-CH3-pteroylglutamate5 to dihydrofolate reductase.

Methotrexate (MTX-Glu1) exerts its antitumor effects through its potent inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the enzyme responsible for maintaining the cellular pool of reduced folates. Since the drug-enzyme complex (bound drug) is slowly dissociable, an excess of drug (unbound or free drug) above that required to bind all enzyme sites is required in order to compete with substrate for sites made available by enzyme-drug dissociation. We have examined the role of the polyglutamyl metabolites of MTX-Glu1 containing two to five glutamyl (MTX-Glu2-5) groups in gamma peptide linkage in maintaining an intracellular pool of free drug and in forming slowly dissociable complexes with DHFR. During 24-h incubations of ZR-75-B human breast cancer cells with 2 microM MTX-Glu1, we observed the progressive formation of derivatives with two to five glutamyl groups, which rapidly replaced the parent compound on enzyme binding sites and represented 85% of both unbound and bound intracellular drug at the end of incubation. When cells were then placed in drug-free medium, the rates of disappearance of drug and metabolites from the intracellular bound and free fractions decreased with increasing glutamyl chain length. Over 90% of both bound and free MTX-Glu1 left the cells within 1 h, greater than 90% of MTX-glu2 left within 6 h, and greater than 90% of MTX-Glu3 left the bound and free fractions within 24 h. In contrast, free MTX-Glu4 fell by only 63% and bound by only 23% after 24 h, while free MTX-Glu5 increased by 52% after 6 h in drug-free medium and bound MTX-Glu5 increased threefold after 24 h, as it replaced the other forms of drug bound to DHFR. These results suggested a rapid dissociation of MTX-GLu1 and -Glu2 from the enzyme, and a slower dissociation of the longer chain length derivatives. This conclusion was confirmed by examining the rates at which [3H]MTX-Glu1 through -Glu5 could be replaced on enzyme binding sites by a fivefold or greater excess of unlabeled MTX-Glu1. Bound [3H]MTX-Glu1 and -Glu2 had dissociation t 1/2 of 12 and 30 min, respectively, while -Glu3, -Glu4, and -Glu5 had t 1/2 of 102, 108, and 120 min. These experiments demonstrated that the longer chain polyglutamates have prolonged intracellular retention and can be dissociated less readily than MTX-Glu2 from DHFR, properties likely to make them more efficient DHFR inhibitors than the parent drug and of potential importance in extending the duration of drug action in tumor cells.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1998

Thermodynamic analysis of the binding of the polyglutamate chain of 5-formyltetrahydropteroylpolyglutamates to serine hydroxymethyltransferase.

The thermodynamic parameters for the binding of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-CHO-H4PteGlun) and its polyglutamate forms to rabbit liver cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) were determined by a combination of isothermal titration calorimetry and spectrophotometry. Binding of 5-CHO-H4PteGlun to SHMT exhibits both positive enthalpy and entropy, showing that binding is entropically driven. 5-CHO-H4PteGlu5 has a 300-fold increased affinity for SHMT compared to 5-CHO-H4PteGlu. This increase in affinity is due primarily to a decrease in the positive enthalpy with little change in entropy. A variety of anions inhibit the binding of 5-CHO-H4PteGlu5 with Ki values in the 10-20 mM range. Anions are ineffective inhibitors of 5-CHO-H4PteGlu binding to SHMT, showing that anions compete for the polyglutamate binding site. There was little difference in the Ki values for a series of dicarboxylic acids as inhibitors of 5-CHO-H4PteGlu5, suggesting that spacing of the negative charges may not be important in determining their effectiveness as inhibitors. Both the mono- and pentaglutamate derivatives of 5-CHO-H4PteGlun were cross-linked to SHMT by a carbodiimide reaction to Lys-450 which resides in a stretch of Lys, His, and Arg residues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Molecular, biochemical, and cellular pharmacology of pemetrexed.

Pemetrexed is a new-generation antifolate that in its higher polyglutamyl forms is a potent, direct inhibitor of thymidylate synthase and, to a lesser extent, glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase. Activity of the drug may be partially preserved under conditions in which cells are highly resistant to other thymidylate synthase inhibitors, possibly because of premetrexed's secondary inhibitory effects on purine synthesis. Pemetrexed inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase is not of pharmacologic importance. Pemetrexed has high affinity for the reduced folate carrier and folate receptor and is among the most potent substrates for folylpolyglutamate synthetase. These properties result in rapid accumulation of the free drug in cells with the rapid formation of high levels of the active polyglutamyl congeners. Pemetrexed activity is modulated by natural folates within cells that compete for polyglutamation at the level of folylpolyglutamate synthetase. Cells resistant to methotrexate because of impaired transport via the reduced folate carrier may retain partial sensitivity to pemetrexed. This is due to concurrent diminished transport of physiologic reduced folates and contraction of the cellular folate pool, thereby relaxing the usual level of suppression of pemetrexed polyglutamation. The risk of pemetrexed toxicity is increased when cellular folates are suboptimal. This is best monitored by assessment of blood homocysteine levels, and can be diminished by the coadministration of folic acid.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Methotrexate accumulation and folate depletion in cells as a possible mechanism of chronic toxicity to the drug.

Methotrexate has been associated with chronic toxicities such as cirrhosis and neurological impairments ranging from mild learning disorders to a fatal leucoencephalopathy. The mechanism(s) for this toxicity is not completely understood. Certain tissues can convert methotrexate to polyglutamates. This results in a more persistent intracellular form of the drug. In this study the intracellular levels of folate and methotrexate were measured in the erythrocytes and liver of patients treated chronically with methotrexate. These tissues showed an accumulation of methotrexate as polyglutamates and a concomitant loss of folate. Folate concentrations were below normal in nine of 12 red cell and three of five liver samples. It is proposed that persistent methotrexate concentrations and/or the associated folate deficiency may be related to the toxicity of methotrexate, especially in time of cellular stress.

Erythrocytes↗
PubMed2000

[Study on alkaline hydrolysis of polyglutamate for de-esterification].

This paper reports the alkaline hydrolysis of poly(methyl glutamate), poly (benzyl glutamate) and copoly(methyl glutamate-benzyl glutamate-glutamic acid) for de-esterification. The results showed that in this process of alkaline hydrolysis the demethylation of poly(methyl glutamate) was faster, but debenzylation of poly(benzyl glutamate) was hardly processed. An increase in the methyl glutamate content of starting copolymers, in the alkaline concentration and the time of alkaline hydrolysis, and a decrease in the film thickness, would lead to a raise in the degree of alkaline hydrolysis, that is, an increase of the glutamic acid segment content in product of alkaline hydrolysis.

Drug Interactions↗
PubMed1991

Structural features of 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate that determine inhibition of mammalian glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase.

We have investigated the structural features of 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (DDATHF) that determine the activity of this compound as an inhibitor of glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT) purified from mouse L1210 cells. 5-Deazatetrahydrofolate was as good an inhibitor of GARFT as DDATHF, indicating that isosteric replacement of nitrogen by carbon at the 5-position of tetrahydrofolate is sufficient for inhibition of GARFT. 5,10-Dideazafolic acid, 5,8,10-trideazatetrahydrofolate, and 2-desamino-5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate were poor inhibitors of GARFT, indicating that a reduced pyridopyrimidine ring, N-8, and the 2-amino group of DDATHF, respectively, play an important role in the binding of tetrahydrofolate analogues to this enzyme. DDATHF analogues in which the phenyl ring was replaced either by a cyclohexyl ring or by methylene groups retained activity as inhibitors. 5,10-Dideazatetrahydrohomofolate was about 6 times more potent as an inhibitor of GARFT than DDATHF, but 5,10-dideazatetrahydronorfolate had about one-fifth of the activity of DDATHF. An analogue of DDATHF in which the glutamic acid side chain was replaced by aspartic acid (which was not a substrate for polyglutamation and was only weakly cytotoxic) was equiactive with DDATHF as an inhibitor of purified GARFT. Surprisingly, 5,10-dideazatetrahydropteroic acid was about as active as DDATHF as an inhibitor of GARFT, an indication that the glutamic acid in the side chain of DDATHF does not play a role in this ligand-enzyme interaction. The polyglutamate derivatives of DDATHF bound up to 100 times tighter to GARFT than DDATHF itself; longer chain polyglutamates conformed to Goldstein's zone B behavior under experimental conditions and were projected to be in zone C, i.e., stoichiometric inhibition, in vivo. We conclude that the presence of carbon at the 5-position of tetrahydrofolate analogues is sufficient for inhibition of GARFT, that N-8 and the 2-amino group are involved in binding of DDATHF to GARFT, probably through hydrogen bonds, and that the structures of the phenyl ring and amino acid side chain of DDATHF analogues are not primary determinants of GARFT inhibition by monoglutamate forms of these compounds. We also conclude that polyglutamation plays a major role in the potent cytotoxicity of DDATHF.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1988

Rescue effect of exogenous reduced folates on methotrexate polyglutamylation and dihydrofolate reductase activity in L1210 cells.

L1210 can be rescued from exposure to an inhibitory effect of methotrexate (MTX) by subsequent addition of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate or dihydrofolate. All folates listed caused marked reduction of long-chain MTX polyglutamates content and increased the activity of dihydrofolate reductase. This indicates that the rescue is a result of interaction of the reduced folates with two processes-polyglutamylation of MTX and generation of dihydrofolate.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Antifolate polyglutamylation and competitive drug displacement at dihydrofolate reductase as important elements in leucovorin rescue in L1210 cells.

Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that the addition of leucovorin to tumor cells dissociates methotrexate, but not methotrexate polyglutamates, from dihydrofolate reductase (L. H. Matherly, D. W. Fry, and I. D. Goldman, Cancer Res., 43: 2694-2699, 1983). To further assess the importance of these interactions to leucovorin rescue, antifolate growth inhibition toward L1210 cells in the presence of leucovorin was correlated with the metabolism of (6S)-5-formyl tetrahydrofolate to dihydrofolate as a measure of dihydrofolate reductase activity. Growth inhibition (greater than 95%) by methotrexate (5-10 microM) following its intracellular polyglutamylation during a 3-h preexposure, or by continuous treatment with high levels of the lipophilic antifolate, trimetrexate (1 microM), was only slightly diminished by 10 microM leucovorin (15-25%). High-pressure liquid chromatographic analyses of the derivatives formed from radiolabeled (6S)-5-formyl tetrahydrofolate under these conditions showed an incomplete conversion to dihydrofolate and metabolism to predominantly 10-formyl tetrahydrofolate. Neither of the antifolates interfered appreciably with the metabolism of the folate derivatives to polyglutamates. Growth inhibition in the presence of leucovorin correlated with the accumulation of dihydrofolate (1.5-2.2 nmol) from radiolabeled (6S)-5-formyl tetrahydrofolate, reflecting continued suppression of dihydrofolate reductase activity at these drug concentrations. With lower equitoxic levels of the trimetrexate (7.5 nM), the provision of leucovorin allowed for a restoration of cell growth to a level greater than 90% of control. Under these conditions, control levels of dihydrofolate (0.2 nmol) were formed from radiolabeled cofactor, consistent with sustained dihydrofolate reductase activity. These findings support a role for the activation of dihydrofolate reductase as an important component of the reversal of the effects of diaminoantifolates by leucovorin, presumably by a competitive displacement of drug from the enzyme. Since no displacement occurs in cells which have accumulated methotrexate polyglutamates, or in the presence of high levels of trimetrexate, it appears that the concentration of unbound drug within cells is a significant determinant of the extent of this competitive binding interaction. From these considerations, the high levels of methotrexate polyglutamates that accumulate in sensitive tumors relative to bone marrow and gastrointestinal cells would appear to represent an important factor for the selectivity of leucovorin rescue in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Comparison of folylpolyglutamate hydrolases of mouse liver, kidney, muscle and brain.

The folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities of mouse liver, kidney, muscle and brain were examined by incorporation of methylenetetrahydrofolate polyglutamate reaction products into a stable ternary complex with tritiated fluorodeoxyuridylate and L. casei thymidylate synthetase. Complexes were separated electrophoretically on the basis of charge associated with the polyglutamyl moieties to determine distribution of chain lengths throughout the time course of the reaction. Tissue folylpolyglutamate hydrolase activities were allowed to utilize endogenous folylpolyglutamate as substrates by incubating crude tissue extracts at pH 7.4 ang pH 4.5. Kidney and muscle contained relatively reactive hydrolases which were capable of generating intermediates of essentially all chain lengths from folylpentaglutamate, the predominant endogenous species. The relatively low activity in brain also gave rise to all possible intermediates. Liver contained a high concentration of methylenetetrahydrofolate but little hydrolase activity. The activity present in liver gave rise to essentially no intermediates but yielded only the monoglutamate form of the cofactor. When purified lysosomal preparations from liver and kidney were allowed to react with synthetic folylpolyglutamates, the same specificity with regard to reaction products was observed as with endogenous substrates.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Further studies on the pharmacologic effects of the 7-hydroxy catabolite of methotrexate in the L1210 murine leukemia cell.

This paper describes studies that further explore the pharmacologic activity of the 7-hydroxy catabolite of methotrexate (7-OH-MTX). A 3-hr exposure of L1210 leukemia cells to 100 microM 7-OH-MTX produced negligible suppression of cell growth despite the build-up of intracellular polyglutamyl congeners to levels 2.7 times greater than the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) binding capacity. There was no evidence for direct inhibition of DHFR under these conditions based upon measurements of cellular tetrahydrofolate cofactor and dihydrofolate levels, nor was there suppression of [3H]deoxyuridine incorporation into DNA or [14C]formate incorporation into purines. When the interval of exposure to 100 microM 7-OH-MTX was increased to 6 hr, cell growth was inhibited by 60% and there was mild (approximately 50%) inhibition of purine and thymidylate biosynthesis associated with a small increase in cellular dihydrofolate and a small decline in cellular tetrahydrofolates. Consistent with weak inhibition of DHFR was the absence of significant binding of 7-OH-MTX polyglutamates to DHFR as assessed by gel filtration of cell extracts. Mild direct inhibition of purine biosynthetics by 7-OH-MTX- or MTX-polyglutamyl congeners was demonstrated based upon inhibition of [14C]formate incorporation into purines in cells pretreated with fluorodeoxyuridine so as to prevent tetrahydrofolate cofactor depletion or dihydrofolate polyglutamate build-up. Effects of a 6-hr exposure of cells to 100 microM 7-OH MTX on cell growth were reversed completely by 10 microM leucovorin; effects on cells containing comparable levels of MTX polyglutamyl congeners were unaffected by leucovorin. These studies demonstrate very weak inhibition of L1210 leukemia cell growth and purine, pyrimidine and tetrahydrofolate synthesis by the polyglutamyl congeners of 7-OH-MTX. The data suggest that effects of 7-OH-MTX polyglutamates on folate-requiring enzymes are not likely to play an important role in moderate-dose MTX regimens. However, pharmacologic activity may be expressed in high-dose MTX protocols when high blood levels of 7-OH-MTX are sustained over long intervals to the extent to which polyglutamate congeners accumulate in tumor cells and add to the much more potent inhibitory effects of MTX polyglutamates already present. Pharmacologic activity, however, would be diminished, if not completely reversed, by the concurrent administration of leucovorin.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Quinazoline thymidylate synthase inhibitors: methods for assessing the contribution of polyglutamation to their in vitro activity.

Many quinazoline thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitors undergo intracellular metabolism to polyglutamate forms which can significantly alter their activity and pharmacodynamics through improved TS inhibition and drug retention. When a series of quinazolines was tested for inhibitory activity towards TS (IC50 0.001-2 microM) and the growth of L1210 cells (IC50 0.005-10 microM), no direct correlation was observed. However, a very good correlation was apparent if a L1210 variant cell line (L1210: RD1694) was used. This line is deficient in its ability to form antifolate polyglutamates. A number of other intact cell methods have also been developed which estimate the contribution that intracellular polyglutamation makes to a compound's activity. These assays were validated using a series of quinazoline-based TS inhibitors with well-defined activity for TS, folypolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) and the reduced-folate cell membrane carrier (RFC). Short-exposure growth-inhibition assays or the measurement of TS activity in situ after various incubation times, followed by different lengths of time in drug-free medium, can indicate both the speed and extent of appearance of retentive forms (usually polyglutamates). Continuous-exposure growth-inhibition assays, in the presence of leucovorin (LV), are also useful, since only the growth-inhibitory potency of polyglutamated analogues is significantly decreased by LV. Highly polyglutamated compounds, e.g. ZD1694, are virtually inactive in the presence of a high concentration of LV. It is proposed that these methods, when considered together, provide a greater degree of information concerning the rate and extent of polyglutamation of a particular compound than isolated FPGS assays alone.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Importance of pharmacodynamics in the in vitro antiproliferative activity of the antifolates methotrexate and 10-ethyl-10-deazaaminopterin against human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The pharmacodynamic profiles of methotrexate (MTX) and 10-ethyl-10-deazaaminopterin (10-EdAM) were determined in three head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Cell growth inhibition was tested using a semi-automated 96-well based proliferation assay, the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Drug concentrations ranged from 10(-5) to 10(-9) M, with exposure periods of 4, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr. The SRB-test was performed after each of these periods of continuous exposure and after an additional period of 24 and 48 hr in drug-free medium. Without a drug-free period the IC50 values strongly depended on the time of exposure. For example, with respect to MTX, IC50 values at 24 hr ranged from 2.9 (UM-SCC-14C) to over 10 microM (UM-SCC-22B and -11B), but when exposed continuously for 96 hr, IC50 values varied between 0.039 and 0.1 microM. 10-EdAM followed a similar sensitivity pattern with 5-20-fold lower IC50 values. The minimal time to achieve significant growth inhibition varied between the cell lines, < 24 hr for UM-SCC-14C, > 24 and > 48 hr for UM-SCC-11B and -22B, respectively. The cell lines also varied with respect to growth behaviour when placed in drug-free medium for an additional period. Growth of UM-SCC-14C cells was recovered significantly after removing the drug, whereas UM-SCC-22B showed a different pattern: when cultured for over 48 hr, cell growth was strongly inhibited, independent of the drug being removed. This variable pattern of sensitivity could be correlated with the capacity of the cells to form polyglutamate derivatives. After 24 hr, drug accumulation was at least three times lower in UM-SCC-14C than in both other cell lines. The low level of antifolate accumulation in UM-SCC-14C is in line with the recovery from growth inhibition at culture in drug-free medium, while the persistent growth inhibition observed in UM-SCC-22B agrees with the intracellular accumulation of higher polyglutamates. In conclusion, these experiments show that the pharmacodynamic profile varies between HNSCC cell lines and plays an important role in the growth inhibition by antifolates. Both exposure time and the intrinsic capacity to synthesize polyglutamates are important factors in the sensitivity of HNSCC to antifolate drugs.

Aminopterin↗