Synergistic inhibition of human leukemia cell growth by deoxyguanosine and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

Abstract

We studied the ability of 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo) to influence 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) inhibition of soft agar cloning of the cultured human leukemia cell line K562. Ara-C alone inhibited cloning in concentrations of greater than 10 nM, with a steep drop in colony formation observed between 10 and 100 nM. dGuo and ara-C synergistically inhibited cloning; the combination of ineffective concentrations of dGuo (10-50 microM) and ara-C (less than or equal to nM) inhibited cloning by 40-70%. In K562 cells, dGuo is metabolized by both nucleoside kinase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), resulting in augmentation of both the GTP pool (to more than 200% of control after a 3 hr incubation with 500 microM dGuo) and the dGTP pool (to more than 2700% of control after 3 hr with 500 microM dGuo). dGuo (50-500 microM) caused a decrease in the dCTP and dTTP pools and an increase in the dATP pool. Synergistic concentrations of dGuo plus 10 nM ara-C augmented the ara-CTP pool up to 800% of control after 3 hr to levels equivalent to those observed after incubation with 500 nM ara-C alone. Incorporation of 10 nM ara-CTP into DNA also increased in the presence of dGuo (up to a maximum of 300% of control), but only to a level that approximated the value observed with nM ara-C alone. The disparity between enlargement of the ara-CTP pool and augmentation of ara-C incorporation into DNA is consistent with the observation of Steinberg et al. [Cancer Res. 39, 4330 (1979)] that high concentrations of dGTP may inhibit DNA polymerase activity. Thus, synergy between dGuo and ara-C is multifactorial, possibly involving inhibition of DNA polymerase by elevated dGTP and ara-CTP pools and augmented incorporation of ara-C into DNA.

• Authors: S A Akman, D D Ross, C C Joneckis, B M Fox, N R Bachur
• Journal: Biochemical pharmacology (Biochem Pharmacol) Vol. 33 Issue 7 Pg. 1059-63 (Apr 01 1984) ISSN: 0006-2952 [Print] England
• PMID: 6712715 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cytarabine
• Guanosine Triphosphate
• Deoxyguanosine

Topics

• Cell Line
• Cytarabine (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Deoxyguanosine (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Drug Synergism
• Guanosine Triphosphate (metabolism)
• Humans
• Leukemia (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Phosphorylation