Differentiation and tumor response to retinobenzoic acid RE-80 in a malignant conversion model.

Abstract

The synthetic retinobenzoic acid RE-80 was evaluated for its potential as an inductor of tumor cell differentiation and as a chemopreventive agent. A minimally toxic dose of RE-80 in vitro produced morphologic changes typical differentiation in epidermal tumor cell colonies. Indirect immunofluorescence indicated induction of a differentiation-associated keratin of internal stratified epithelia, K13, and inhibition of the differentiation-associated epidermal keratin K1. Cultured cells were skin-grafted to athymic nu/nu mice to evaluate RE-80 effects on early stage malignant progression in vivo. When tumors had grown to 3 to 4 mm in diameter, mice were treated by intraperitoneal injection with RE-80 (67 micrograms, 170 mmol, i.p., two times per week) or vehicle (100 microliters 20% ethanol). Papillomas (benign) and moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinomas were reduced in volume about 4-fold by RE-80 treatment. Larger, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas were unaffected. RE-80 resulted in a lower proportion of proliferative cells (detectable by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) and a higher proportion of moderately to well differentiated tumors after 40 days of treatment compared with control tumors, which were mainly poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. K13 induction in vitro was correlated with response to retinoid in vivo. Induction of differentiation may be mechanism of the response to RE-80 in vivo since carcinoma cells expressing K13 did not incorporate bromodeoxyuridine and were on a terminal pathway.

• Authors: M F Kulesz-Martin, B Lisafeld, J Paterson, D Driscoll, K Shudo, D R Roop, N D Kisiel
• Journal: Cancer detection and prevention (Cancer Detect Prev) Vol. 19 Issue 4 Pg. 355-66 ( 1995) ISSN: 0361-090X [Print] England
• PMID: 7553678 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Benzoates
• Tetrahydronaphthalenes
• Re 80
• Keratins

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Benzoates (therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (drug therapy, pathology)
• Cell Differentiation (drug effects)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Keratins (drug effects)
• Mice
• Mice, Nude
• Papilloma (drug therapy, pathology)
• Skin Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Tetrahydronaphthalenes (therapeutic use)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured