• Anita L Sabichi, Hui Xu, Susan Fischer, Changchan Zou, Xiulan Yang, Vernon E Steele, Gary J Kelloff, Reuben Lotan, and John L Clifford.
• Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
• Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Oct 1; 9 (12): 4606-13.

AbstractFenretinide (4-HPR) is a retinoid analogue with antitumor and chemopreventive activities. In addition to 4-HPR, there are several other new phenylretinamides bearing hydroxyl, carboxyl, or methoxyl residues on carbons 2, 3, and 4 of the terminal phenylamine ring [N-(2-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (2-HPR), N-(3-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide, N-(2-carboxyphenyl)retinamide, N-(3-carboxyphenyl)retinamide, N-(4-carboxyphenyl)retinamide, and N-(4-methoxyphenyl)retinamide (4-MPR) ]. It is hypothesized that these agents can act independent of the nuclear retinoid receptor pathway. To test this hypothesis directly, we have analyzed the activity of these phenylretinamides in vitro on a panel of F9 murine embryonal carcinoma cell lines, which includes wild-type (F9-WT) and mutant cells that have disrupted genes for both retinoid X receptor alpha and retinoic acid receptor gamma retinoid receptors (F9-KO). The F9-KO cells lack almost all measurable response to all-trans-retinoic acid, the primary biologically active retinoid. Two distinct effects of retinamides were identified. The first is a rapid, dose-dependent induction of cell growth inhibition (reduced cell viability), and the second is a slower induction of differentiation and accumulation of cells in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle that was observed with a concentration of 1 micro M, for only those phenylretinamides bearing charged (hydroxyl or carboxyl) groups on the terminal phenylamine ring. The induction of differentiation and G(1) accumulation was only observed in the F9-WT cells, indicating that this effect is receptor-dependent. 4-MPR, a major metabolite of 4-HPR, lacks a charged group on the terminal phenylamine ring and did not induce retinoid receptor-dependent effects, but did induce cell growth inhibition. Thus, 4-MPR may play a role in the clinical activity of 4-HPR. This study further reveals the mechanism of action of these novel phenylretinamides and supports continued investigation into their development as chemopreventive drugs.

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