Cancer research
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An important biochemical hallmark of apoptosis is the cleavage of chromatin into oligonucleosomal fragments. Here, we purified a Mg2+-dependent endonuclease from etoposide-treated HL-60 cells undergoing apoptosis. High levels of Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activity were detected in etoposide-treated HL-60 cells, and this activity increased in a time-dependent manner following etoposide treatment. ⋯ This enzyme introduced single- and double-strand breaks into SV40 DNA and produced internucleosomal DNA cleavage in isolated nuclei from untreated cells. The DNA breaks were terminated with 3'-OH, consistent with characteristic products of apoptotic chromatin fragmentation. We propose to designate this Mr 34,000 Mg2+-dependent endonuclease AN34 (apoptotic nuclease Mr 34,000).
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Comparative Study
Comparative pharmacology of the novel cyclopropylpyrroloindole-prodrug carzelesin in mice, rats, and humans.
Carzelesin is a novel cyclopropylpyrroloindole prodrug analogue that has recently been tested in Phase I clinical trials. To increase our understanding in the pharmacology of this new class of cytotoxic drugs, we have compared the pharmacology of this drug in mice, rats, and humans. The mouse was the most tolerant [10% lethal dose (LD10), 500 microg/kg], the rat was intermediate (LD10, 40 microg/kg), and humans were the least tolerant species in this series (maximum tolerated dose, 300 microg/m2 corresponding to 7.5 microg/kg). ⋯ Although some of this discrepancy may be explained by the fact that the in vitro and the in vivo assays probably reflect the toxicity on different populations of colony-forming units, the tolerance of the mouse bone marrow in vivo against the very high drug levels in plasma suggest the presence of a protective mechanism, which is less active in humans. An important consequence of the much higher susceptibility of the human bone marrow for carzelesin is that the target plasma levels in humans are much below active concentrations achieved in mice, and it is clear that this may compromise the successful use of this agent in the clinic. Ultimately, however, the efficacy of this drug will be established in Phase II clinical trials.