Dependence of leukemic cell proliferation and survival on H2O2 and L-arginine

Mechanisms of cell death induced by arginase and asparaginase in precursor B-cell lymphoblasts

Arginase has therapeutic potential as a cytotoxic agent in some cancers, but this is unclear for precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (pre-B ALL), the commonest form of childhood leukaemia. We compared arginase cytotoxicity with asparaginase, currently used in pre-B ALL treatment, and characterised the forms of cell death induced in a pre-B ALL cell line 697. Arginase and asparaginase both efficiently killed 697 cells and mature B lymphoma cell line Ramos, but neither enzyme killed normal lymphocytes. Arginase depleted cellular arginine, and arginase-treated media induced cell death, blocked by addition of arginine or arginine-precursor citrulline. Asparaginase depleted both asparagine and glutamine, and asparaginase-treated media induced cell death, blocked by asparagine, but not glutamine. Both enzymes induced caspase cleavage and activation, chromatin condensation and phosphatidylserine exposure, indicating apoptosis. Both arginase- and asparaginase-induced death were blocked by caspase inhibitors, but with different sensitivities. BCL-2 overexpression inhibited arginase- and asparaginase-induced cell death, but did not prevent arginase-induced cytostasis, indicating a different mechanism of growth arrest. An autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine, had no effect on the cell death induced by arginase, but doubled the cell death induced by asparaginase. In conclusion, arginase causes death of lymphoblasts by arginine-depletion induced apoptosis, via mechanism distinct from asparaginase. Therapeutic implications for childhood ALL include: arginase might be used as treatment (but antagonised by dietary arginine and citrulline), chloroquine may enhance efficacy of asparaginase treatment, and partial resistance to arginase and asparaginase may develop by BCL-2 expression. Arginase or asparaginase might potentially be used to treat Burkitt lymphoma.

Ebselen alters cellular oxidative status and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in rat hippocampal astrocytes

Ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) is an organoselenium radical scavenger compound, which has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Because of its properties, it may be protective against injury to the nervous tissue. However, evidence suggests that its glutathione peroxidase activity could underlie certain deleterious actions on cell physiology. In this study we have analyzed the effect of ebselen on rat hippocampal astrocytes in culture. Cellular oxidative status, cytosolic free-Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]c), setting of endoplasmic reticulum stress and phosphorylation of glial fibrillary acidic protein and major mitogen-activated protein kinases were analyzed. Our results show that ebselen induced a concentration-dependent increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species in the mitochondria. We observed a concentration-dependent increase in global cysteine oxidation and in the level of malondialdehyde in the presence of ebselen. We also detected increases in catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase activity. Ebselen also evoked a concentration-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)]c. Moreover, we observed a concentration-dependent increase in the phosphorylation of the unfolded protein response markers, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α and X-box binding protein 1. Finally, ebselen also induced an increase in the phosphorylation of glial fibrillary acidic protein, SAPK/JNK, p38 MAPK and p44/42 MAPK. Our results provide strong evidence that implicate endoplasmic reticulum stress and activation of crucial mitogen-activated protein kinases in an oxidative damage of cells in the presence of ebselen. The compound thus might exert deleterious actions on astrocyte physiology that could compromise their function.

A new oxygen modification cyclooctaoxygen binds to nucleic acids as sodium crown complex

BACKGROUND

Oxygen exists in two gaseous and six solid allotropic modifications. An additional allotropic modification of oxygen, the cyclooctaoxygen, was predicted to exist in 1990.

METHODS

Cyclooctaoxygen sodium was synthesized in vitro from atmospheric oxygen, or catalase effect-generated oxygen, under catalysis of cytosine nucleosides and either ninhydrin or eukaryotic low-molecular weight RNA. Thin-layer chromatographic mobility shift assays were applied on specific nucleic acids and the cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex.

RESULTS

We report the first synthesis and characterization of cyclooctaoxygen as its sodium crown complex, isolated in the form of three cytosine nucleoside hydrochloride complexes. The cationic cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex is shown to bind to nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), to associate with single-stranded DNA and spermine phosphate, and to be essentially non-toxic to cultured mammalian cells at 0.1-1.0mM concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

We postulate that cyclooctaoxygen is formed in most eukaryotic cells in vivo from dihydrogen peroxide in a catalase reaction catalyzed by cytidine and RNA. A molecular biological model is deduced for a first epigenetic shell of eukaryotic in vivo DNA. This model incorporates an epigenetic explanation for the interactions of the essential micronutrient selenium (as selenite) with eukaryotic in vivo DNA.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Since the sperminium phosphate/cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex is calculated to cover the active regions (2.6%) of bovine lymphocyte interphase genome, and 12.4% of murine enterocyte mitotic chromatin, we propose that the sperminium phosphate/cyclooctaoxygen sodium complex coverage of nucleic acids is essential to eukaryotic gene regulation and promoted proto-eukaryotic evolution.

Small molecules reveal an alternative mechanism of Bax activation

The pro-apoptotic protein Bax commits a cell to death by permeabilizing the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). To obtain small-molecule probes for elucidating the molecular mechanism(s) of Bax activation, we screened for compounds that induced Bax-mediated liposome permeabilization. We identified five structurally different small molecules that promoted both Bax targeting to and oligomerization at membranes. All five compounds initiated Bax oligomerization in the absence of membranes by a mechanism unlike Bax activation by Bcl-2 homology 3 domain (BH3) proteins. Some of the compounds induced Bax/Bak-dependent apoptosis in cells. Activation of Bax by the most active compound was poorly inhibited by the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL and requires a cysteine residue at position 126 of Bax that is not required for activation by BH3 proteins. Our results reveal a novel pathway for Bax activation independent of pro-apoptotic BH3 proteins that may have important implications for the regulation of Bax activity in cells.

Arginine dependence of acute myeloid leukemia blast proliferation: a novel therapeutic target

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common acute leukemias in adults and children, yet significant numbers of patients relapse and die of disease. In this study, we identify the dependence of AML blasts on arginine for proliferation. We show that AML blasts constitutively express the arginine transporters CAT-1 and CAT-2B, and that the majority of newly diagnosed patients' blasts have deficiencies in the arginine-recycling pathway enzymes argininosuccinate synthase and ornithine transcarbamylase, making them arginine auxotrophic. BCT-100, a pegylated human recombinant arginase, leads to a rapid depletion in extracellular and intracellular arginine concentrations, resulting in arrest of AML blast proliferation and a reduction in AML engraftment in vivo. BCT-100 as a single agent causes significant death of AML blasts from adults and children, and acts synergistically in combination with cytarabine. Using RNA sequencing, 20 further candidate genes which correlated with resistance have been identified. Thus, AML blasts are dependent on arginine for survival and proliferation, as well as depletion of arginine with BCT-100 of clinical value in the treatment of AML.

The seleno-organic compound ebselen impairs mitochondrial physiology and induces cell death in AR42J cells

Ebselen is a seleno-organic compound that causes cell death in several cancer cell types. The mechanisms underlying its deleterious effects have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the effects of ebselen (1 μM-40 μM) on AR42J tumor cells have been examined. Cell viability was studied using AlamarBlue(®) test. Cell cycle phase determination was carried out by flow cytometry. Changes in intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration were followed by fluorimetry analysis of fura-2-loaded cells. Distribution of mitochondria, mitochondrial Ca(2+) concentration and mitochondrial membrane potential were monitored by confocal microscopy of cells loaded with Mitotracker Green™ FM, rhod-2 or TMRM respectively. Caspase-3 activity was calculated following the luorogenic substrate ACDEVD-AMC signal with a spectrofluorimeter. Results show that cell viability decreased in the presence of ebselen. An increase in the number of cells in the S-phase of the cell cycle was observed. Ebselen induced a concentration-dependent mobilization of Ca(2+) from agonist- and thapsigargin-sensitive Ca(2+) pools. Ebselen induced also a transient increase in mitochondrial Ca(2+) concentration, a progressive decrease of the mitochondrial membrane potential and a disruption of the mitochondrial network. Finally, a concentration-dependent increase in caspase-3 activity was detected. We conclude that ebselen exerts deleterious actions on the cells that involve the impairment of mitochondrial physiology and the activation of caspase-3-mediated apoptotic pathway.

Ebselen alters mitochondrial physiology and reduces viability of rat hippocampal astrocytes

The seleno-organic compound and radical scavenger ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) have been extensively employed as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective compound. However, its glutathione peroxidase activity at the expense of cellular thiols groups could underlie certain deleterious actions of the compound on cell physiology. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of ebselen on rat hippocampal astrocytes in culture. Cellular viability, the intracellular free-Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]c), the mitochondrial free-Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]m), and mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm) were analyzed. The caspase-3 activity was also assayed. Our results show that cell viability was reduced by treatment of cells with ebselen, depending on the concentration employed. In the presence of ebselen, we observed an initial transient increase in [Ca(2+)]c that was then followed by a progressive increase to an elevated plateau. We also observed a transient increase in [Ca(2+)]m in the presence of ebselen that returned toward a value over the prestimulation level. The compound induced depolarization of ψm and altered the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane. Additionally, a disruption of the mitochondrial network was observed. Finally, we did not detect changes in caspase-3 activation in response to ebselen treatment. Collectively, these data support the likelihood of ebselen, depending on the concentration employed, reduces viability of rat hippocampal astrocytes via its action on the mitochondrial activity. These may be early effects that do not involve caspase-3 activation. We conclude that, depending on the concentration used, ebselen might exert deleterious actions on astrocyte physiology that could compromise cell function.