Elsevier

Biochemical Pharmacology

Volume 36, Issue 20, 15 October 1987, Pages 3345-3351
Biochemical Pharmacology

The effect of the anthrapyrazole antitumour agent CI941 on rat liver microsome and cytochrome P-450 reductase mediated free radical processes: Inhibition of doxorubicin activation in vitro

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(87)90309-1Get rights and content

Abstract

The anthrapyrazole CI941 is one of a new series of DNA complexing drugs which displays high level broad spectrum antitumour activity in mice. In view of the proposed role of drug free radical formation, Superoxide generation and lipid peroxidation in anthracycline and anthraquinone induced toxicities, the redox biochemistry of CI941 has been investigated. Studies have been performed in vitro using rat liver microsomes and purified cytochrome P-450 reductase. In addition, the ability of CI941 to undergo chemical reduction has been examined. Pulse radiolysis of CI941 demonstrated that the drug can undergo chemical reduction with a one electron reduction potential of E17 = −538 ± 10mV. However, electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy studies using either NADPH fortified microsomes or cytochrome P-450 reductase, failed to detect a drug free radical signal. Unlike doxorubicin, CI941 (150 μM) inhibited basal rate microsomal NADPH consumption by 45%. Furthermore, CI941 (50–200 μM) antagonised doxorubicin stimulated (1.8-fold) NADPH oxidation by over 50%. CI941 also antagonised the formation of a doxorubicin free radical ESR signal in a concentration dependent manner. CI941 induced minimal Superoxide generation in the presence of either microsomes or cytochrome P-450 reductase and inhibited doxorubicin induced (50 μM) Superoxide formation by up to 80% (50–200 μM CI941). Importantly, CI941 inhibits both basal rate and doxorubicin (100 μM) stimulated lipid peroxidation (52% inhibition at 5μM CI941). These data suggest that CI941 is unlikely to induce free radical mediated tissue damage in vivo. On the contrary, CI941 may have a protective role if used in combination with doxorubicin.

References (40)

  • D.W. Fry et al.

    Biochem. Pharmac.

    (1985)
  • E.G. Mimnaugh et al.

    Biochem. Pharmac.

    (1986)
  • B Kalyanaraman et al.

    Biochim. biophys. Acta

    (1980)
  • S.D. Aust et al.

    J. Free Radicals Biol. Med.

    (1985)
  • B.K. Sinha et al.

    Chem. Biol. Interact.

    (1983)
  • H. Kappus

    Biochem. Pharmac.

    (1986)
  • E.G. Mimnaugh et al.

    Biochem. Pharmac.

    (1981)
  • V. Berlin et al.

    J. biol. Chem.

    (1981)
  • J.W. Lown et al.

    Biochem. Pharmac.

    (1979)
  • E.D. Kharasch et al.

    Archs Biochem. Biophys.

    (1983)
  • J.L. Vermilion et al.

    J. biol. Chem.

    (1978)
  • A. Azzi et al.

    Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun.

    (1975)
  • W.S. Thayer

    Chem. Biol. Interact.

    (1977)
  • S.E. Aust et al.
  • E.D. Kharasch et al.

    J. biol. Chem.

    (1985)
  • E.D. Kharasch et al.

    Archs Biochem. Biophys.

    (1981)
  • E.D. Kharasch et al.

    Archs Biochem. Biophys.

    (1983)
  • P. Frank et al.

    Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun.

    (1986)
  • W.R. Leopold et al.

    Cancer Res.

    (1985)
  • H.D.H. Showalter et al.

    J. med. Chem.

    (1987)
  • Cited by (38)

    • Status of new anthrapyrazole and pyrazoloacridine derivatives

      1996, Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    This work was presented in part at the 5th NCI/EORTC Symposium, Amsterdam, October 1986.

    View full text