CYTOTOXIC MECHANISMS OF FK317, A NEW CLASS OF BIOREDUCTIVE AGENT WITHPOTENT ANTITUMOR-ACTIVITY

FK317 is a member of a new class of bioreductive agents that exhibit s trong cytotoxicity against various human cancer cells. The effect of F K317 was found to be stronger than that of mitomycin C (MMC), adriamyc in (ADR) or cisplatin (CDDP), Alkaline elution analysis indicated that FK317 formed interstrand DNA-DNA and DNA-protein cross-links in cells . On the other hand, no DNA single-strand breaks were observed in the cells treated with FK317. In a cell-free system the deacetylated metab olites produced cross-linked DNA under reductive conditions, though FK 317 itself did not form DNA-DNA cross-links. In order to elucidate the metabolic activation mechanisms, we established an FK317-resistant su bline from human non-small cell lung cancer cells (Lu99) by stepwise a nd brief exposure (1 h) to FK317, The resistant subline (Lu99/317) sho wed cross-resistance to MMC and carboquone (CQ), but not to ADR or CDD P, DT-diaphorase, which is one of the activation enzymes of MMC and CQ , was deficient in Lu99/317 cells as determined by enzyme activity ass ay. However, the levels of NADPH:cytochrome p450 reductase, which is a nother activation enzyme for MMC and CQ, were comparable in resistant and parent cell lines. Treatment of the cells with dicumarol, an inhib itor of DT-diaphorase, reduced the cytotoxicity of FK317 to Lu99 cells , but not to Lu99/317 cells. These results indicate that deacetylation of FK317 is necessary for its reductive activation, and deacetylated FK317 is reduced by DT-diaphorase to form an active metabolite, which produces DNA-DNA interstrand and DNA-protein cross-links that lead to cell death.