Depletion of cellular glutathione by N,N'-bis(trans-4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-N'-nitrosourea as a determinant of sensitivity of K562 human leukemia cells to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide.

Abstract

N,N'-Bis(trans-4-hydroxycyclohexyl)-N'-nitrosourea (BHCNU) is a nitrosourea which has carbamoylating but not alkylating activity. It has been shown to carbamoylate and inactivate glutathione reductase thereby reducing the intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH). Since GSH depletion by buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine potentiates the cytotoxicity of cyclophosphamide, with a corresponding increase in DNA cross-linking, we have investigated the potential interaction between BHCNU and cyclophosphamide. Treatment of K562 human leukemia cells with 15 microM BHCNU for 1 h resulted in depletion of glutathione to 40% of control values, without significant reduction of cell viability. Subsequent treatment with 10 microM 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), a self-activating derivative of cyclophosphamide, reduced the level of glutathione to less than 20% of control values. BHCNU pretreatment enhanced the cytotoxicity of 4-HC resulting in a dose modification factor of 2.5. Alkaline elution analysis of cellular DNA demonstrated that the level of interstrand cross-linking was 2-fold higher in GSH-depleted cells than in nondepleted cells, and the induction of single strand breaks was markedly increased. These findings demonstrate that BHCNU potentiates the cytotoxicity of 4-HC and suggest that this is due to the increased formation of DNA interstrand cross-links caused by a reduced intracellular conjugation of 4-HC with glutathione which results in an increased binding of 4-HC to DNA targets.