Abstract

A compound with a novel structure, NSC 665517, was tested in the National Cancer Institute Preclinical Drug Discovery Screen. With the COMPARE algorithm, the pattern of differential cytotoxicity for NSC 665517 most closely resembled those of known topoisomerase II (top2) inhibitors. In vitro data showed that NSC 665517 induced DNA cleavage in the presence of top2 and topoisomerase I (top1) (at a higher concentration). The minimum concentration required to induce top2 cleavage was 0.5 microM. A substantial decrease in top2-induced cleavage by NSC 665517 was seen when the reaction mixtures were shifted to elevated temperature (55 degrees), suggesting that top2-induced cleavage occurs through the mechanism of stabilizing the reversible enzyme/DNA complex and inhibiting religation. The DNA cleavage pattern induced by NSC 665517 with top2 was different than that of other known top2 inhibitors, including etoposide, mitoxantrone, anthracyclines, amsacrine, and ellipticine. top2 cleavage sites induced by NSC 665517 showed strong preference for G located 3' to the top2-mediated DNA cleavage (position +1). NSC 665517 produced limited DNA unwinding at high drug concentration. DNA damage analyzed in KB cells by alkaline elution showed that NSC 665517 induced strand break. Data from the cytotoxicity in KB-V1 overexpressing P-glycoprotein and COMPARE analysis with rhodamine efflux assay indicated that NSC 665517 is a substrate of P-glycoprotein. These results strongly suggest that NSC 665517 is a novel topoisomerase-targeted drug. Preclinical evaluation of NSC 665517 as an antitumor agent is under way.