TY - JOUR T1 - Iron Chelation by Clinically Relevant Anthracyclines: Alteration in Expression of Iron-Regulated Genes and Atypical Changes in Intracellular Iron Distribution and Trafficking JF - Molecular Pharmacology JO - Mol Pharmacol SP - 833 LP - 844 DO - 10.1124/mol.107.041335 VL - 73 IS - 3 AU - X. Xu AU - R. Sutak AU - D. R. Richardson Y1 - 2008/03/01 UR - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/73/3/833.abstract N2 - Anthracyclines are effective anticancer agents. However, their use is limited by cardiotoxicity, an effect linked to their ability to chelate iron and to perturb iron metabolism (Mol Pharmacol68:261-271, 2005). These effects on iron-trafficking remain poorly understood, but they are important to decipher because treatment for anthracycline cardiotoxicity uses the chelator, dexrazoxane. Incubation of cells with doxorubicin (DOX) up-regulated mRNA levels of the iron-regulated genes transferrin receptor-1 (TfR1) and N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (Ndrg1). This effect was mediated by iron depletion, because it was reversed by adding iron and it was prevented by saturating the anthracycline metal binding site with iron. However, DOX did not act like a typical chelator, because it did not induce cellular iron mobilization. In the presence of DOX and 59Fe-transferrin, iron-trafficking studies demonstrated ferritin-59Fe accumulation and decreased cytosolic-59Fe incorporation. This could induce cytosolic iron deficiency and increase TfR1 and Ndrg1 mRNA. Up-regulation of TfR1 and Ndrg1 by DOX was independent of anthracycline-mediated radical generation and occurred via hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-independent mechanisms. Despite increased TfR1 and Ndrg1 mRNA after DOX treatment, this agent decreased TfR1 and Ndrg1 protein expression. Hence, the effects of DOX on iron metabolism were complex because of its multiple effector mechanisms. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -