Abstract

Podophyllotoxin (PD) and its derivative etoposide (VP-16), a clinically useful anticancer drug, exhibit different mechanisms of action. PD binds specifically to tubulin to prevent its polymerization, whereas VP-16 lacks this action. The DNA strand breakage caused by VP-16 is thought to be due to its interaction with topoisomerase II or to free radical formation by oxidation of its 4'-phenolic hydroxyl group to a semiquinone free radical. We have demonstrated that PD, VP-16, 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin (DEPD), and syringic acid (SA) exhibit no DNA-cleaving activity but, in the presence of metal ions such as Cu2+ and Fe3+, DEPD and SA form metal complexes, which in turn show high activity for DNA strand scission at pH 7.8 under air. Furthermore, it was found that DNA cleavage was greatly promoted by irradiation with UV light. The PD-Fe3+ system at pH 7.8 showed very low DNA-cleaving activity, but irradiation with UV light in the system induced almost complete DNA breakage. DNA cleavages were significantly inhibited in the presence of hydroxyl radical scavengers, such as sodium benzoate and dimethylurea, in the Cu(2+)-SA and Fe(3+)-PD systems, with or without UV irradiation. These reactions were investigated by optical and ESR spectra, coupled with ESR spin-trapping techniques, by which the formation of hydroxy radicals was clearly detected in all systems. These findings have led us to a new proposal of the metal- and photo-induced mechanism for understanding the antitumor action of PD, VP-16, and their related compounds.