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E Solary

Publications and source records attributed to E Solary.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Combination of quinine as a potential reversing agent with mitoxantrone and cytarabine for the treatment of acute leukemias: a randomized multicenter study.

A phase III prospective randomized multicenter study was performed to determine whether quinine could improve the response rate of poor-risk acute leukemias (ALs) to standard chemotherapy including a multidrug resistance (MDR)-related cytotoxic agent. The rationale of the study was based on the negative prognostic value of MDR phenotype in ALs and the ability of quinine to reverse this phenotype both in vitro and ex vivo. Three hundred fifteen patients (median age, 49 years; range, 16 to 65) with relapsed (n = 108) or refractory (n = 32) acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), relapsed (n = 27) or refractory (n = 9) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), secondary AL (n = 22) or blastic transformation of myelodysplastic syndrome ([MDS] n = 74) or myeloproliferative syndrome ([MPS] n = 43) were randomly assigned to receive mitoxantrone ([MXN] 12 mg/m2/d, days 2 to 5) and cytarabine ([Ara-C] 1 g/m2/12 h, days 1 to 5) alone or in combination with quinine (30 mg/kg/d, days 1 to 5; continuous intravenous infusion beginning 24 hours before MXN infusion). Side effects of quinine were observed in 56 of 161 quinine-treated patients and disappeared in all but four cases after one or two 20% dose decreases. Sera from quinine-treated patients showed increased MXN uptake in an MDR-positive cell line compared with matched sera obtained before quinine infusion. Quinine induced a significant increase in the incidence of nausea, vomiting, mucositis, and cardiac toxicity. A complete response (CR) was observed in 85 of 161 patients (52.8%) from the quinine-treated group versus 70 of 154 patients (45.5%) in the control group (P = .19). The most important differences between quinine and control group CR rates were observed in patients with refractory AMLs and blastic transformation of MDS and MPS. The CR rate was higher in P-glycoprotein-positive cases, although the difference was not significant. Failure of the regimen due to blastic persistence or blast number increase was higher in the control group (61 of 154 patients) than in the quinine group (45 of 161, P = .04). Early death was observed in eight cases (four in each arm) and death in aplasia in 27 cases (20 in quinine group v seven in control group, P = .01). The significant increase of toxicity in the quinine arm could have masked the clinical benefit of MDR reversion in poor-risk ALs.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

The role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of diseases.

In adult multicellular organisms, homeostasis is determined in each cell lineage by a balance between cell death and cell growth. Dysregulation of cell death mechanisms is involved in the pathogenesis of an increasing number of diseases. Defective apoptosis can participate in malignant transformation, viral latency and autoimmune diseases. Excessive apoptotic cell death is involved in CD4+ T-cell depletion observed in acquired immune deficiency syndrome, in fulminant hepatitis associated with infection by hepatitis B and C viruses, in some neurodegenerative disorders and haematological diseases, in polycystic kidney disease and ischaemia. Three steps can be distinguished in the pathway that leads to cell death. The first step involves interactions between the extracellular and intracellular signals that decide whether a cell should live or die. When death is chosen, a common pathway that involves at least the Bcl-2- family of proteins and the interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta)-converting enzyme-related cysteine proteases confirms whether or not the cell should die. Finally, if death is allowed to occur, the apoptotic process itself is characterized by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation, proteolysis and morphological changes that precede the engulfment of apoptotic cells by neighbouring cells and phagocytes. Several inducers and inhibitors of apoptosis acting on one or several of these three steps that characterize the apoptotic process have been identified in vitro. Their potential usefulness in improving the current therapeutic strategies and designing new strategies in several different diseases is discussed.

Adult↗

[Early detection of cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines. Value of isotopic method].

Anthracyclines are antitumoral agents whose therapeutic efficacy is limited by dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Thirty-one adult patients treated with long-term anthracycline were included in a prospective study to evaluate the ejection fraction and certain parameters of left ventricular diastoclic function by radionuclide angiography, and the left ventricular phase by Fourier's method. Scintigraphic acquisitions were obtained before starting and four weeks after ending chemotherapy. A significant decrease in the maximal velocity of early diastolic filling (2.84 +/- 0.57 to 2.49 +/- 0.45 VTD/s; p < 0.01), the ejection fraction also fell from 57.6% +/- 4.7% to 53.8% +/- 4.6% (p < 0.01). No significant changes in early diastolic filling time or analysis of left ventricular phase with respect to standard deviation (p > 0.05) were observed. In addition, the change in maximal velocity of early diastolic filling did not correlate with the reduction in ejection fraction. Therefore, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is probably an early marker for anthracycline cardiotoxicity, the sensitivity of which is close to that of the ejection fraction in the detection of infraclinical cardiotoxicity.

Adult↗

[Apoptosis of human leukemic cells induced by topoisomerase I and II inhibitors].

Comparison between five human leukemic lines (BV173, HL60, U937, K562, KCL22) suggest that the main determinant of their sensitivity to topoisomerase I (camptothecin) and II (VP-16) inhibitors is their ability to regulate cell cycle progression in response to specific DNA damage, then to die through apoptosis: the more the cells inhibit cell cycle progression, the less sensitive they are. The final pathway of apoptosis induction involves a cytoplasmic signal, active at neutral pH, needing magnesium, sensitive to various protease inhibitors and activated directly by staurosporine. Modulators of intracellular signaling (calcium chelators, calmodulin inhibitors, PKC modulators, kinase and phosphatase inhibitors) have no significant influence upon apoptosis induction. Conversely, apoptosis induction pathway is modified during monocytic differentiation of HL60 cells induced by phorbol esters. Lastly, poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and chromatine structure should regulate apoptotic DNA fragmentation that is prevented by 3-aminobenzamide and spermine, respectively.

Alkaloids↗

Cellular pharmacology of azatoxins (topoisomerase-II and tubulin inhibitors) in P-glycoprotein-positive and -negative cell lines.

Azatoxin (NSC 640737), a synthetic molecule, was rationally designed as a topoisomerase-II inhibitor and was shown to be a potent cytotoxic agent that inhibits both tubulin and topoisomerase II. A structure-activity relationship study allowed to select 3 derivatives that inhibit either tubulin (methylazatoxin) only or topoisomerase II (fluoroanilinoazatoxin and nitroanilino-azatoxin) in MTT assays performed on K562 and K562/ADM cells; the latter, expressing P-glycoprotein, indicated cross-resistance of K562/ADM cells to all 4 compounds. DNA double-strand breaks induced by the 3 azatoxins that inhibit topoisomerase II in vitro were decreased in K562/ADM as compared with K562 cells. Nitroanilino-azatoxin was the only compound for which resistance and reduced DNA damage observed in K562/ADM cells was partially reversed by verapamil, suggesting that nitroanilinoazatoxin was a substrate for P-glycoprotein. These results were confirmed by testing the cytotoxic activity of azatoxins on P-glycoprotein-expressing rat colon-carcinoma DHDK12/TRb cells in the absence and the presence of verapamil. Cell-cycle and mitotic-index studies indicated that azatoxin- and methyl-azatoxin-induced M-phase arrest was less in K562/ADM than in K562 cells. The G2 block induced by fluoro- and nitroanilinoazatoxins was delayed in K562/ADM cells. Verapamil increased cell-cycle inhibition induced by nitroanilinoazatoxin in K562/ADM cells without modifying cell-cycle effects of fluoroanilinoazatoxin. These results (i) are consistent with the specific inhibition of topoisomerase II or tubulin by azatoxin derivatives in cells; (ii) indicate that the nitro group of nitroanilinoazatoxin allows recognition and efflux by the P-glycoprotein; and (iii) suggest that cross-resistance of K562/ADM cells to other azatoxin derivatives is not mediated by P-glycoprotein.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Diagnostic value of serum IL-6 level in monoclonal gammopathies.

The serum level of IL-6 was reported to reflect disease severity in patients with multiple myeloma. We used a specific radioimmunoassay to measure the level of IL-6 in 239 serum samples in which a monoclonal gammopathy was identified for the first time. The same sample was used for the measurement of serum C reactive protein and serum albumin. Then, an inventory of clinical and biological features allowed us to classify these patients into five groups: monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS:128), multiple myeloma (MM:66), Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM:27), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL:11) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL:7). The number of patients with serum IL-6 (S-IL-6) level > 0.335 ng/ml (upper limit in normal sera) was significantly higher in the MM group (35%; Confidence Interval (CI) 23.5-46.5) compared with the MGUS group (15%; CI 8.8-21.2). The distribution of S-IL-6 levels was also significantly different between the groups (Mann-Whitney test: P < 0.01). High S-IL-6 levels were measured in 5/11 patients with NHL and 9/27 patients with WM. The distribution of S-IL-6 levels in these groups was the same as that in MGUS or MM groups. In patients with MM, elevated S-IL-6 levels were associated with haemoglobin level < 100 g/l (P < 0.005), bone marrow plasmocytosis > 50% (P < 0.005) and stages II and III in the Durie & Salmon staging system (P < 0.005). The S-IL-6 level was also related to light chain component excretion in urine (P < 0.01) and M component serum level for IgA (P < 0.01). In patients with MGUS, the S-IL-6 level correlated with serum CRP level (P < 0.05), serum lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05) and serum ferritin (P < 0.01). We conclude that the S-IL-6 level is a marker of high tumour burden in multiple myeloma. However, S-IL-6 level can be increased in patients with MGUS in relation to inflammatory parameters. Therefore the S-IL-6 level does not demonstrate high predictive value for the diagnosis of MM in patients with newly identified monoclonal gammopathy.

Adult↗

Der(16)t(1;16)(q11;q11) in myelodysplastic syndromes: a new non-random abnormality characterized by cytogenic and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies.

The der(16)t(1;16)(q11;q11) is a frequent recurrent rearrangement in solid tumours such as breast carcinomas and Ewings sarcomas. Recently, this abnormality was described also in multiple myeloma. We identified a der(16)t(1;16)(q11;q11) in three patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, either during preleukaemic phase (n = 2) or at the time of blastic transformation (n = 1). Breakpoints were ascertained by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using specific centromeric alpha-satellite probes and whole chromosome painting for chromosome 1 and chromosome 16. These observations, combined with isolated cases of the literature, suggest that der(16)t(1;16)(q11; q11) is a nonrandom abnormality associated with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Adult↗

The role of cell cycle regulation and apoptosis triggering in determining the sensitivity of leukemic cells to topoisomerase I and II inhibitors.

Topoisomerase (topo) inhibitors induce enzyme-linked DNA breaks. Resulting DNA damage can lead to cell cycle arrest and/or cell death by apoptosis. The sensitivity of five human leukemic cell lines to topo I (camptothecin or CPT) and topo II (etoposide or VP-16) inhibitors varied widely (100-fold for CPT and 30-fold for VP-16). Three cell lines were more sensitive (BV173, HL60, U937) and two cell lines were resistant (K562, KCL22) to both drugs. None of these cell lines were selected for drug resistance and overexpressed mdr1 gene. Their sensitivity was not related to their doubling time nor to cell cycle repartition. The initial DNA damage (cleavable complexes) induced by topo I and II inhibitors was measured as DNA-protein crosslinks (DPC) using alkaline elution. Neither DPC level induced by 30-min treatment with CPT or VP-16 nor the levels of topo 1, topo II alpha and topo II beta mRNA were related to sensitivity. Electron microscopy and DNA fragmentation measured by filter elution and agarose gel electrophoresis demonstrated that apoptosis was induced by both drugs in the five cell lines. The kinetics of DNA fragmentation was related to cell sensitivity. At drug concentrations higher than IC50, DNA fragmentation increased very rapidly in the three sensitive, compared with the two resistant, cell lines. Continuous exposure to both drugs induced cell cycle arrest in either G2 or S phase that was related both to cell sensitivity and drug concentration. Comparison between cell lines indicated that the ability of cells to arrest cell cycle in G2 or S phase was related to their drug sensitivity and increased with cell resistance. In a given cell line, cell cycle progression was observed to be progressively inhibited by increasing drug concentrations. Treatment of synchronized cells demonstrated that highly cytotoxic drug concentration induced a complete inhibition of cell cycle progression. Altogether, these data suggest that the ability of leukemic cell lines to regulate cell cycle progression and to trigger apoptosis is more indicative of their sensitivity to topoisomerase poisons than cleavable complexes induced by these drugs.

Apoptosis↗

[Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients. Analysis of a series of 36 cases: contribution of thoracic scanners and itraconazole].

In neutropenic patients, one way of improving invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) prognosis is an earlier initiation of the antifungal treatment. We report our experience with 36 cases of IPA in 35 patients with haematological malignancies. When aspergillosis was diagnosed, all but 2 patients were neutropenic (PMN < 500; median duration = 20 days). The most frequent clinical signs were cough (100%), chest pain (78%) and haemoptysis (58%). Before the diagnosis of IPA, Aspergillus antibody test was positive in 60% of cases. A thoracic CT-scan was performed in 23 patients and demonstrated highly suggestive images in 22 cases (96%) with presence of CT halo sign (n = 13) or CT air-crescent sign (n = 9). Moreover, Aspergillus antigen test was positive in 13 of 28 tested patients. IPA diagnosis was determined to be definite in 23 cases and probable or possible in 13 cases. Thirty-five patients were treated: in 3 cases with amphotericin B (2 failures) and in 32 cases with itraconazole (7 failures and 25 successes or improvements). In 7 cases (including 5 emergencies) surgical resection was successfully combined with the medical treatment. In neutropenic patients with fever, we consider that thoracic CT-scan and repeated biological tests (Aspergillus antibody and antigen tests) can be used to establish the diagnosis of aspergillosis. Early treatment with itraconazole and surgical resection appears to improve prognosis.

Adult↗

Cinchonine per os: efficient circumvention of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance.

We have previously suggested that quinine and cinchonine could be good candidates for the clinical circumvention of multidrug resistance (MDR) in haematological malignancies because of their tolerance and their retained efficacy in serum. We have also shown that cinchonine was more efficient than quinine as an anti-MDR agent in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo after parenteral administration. Here, we report that cinchonine administered per os (po) is much more active than quinine po in circumventing MDR in rats bearing resistant colon tumours. The pharmacokinetics of cinchonine and quinine administered po in rat are shown to be very different. Cinchonine demonstrates a greater absolute bioavailability than quinine (44% versus 30%, respectively). Its serum concentration correlates with the anti-MDR activity measured ex vivo and in vivo. Cinchonine administered po does not significantly modify the pharmacokinetics of intravenous doxorubicin (DXR). However, cinchonine induces a significant increase of DXR uptake in organs which express the mdr1 gene (liver, kidney, lung). When associated with VAD (vincristine, adriamycin, dexamethasone) combined therapy in rats, cinchonine does not significantly increase the toxicity of the cytotoxic drugs. Based on these experimental data, a phase I clinical trial is currently in progress to test the tolerance of this potent MDR-reversing agent administered po.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Der(16)t(1;16)(q10;p10) in multiple myeloma: a new non-random abnormality that is frequently associated with Burkitt's-type translocations.

Aneuploidy is a frequent feature in multiple myeloma. Cytogenetic analyses have shown that a 14q+ chromosome resulting from either a t(8;14)(q24;q32) or a t(11;14)(q13;q32) was the most consistent abnormality but no specific chromosomal aberration has been identified in this disease. Bone marrow cells from 121 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma were analyzed cytogenetically by standard banding techniques including RHG, GTG and CBG banding. Cells were cultured for 24-96 h in the presence or in the absence of interleukin-6. Clonal abnormalities were detected in 41 of the 121 patients (34%). A der(16)t(1;16)(q10;p10) abnormality was identified in nine of these 41 patients (22%). Der(16) was identified at diagnosis in five patients, during disease progression in two additional patients, and at the time of a relapse in the two last cases. The t(1;15)(q10;p10) translocation was always unbalanced, resulting in a monosomy 16q in all cases. The CBG banding did not demonstrate dicentric chromosomes and the whole chromosome painting confirmed the der(16). A large number of other chromosomal abnormalities were associated with der(16), including chromosomal rearrangements involving the 8q24 band in five cases. Four of these five cases were Burkitt's-type translocations. This observation suggests that der(16)t(1;16)(q10;p10) could be one of the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities that can be identified in multiple myeloma cells.

Adult↗

Pharmacokinetics of a more reliable Chloraminophene formulation.

The pharmacokinetics of two formulations of chlorambucil, Chloraminophene capsules and Chloraminophene tablets, were compared in 12 patients in a randomized cross-over study. Chlorambucil concentrations in plasma were measured by HPLC over a period of 24 h after drug intake. The peak concentration (Cmax) occurred earlier after administration of capsules than after administration of tablets [median (range)]: 0.50 (0.33-0.66) h vs 2.00 (0.66-4.00) h (p < 0.01). Although values of Cmax and the area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) were not significantly different, the two formulations were not bioequivalent. Tolerance was in both cases acceptable, with only a transient decrease in haemoglobin one day after last drug intake. The variability of chlorambucil pharmacokinetics tended to be less important for capsules than for tablets: 38% vs 71% and 35% vs 113% for Cmax and AUC respectively. Capsules are therefore likely to be more reliable than tablets for clinical use.

Aged↗

Hydroxyrubicin, a deaminated derivative of doxorubicin, inhibits mammalian DNA topoisomerase II and partially circumvents multidrug resistance.

In vivo effectiveness of doxorubicin remains restricted due to toxicity and drug resistance. Hydroxyrubicin is a synthetic analog of doxorubicin in which the basic amino group at the C-3' has been replaced by a hydroxyl group in order to overcome recognition by the multidrug resistant (MDR) P-glycoprotein and limit cardiotoxicity. The present study shows that hydroxyrubicin is a less potent intercalator than doxorubicin. Induction of topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage in the human c-myc origin by the two drugs was similar, reaching a maximum at 0.5 microM. Results from the NCI Cell Screening program indicate a relatively good correlation between the cytotoxicity of the 2 drugs on 55 cell lines of various origins (r = 0.723). Using a clonogenic assay, we observed that hydroxyrubicin was 20-fold more cytotoxic against the MDR KB-V1 cell line than doxorubicin and was slightly more cytotoxic than doxorubicin in the sensitive KB3.1 cell line. Uptake studies showed that doxorubicin was retained up to 1 hr in KB3.1 cells and rapidly eliminated from resistant KB-V1 cells. In contrast, hydroxyrubicin was rapidly eliminated from both sensitive KB3.1 and MDR-positive KB-V1 cells. Both drugs induced protein-linked DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) in both KB3.1 and KB-V1 cells, which is consistent with topoisomerase inhibition. However, the kinetics of DNA SSBs induced by both drugs was very different. DNA breaks disappeared quickly in both KB3.1 and KB-V1 cell lines after hydroxyrubicin removal while DNA breaks induced by doxorubicin disappeared very slowly in KB3.1 cells and rapidly in KB-V1 cells. We conclude that removal of the basic amino group at the C-3' of doxorubicin modifies drug transport and partially circumvents MDR without changing topoisomerase II inhibition when compared with doxorubicin.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

Induction of a common pathway of apoptosis by staurosporine.

The present observations show that staurosporine can rapidly trigger both the morphological changes and intranucleosomal DNA fragmentation typical of apoptosis. This occurred in a number of cell lines from various origins regardless of the state of differentiation and cell cycle phase, suggesting the presence of a common inducible suicide pathway. The broad apoptotic activity of staurosporine appears to be unique among other protein kinase or phosphatase inhibitors we tested. Results obtained in a cell-free assay suggest that cytoplasmic proteins directly modulated by staurosporine may be involved in a ubiquitous signal for the induction of DNA fragmentation and apoptosis.

Alkaloids↗

A controlled trial of the tolerance of amphotericin B infused in dextrose or in Intralipid in patients with haematological malignancies.

Patients with haematological malignancies requiring an antifungal therapy were randomly assigned to receive amphotericin B diluted in either 5% dextrose or in fat emulsion (Intralipid). Twenty-one patients were included in each group. Mean duration of amphotericin B therapy was 8.4 days in the dextrose group and 12.8 days in the Intralipid group. Amphotericin B infusion induced chills in 16 of 21 patients in the dextrose group and in 5 of 21 in the Intralipid group (P = 0.0008). Serum creatinine increased > 75% from baseline in ten patients in the dextrose group compared with only two in the Intralipid group (P = 0.007). A > or = 50% decrease of creatinine clearance was observed in 14 of 21 patients in the dextrose group compared with seven of 21 patients in the Intralipid group (P = 0.025). No difference was found between the two groups with regard to potassium and sodium requirement. Among patients who did not receive magnesium before antifungal therapy, magnesium supplementation was required more frequently in the dextrose group (8/12 vs 2/11; P = 0.02). Concomitant amikacin dosage reduction was more frequent in the dextrose group due to nephrotoxicity (7/19 vs 2/20; P = 0.045). A similar difference in vancomycin dosage reduction was observed between the two groups (12/20 vs 5/19; P = 0.03).

Adult↗

Apoptosis induced by DNA topoisomerase I and II inhibitors in human leukemic HL-60 cells.

The induction of apoptosis following topoisomerase inhibitors proceeds in at least three distinct steps: (1) induction of cleavable complexes (potentially lethal damage), (2) topoisomerase-induced DNA damage, and (3) a presently unknown sequence of events that must either lead to cell cycle arrest (G2-block, differentiation) or apoptosis. DNA degradation provides a convenient way to quantify apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Extensive apoptosis can be induced rapidly in undifferentiated HL-60 cells without prevention by cycloheximide or actinomycin D. Therefore, HL-60 cells appear to express constitutively the apoptotic machinery that may be kept under control of a yet unknown repressor. The absence of the tumor suppressor p53 and the presence of bcl-2 are in contrast with the sensitivity of these cells to apoptosis. Agents that modify chromatin structure (zinc, poly[ADPribose] inhibitors, spermine) can block DNA fragmentation without affecting cell survival. By contrast macrophage-like differentiation by phorbol esters suppresses apoptosis without affecting topoisomerase-induced DNA damage. Better understanding of the apoptotic regulation in the widely used and characterized HL-60 cell line should allow the identification of new mechanisms and parameters of cellular sensitivity and resistance to the cytotoxic activity of anticancer agents.

Antineoplastic Agents↗