The effects of gemcitabine and TPA on PKC signaling in BG-1 human ovarian cancer cells.
Protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathways play an important role in cell survival and anticancer drug-induced apoptosis. We observed in clonogenicity assays of BG-1 human ovarian cancer cells that gemcitabine cytotoxicity was increased synergistically when drug treatment was followed or preceded by a 24-h exposure to 10 nM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Coincubation of 10 nM TPA with pharmacological inhibitors of PKC abrogated the synergism of TPA and gemcitabine. These observations prompted further investigation of PKC signaling events linked to TPA and gemcitabine cytotoxicity in BG-1 cells. Because PKC isoforms are differentially expressed in various cell types, we determined that BG-1 cells express the alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, and zeta isoforms of PKC. In addition, 1-h exposures to 10 microM gemcitabine triggered cytosol to membrane translocation of PKC isoforms alpha, delta, and epsilon, indicating these isoforms were activated by gemcitabine. We also explored the PKC mechanism(s) responsible for the synergism of TPA and gemcitabine, and determined that treatment with 10 nM TPA for 24 h in BG-1 cells: 1) downregulated PKCdelta and PKCalpha, without affecting PKCepsilon, 2) did not affect cell cycle distribution into S phase. 3) increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling, and 4) increased intracellular alkaline phosphatase activity, a biochemical marker of cellular differentiation. Chronic exposure (24 h) to TPA enhanced gemcitabine cytotoxicity, perhaps by inducing cellular differentiation pathways in BG-1 cells. Therefore, the use of differentiating agents in combination with gemcitabine may improve its clinical efficacy.