Synergistic interactions of chemotherapeutic drugs and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo-2 ligand on apoptosis and on regression of breast carcinoma in vivo

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 2003-09, Vol.63 (17), p.5390-5400
• Main Authors: THIYAM RAMSING SINGH, SHANKAR, Sharmila, XUFEN CHEN, ASIM, Mohammed, SRIVASTAVA, Rakesh K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - pharmacology; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; bcl-X Protein; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Camptothecin - administration & dosage; Caspases - metabolism; Chemotherapy; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Drug Synergism; Enzyme Activation - drug effects; Etoposide - administration & dosage; Humans; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins - administration & dosage; Membrane Glycoproteins - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - biosynthesis; Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor - biosynthesis; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - administration & dosage; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Vinblastine - administration & dosage; Vincristine - administration & dosage; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing-ligand (TRAIL/Apo-2 ligand) induces apoptosis in the majority of cancer cells without appreciable effect in normal cells. Here, we report the effects of TRAIL on apoptosis in several human breast cancer cell lines, primary memory epithelial cells, and immortalized nontransformed cell lines, and we examine whether chemotherapeutic agents augment TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. TRAIL induced apoptosis with different sensitivities, and the majority of cancer cell lines were resistant to TRAIL. The chemotherapeutic drugs (paclitaxel, vincristine, vinblastine, etoposide, camptothecin, and Adriamycin) induced death receptors (DRs) TRAIL receptor 1/DR4 and TRAIL receptor 2/DR5, and successive treatment with TRAIL resulted in apoptosis of both TRAIL-sensitive and -resistant cells. Actinomycin D sensitized TRAIL-resistant cells through up-regulation of caspases (caspase-3, -9, and -8). TRAIL induces apoptosis in Adriamycin-resistant MCF7 cells already expressing high levels of death receptors DR4 and DR5. The pretreatment of breast cancer cells with chemotherapeutic drugs followed by TRAIL reversed their resistance by triggering caspase-3, -9, and -8 activation. The sequential treatment of nude mice with chemotherapeutic drugs followed by TRAIL induced caspase-3 activity and apoptosis in xenografted tumors. Complete eradication of established tumors and survival of mice were achieved without detectable toxicity. Thus, the sequential administration of chemotherapeutic drugs followed by TRAIL may be used as a new therapeutic approach for cancer therapy.