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Research article2013Peer reviewedOpen access

Cellular Influx, Efflux, and Anabolism of 3-Carboranyl Thymidine Analogs: Potential Boron Delivery Agents for Neutron Capture Therapy

Sjuvarsson, Elena; Damaraju, Vijaya L.; Mowles, Delores; Sawyer, Michael B.; Tiwari, Rohit; Agarwal, Hitesh K.; Khalil, Ahmed; Hasabelnaby, Sherifa; Goudah, Ayman; Nakkula, Robin J.; Barth, Rolf F.; Cass, Carol E.; Eriksson, Staffan; Tjarks, Werner

Abstract

3-[5-{2-(2,3-Dihydroxyprop-1-yl)-o-carboran-1-yl}pentan-1-yl]thymidine (N5-2OH) is a first generation 3-carboranyl thymidine analog (3CTA) that has been intensively studied as a boron-10 (B-10) delivery agent for neutron capture therapy (NCT). N5-2OH is an excellent substrate of thymidine kinase 1 and its favorable biodistribution profile in rodents led to successful preclinical NCT of rats bearing intracerebral RG2 glioma. The present study explored cellular influx and efflux mechanisms of N5-2OH, as well as its intracellular anabolism beyond the monophosphate level. N5-2OH entered cultured human CCRF-CEM cells via passive diffusion, whereas the multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 appeared to be a major mediator of N5-2OH monophosphate efflux. N5-2OH was effectively monophosphorylated in cultured murine L929 [thymidine kinase 1 (TK1(+))] cells whereas formation of N5-2OH monophosphate was markedly lower in L929 (TK1(-)) cell variants. Further metabolism to the di- and triphosphate forms was not observed in any of the cell lines. Regardless of monophosphorylation, parental N5-2OH was the major intracellular component in both TK1(+) and TK1(-) cells. Phosphate transfer experiments with enzyme preparations showed that N5-2OH monophosphate, as well as the monophosphate of a second 3-carboranyl thymidine analog [3-[5-(o-carboran-1-yl) pentan-1-yl] thymidine (N5)], were not substrates of thymidine monophosphate kinase. Surprisingly, N5-diphosphate was phosphorylated by nucleoside diphosphate kinase although N5-triphosphate apparently was not a substrate of DNA polymerase. Our results provide valuable information on the cellular metabolism and pharmacokinetic profile of 3-carboranyl thymidine analogs.

Published in

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
2013, Volume: 347, number: 2, pages: 388-397
Publisher: AMER SOC PHARMACOLOGY EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS