Oxime bond-linked daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates exert antitumor activity in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells via the type I GnRH receptor

Int J Oncol. 2015 Jan;46(1):243-53. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2014.2730. Epub 2014 Oct 24.

Abstract

It is well established that gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R) are expressed in different types of cancers, including castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and mediate the antiproliferative effect of GnRH analogs. Thus, these compounds are employed as targeting moieties to selectively deliver chemotherapeutic agents to cancer cells. GnRH-III, the decapeptide isolated from the sea lamprey brain, has lower potency than GnRH in stimulating gonadotropin secretion, but it exerts antiproliferative effects on many tumors expressing the GnRH-R. GnRH-III-based peptides are considered promising targeting moieties for the preparation of anticancer drug delivery systems. These studies were aimed at i) evaluating the antitumor activity of two cytotoxic oxime bond-linked daunorubicin (Dau)-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugates (Dau-GnRH-III, in which daunorubicin was coupled to the 8Lys in the native form of GnRH-III, and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III, in which daunorubicin was attached to the 8Lys of a GnRH-III derivative where 4Ser was replaced by an acetylated lysine) on CRPC cells; and ii) to elucidate the involvement of the classical GnRH-R (type I GnRH-R) in this antitumor activity. Our results demonstrated that both Dau-GnRH-III and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III were rapidly internalized into DU145 prostate cancer cells and exerted a significant cytostatic effect. Both bioconjugates increased the levels of the active form of caspase-3, indicating the involvement of apoptosis in their antitumor activity. The antiproliferative effect of both Dau-GnRH-III and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III was counteracted by the simultaneous treatment of the cells with Antide, an antagonist of the GnRH-R. Moreover, after silencing the type I GnRH-R the antitumor activity of both bioconjugates was completely abolished. These data demonstrate that in CRPC cells, daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugates: i) inhibit tumor cell proliferation, by triggering the apoptosis process; ii) exert their antitumor effect through the activation of the type I GnRH-R expressed on these cells. Cytotoxic-GnRH-III derivative may represent promising targeted chemotherapeutics for the treatment of CRPC patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Daunorubicin / chemistry
  • Daunorubicin / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / chemistry
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Oximes / chemistry
  • Oximes / pharmacology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant / pathology*
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / chemistry
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / pharmacology
  • Receptors, LHRH / physiology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • GNRHR protein, human
  • Oximes
  • Receptors, LHRH
  • gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid
  • Daunorubicin