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Effects of Heavy Water (D2O) on Human Pancreatic Tumor Cells

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Effects of Heavy Water (D2O) on Human Pancreatic Tumor Cells ANTICANCER RESEARCH 25: 3407-3412 (2005) Effects of Heavy Water (D2O) on Human Pancreatic Tumor Cells JOHANNES HARTMANN1, YVONNE BADER1, ZSUZSANNA HORVATH1, PHILIPP SAIKO1, MICHAEL GRUSCH1, CHRISTOPH ILLMER1, SIBYLLE MADLENER1, MONIKA FRITZER-SZEKERES1, NICOLE HELLER2, RUDOLF-GIESBERT ALKEN2 and THOMAS SZEKERES1 1Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, General Hospital of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; 2BDD Berolina Drug Development GmbH, Fontanestrasse 84-89, D-15366 Neuenhagen, Germany Abstract. Background: Pancreatic cancer constitutes an carcinomas be removed by surgery. Individuals suffering entity which is difficult to treat and, therefore, mostly fatal. from inoperable tumors receive palliative therapy, including Since heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) was shown to be chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, the active in various cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo, we now treatment options are very limited and most patients die investigated its effects in human pancreatic tumor cells. within months after diagnosis. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic effects of D2O were Incubation of tumor cells with various concentrations of examined in three pancreatic cancer cell lines (AsPC-1, D2O leads to inhibition of cell proliferation and might, BxPC-3 and PANC-1). Induction of apoptosis was therefore, help in the chemotherapeutic treatment of human determined by Hoechst/propidium iodide double staining and tumors (1). D2O, known as heavy water, contains a neutron cell cycle distribution was investigated by FACS analysis. and a proton in its hydrogen atoms and shows a variety of Results: Employing a clonogenic assay, D2O yielded IC50 different biological activities from normal (light) water. The values of 15%, 18% and 27% in AsPC-1, PANC-1 and concentration-dependent induction of apoptosis and arrest of BxPC-3 cells, respectively, and led to the induction of cell cycle transition were described for murine astrocytoma apoptosis when compared to untreated controls. Moreover, cells by Uemura and co-workers (2). Although several authors D2O caused a cell cycle arrest in the G2-M-phase (BxPC-3, have described antitumor effects in vitro and in animals after PANC-1) or in the S-phase (AsPC-1). Conclusion: It is hoped administration of D2O (3, 4), only a few studies investigated that D2O might offer an additional option for the treatment the cellular events. Somlyai and co-workers even state that of pancreatic carcinomas. naturally occurring deuterium might be essential for normal cell growth; in addition, they show that proliferation of tumor Pancreatic cancer occurs with an incidence of 2 to 10 per cells can be suppressed by deuterium-depleted water (5). 100,000 persons per year. Because of its unspecific The aim of this study was the elucidation of the cytotoxic symptoms, it is often diagnosed in an extremely late phase and biochemical effects of D2O in three different human of the disease, mostly after formation of metastases. pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and Therefore, therapy modalities are quite poor at the time of PANC-1). The growth inhibitory effects and the inhibition diagnosis. Only in less than 20% of patients, can pancreatic of colony formation of these tumor cells were, therefore, examined. Moreover, induction of programmed cell death and effects on the cell cycle phase distribution were investigated in all cell lines. Correspondence to: Prof. Thomas Szekeres, Clinical Institute of We focused on the effects of D2O on human pancreatic Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University carcinoma cells as a possible additional option for the of Vienna, General Hospital of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18- treatment of these tumor entities. Due to the limited 20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43-1-40400 x 5365, Fax: +43-1- number of chemotherapeutic regimens, which are active 320 33 17, e-mail: [email protected] against this malignancy, a new approach, like the use of D O, might offer an alternative for the treatment of Key Words: Heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O), apoptosis, cell cycle 2 distribution, pancreatic cancer, AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. pancreatic cancer. 0250-7005/2005 $2.00+.40 3407 ANTICANCER RESEARCH 25: 3407-3412 (2005) Materials and Methods P1600 films (Kodak, Rochester, NY, USA). This method allows a distinction to be made between apoptosis and necrosis. The cells Chemicals. Deuterium oxide (D2O) was obtained from CU Chemie were judged according to their morphology and the integrity of Uetikon AG (Uetikon am See, Switzerland). For the treatment of their cell membranes, which can easily be seen after propidium cells with D2O, dry powder culture medium was dissolved in D2O iodide staining. All experiments were performed in duplicate and and supplements were added. The D2O-containing medium was were repeated twice. then mixed with aqueous cell culture media in the designated concentrations (5-50%). Analysis of cell cycle distribution. Logarithmically-growing pancreatic carcinoma cells (0.5x106) were seeded in 25-cm2 tissue Cell culture. The AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and PANC-1 human pancreatic culture flasks and were allowed to attach overnight. Then fresh adenocarcinoma cell lines were purchased from ATCC (American supplemented medium containing 50% D2O was added and the Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA). The cells were cells were incubated for 72 hours. After trypsin-EDTA treatment, the cells were detached and the cell count was determined. The maintained in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2 using a Cytoperm 8080 incubator (Heraeus, Vienna, Austria). AsPC-1 and cells were washed with 5 ml cold PBS, centrifuged at 600 rpm, BxPC-3 cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 medium resuspended, and fixed in 3 ml cold ethanol (70%) for 30 minutes supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum, 1% at 4ÆC. After two washing steps in cold PBS, RNAse A and sodium pyruvate and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. PANC-1 cells propidium iodide were added to a final concentration of 50 Ìg/ml were grown in DMEM high glucose medium containing 10% heat- each and incubated at 4ÆC for 1 hour before measurement. 2x106 inactivated fetal calf serum and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. All cells were analyzed using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (BD pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells were grown in a monolayer Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA) and cell cycle distribution was culture using 25-cm2 tissue culture flasks and were periodically calculated with ModFit LT software (Verity Software House, detached from the flask surface using 2.5% trypsin-ethylene- Topsham, ME, USA). All experiments were performed in diamine tetraacetic acid (trypsin-EDTA) solution. All media and duplicate and were repeated twice. supplements were obtained from Gibco Life Technologies Ltd. (Paisley, Scotland, Great Britain). Cell counts were determined Statistical calculations. Dose response curves were calculated using using a CC-108 microcellcounter (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan). Cells in the Prism 3.03 software (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, CA, the logarithmic phase of growth were used for all studies described. USA). Statistical differences were calculated by unpaired t-test. Growth inhibition assay. Logarithmically-growing cells (0.5x106) Results were seeded in 25-cm2 tissue culture flasks and allowed to attach overnight. Then the cells were incubated with various Growth inhibition assay. The growth inhibitory effects of concentrations of D2O for 5 days. After detaching the cells by D2O in pancreatic cancer cells were evaluated after 5 days trypsin treatment, the IC50 value of D2O was determined. The cells were counted using the Sysmex CC-108 microcellcounter of incubation with concentrations of D2O ranging from (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) and the results were calculated as percent 5-50%. IC50 values (D2O concentration which causes a 50% of control values. All experiments were performed in duplicate inhibition of tumor cell colony growth) were determined for and were repeated twice. all three pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells were inhibited by D2O with IC50 values of Clonogenic assay. Logarithmically-growing cells were plated in 24- 23% and 26%, respectively. Furthermore, D2O inhibited the well plates (0.5x103 – 1.0x103 cells per well) and, after 24 hours, growth of BxPC-3 cells with an IC50 value of 48%. The incubated with various concentrations of D2O (5-50%) for 7 days under cell culture conditions. After staining with crystal violet, results are shown in Figure 1. colonies (>50 cells) were counted using an inverted microscope (Olympus) at 40x magnification. The results were calculated as Clonogenic assay. Cells were incubated with 5-50% of D2O for percent of the control values. All experiments were performed in 7 days, as described in the Methods section. IC50 values were triplicate and were repeated twice. determined for all three pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. In AsPC-1 and PANC-1 cells, D O yielded IC values of 15% Hoechst dye 33258 and propidium iodide double staining. Cells were 2 50 4 and 18% D2O, respectively. BxPC-3 cells showed an IC50 seeded in 12-well plates (4x10 cells per well). After 24 hours, D2O was added in concentrations ranging from 5% to 30% and the cells value of 27%. Again, similarly to the growth inhibition assay, were incubated for 5 days. The cells were then washed with BxPC-3 cells yielded a higher IC50 value than observed for phosphate-buffered saline, detached with 2.5% trypsin and PANC-1 or AsPC-1 cells. The results are shown in Figure 2. centrifuged twice at 800 rpm for 3 min in an Eppendorf microfuge. After resuspending, the cells were stained with Hoechst 33258 Induction of apoptosis. The induction of programmed cell (Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) and propidium iodide (Sigma) (final death was determined morphologically after incubation of concentrations: 5 Ìg/ml and 2 Ìg/ml, respectively) and incubated at 37ÆC for 1 hour. Subsequently, the cells were examined by cells with 5-30% D2O for 24 hours.
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