Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.31 (beta-glucuronidase)
7,680 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Balb/c mice bearing a methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma were used to compare the activation levels of tumor-associated and peritoneal macrophages. Two stages of tumor growth were examined, namely "small" and "large" tumors, with average diameters of 10 and 30 mm, respectively. The activation state, determined by measurement of both phagocytic index and beta-glucuronidase content, was found to be markedly higher in tumor-associated macrophages than in their peritoneal counterparts and it was, in addition, independent of tumor progression. The percentage of tumor-associated macrophages, which were detected on the basis of Fc receptor expression, remained constant in the growing neoplasm, at approximately 23% of total cell population. None of these parameters were affected by inoculation with an immunopotentiating dose of heat-killed Candida albicans which, on the other hand, seemed not to alter the course of the tumor. These data suggest that within the tumor microenvironment macrophages would somehow be maintained at a constant proportion and at a highly activated state, while outside the tumor they would be at a lower activation level. Our results also suggest that TAM would not possess antitumor activity in vivo, although we have found this activity in vitro.
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PMID:Comparative activation states of tumor-associated and peritoneal macrophages from mice bearing an induced fibrosarcoma. 209 3

The cancer chemotherapeutic efficacy of 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine (DHBA), a dopamine analog with reduced neurotoxic effects, was evaluated in strain A mice bearing transplantable Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma. The analog was administered intraperitoneally on day 1 post-transplantation at dose schedules of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day for 7 consecutive days. The results demonstrated a significant inhibition of tumor growth and prolongation of the survival time of EAC tumor bearing mice following DHBA treatment. Diminished activity of the growth-related respiratory enzyme succinate dehydrogenase along with the stimulated activity of the lysosomal enzyme beta-glucuronidase in the DHBA-treated tumor cells indicated inhibition of tumor growth as well as active lysis of the tumor cells. Tumor inhibition was accompanied by marked improvements in hemoglobin concentration. RBC count and bone marrow cellularity. The results demonstrated that DHBA did not adversely affect hematological profile of the host while it inhibited the growth of Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma.
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PMID:Tumor inhibition and hematological improvements by dopamine analog 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine in mice bearing transplantable carcinoma. 223

The cancer chemotherapeutic efficacy of dopamine (DA) was evaluated in female strain A mice bearing transplantable Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. The results demonstrated significant inhibition of tumor growth with appreciable increase in the host survival time following DA treatment. Diminished activity of the growth-related respiratory enzyme succinate dehydrogenase along with stimulated activity of the lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucuronidase in DA-treated tumor cells indicated inhibition of tumor growth as well as active lysis of the tumor cells. The direct effect of this compound on tumor proliferation was demonstrated by marked inhibition of DNA synthesis. RNA synthesis was only marginally inhibited.
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PMID:Antitumor effect of i.p. dopamine in mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. 359 22

Mouse colon adenocarcinoma Co38 is widely used as a screening model for human colon tumors. To understand better the influence of tumor size on the main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems, we tested 15 mouse Co38 tumors at different sizes. The average weight was 917 +/- 444 mg (range, 300-1,400 mg). Cytochromes P-450 (1A1/1A2, 2B1/B2, 2C8-10, 2E1, 3A4), epoxide hydrolase (EH), and glutathione-S-transferases (GST-alpha, -mu, and -pi) were assayed by immunoblotting. The activities of the following enzymes or cofactors were determined by spectrophotometric or fluorometric assays: 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene-GST (CDNB-GST), selenium-independent glutathione peroxidase (GPX), 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene-GST (DCNB-GST), ethacrynic acid-GST (EA-GST), total glutathione (GSH), uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase (UDP-GT), beta-glucuronidase (beta G), sulfotransferase (ST), and sulfatase (S). Our results showed the absence of all probed P-450s and EH in Co38 tumors. No relationship was found between the Co38 tumor weights and GPX, GST-alpha, and EA-GST (regression analysis). However, a significant correlation was found between the tumor weights and all other enzymes investigated. For certain enzymes or cofactors, a linear decrease (P < 0.05) was observed as a function of tumor weight (CDNB-GST, DCNB-GST, GST-mu, GST-pi, GSH, and beta G). Other enzymatic activities (UDP-GT, S, and ST) were found to decrease in medium-size tumors and to increase in large tumors (P < 0.05; quadratic correlation). These data demonstrate that the expression of many drug-metabolizing enzyme systems is altered during tumor growth and suggest that tumoral response to chemotherapy could be altered as a function of tumor size.
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PMID:Influence of tumor size on the main drug-metabolizing enzyme systems in mouse colon adenocarcinoma Co38. 792 60

Methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) modification of Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase (betaG) was examined as a method to improve the stability and pharmacokinetics of antibody-betaG conjugates for the targeted activation of glucuronide prodrugs at tumor cells. Introduction of 3 PEG molecules did not affect betaG activity whereas higher degrees of PEG modification produced progressively greater loss of enzymatic activity. The enzyme was found to be stable in serum regardless of PEG modification. PEG-modified betaG was coupled via a thioether bond to mAb RH1, an IgG2a antibody that binds to the surface of AS-30D hepatoma cells, to produce conjugates with 3 (RH1-betaG-3PEG), 5.2 (RH1-betaG-5PEG) or 9.8 (RH1-betaG-10PEG) PEG molecules per betaG with retention of 75%, 45% and 40% of the combined antigen-binding and enzymatic activity of the unmodified conjugate RH1-betaG. In contrast to the rapid serum clearance of RH1-betaG observed in mice, the PEG-modified conjugates displayed extended serum half-lives. RH1-betaG-3PEG and RH1-betaG-5PEG also exhibited reduced spleen uptake and greater tumor accumulation than RH1-betaG. BHAMG, the glucuronide prodrug of p-hydroxyaniline mustard (pHAM), was relatively nontoxic in vivo. Injection of 6 mg/kg or 12 mg/kg pHAM i.v. depressed white blood cell numbers by 46% and 71% whereas 80 mg/kg BHAMG reduced these levels by 22%. Although the tumor/blood ratio of RH1-betaG-5PEG was adversely affected by slow clearance from serum, combined therapy of small solid hepatoma tumors with this conjugate, followed 4 and 5 days later with i.v. injections of BHAMG, cured all of seven mice with severe combined immunodeficiency. Combined treatment with a control antibody-betaG conjugate and BHAMG delayed tumor growth and cured two of six mice while treatment with pHAM or BHAMG alone was ineffective.
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PMID:Poly(ethylene glycol) modification of beta-glucuronidase-antibody conjugates for solid-tumor therapy by targeted activation of glucuronide prodrugs. 929 32

N-[4-daunorubicin-N-carbonyl (oxymethyl)phenyl] O-beta-glucuronyl carbamate (DNR-GA3) is a glucuronide prodrug of daunorubicin (DNR) which induced a better tumor growth delay than DNR when studied at equitoxic doses in three human ovarian cancer xenografts. These results suggested that the prodrug DNR-GA3 was selectively activated by human beta-glucuronidase present in tumor tissue. We determined the pharmacokinetics and distribution of DNR-GA3 in nude mice bearing human ovarian cancer xenografts (OVCAR-3, FMa, A2780, and MRI-H-207). Administration of DNR at 10 mg/kg i.v. (maximum tolerated dose) to OVCAR-3-bearing mice resulted in a peak plasma concentration of the drug of 12.18 microM (t = 1 min). DNR-GA3 at 100 mg/kg i.v. (approximately 50% of the maximum tolerated dose [MTD]) resulted in a peak plasma concentration of DNR that was 28-fold lower than that after DNR itself; in normal tissues, prodrug injection resulted in 5- to 23-fold lower DNR concentrations. DNR showed a relatively poor uptake into OVCAR-3 tumors with a peak concentration of 2.05 nmol x g(-1) after injection. In the same xenograft, DNR-GA3 resulted in a significantly higher DNR peak concentration of 3.45 nmol x g(-1) (P < 0.05). The higher area under the curve of DNR in tumor tissue after DNR-GA3 than after DNR itself would be the result of prodrug activation by beta-glucuronidase. In this respect, a considerably higher beta-glucuronidase activity was found in tumor tissue when compared to plasma. The specific activation of DNR-GA3 by beta-glucuronidase at the tumor site relative to normal organs leads to a more tumor-selective therapy, resulting in greater efficacy without increased toxicity.
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PMID:Distribution and pharmacokinetics of the prodrug daunorubicin-GA3 in nude mice bearing human ovarian cancer xenografts. 1003 53

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced tumors of dicotyledonous plants consist of well-defined vascular bundle-like structures originating from transformed cells. The current view that 25% of the tumor cells are transformed has been re-investigated by using beta-glucuronidase (gus)-gene-containing wild-type bacteria (A281 p35S gus-int). Regularly growing stem and leaf tumors showed irregular GUS-staining patterns in the different plant species, Ricinus communis L., Cucurbita maxima L., Vicia faba L. and Kalanchoe daigremontiana Hamet et Perrier. Variable staining and inconsistency between staining and tumor growth suggested an inhibition of gus expression. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses it became evident that gus is also integrated into the DNA of unstainable tumor parts but not expressed. These results and area calculations of tissues unable to contain the bacterial transferred-DNA with gus provide strong evidence that in A. tumefaciens-induced tumors most cells, or even all, are transformed, i.e. ca. 100%.
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PMID:Identification and localization of transformed cells in agrobacterium tumefaciens-induced plant tumors 1055 Jun 20

The F(ab')(2) fragment of the anti-TAG-72 antibody, B72.3, was covalently linked to Escherichia coli-derived beta-glucuronidase that was modified with methoxypoly(ethylene glycol). The conjugate (B72.3-betaG-PEG) localized to a peak concentration in LS174T xenografts within 48 h after injection, but enzyme activity persisted in plasma such that prodrug administration had to be delayed for at least 4 days to avoid systemic prodrug activation and associated toxicity. Conjugate levels in tumors decreased to 36% of peak levels at this time. Intravenous administration of AGP3, an IgM mAb against methoxypoly(ethylene glycol), accelerated clearance of conjugate from serum and increased the tumor/blood ratio of B72. 3-betaG-PEG from 3.9 to 29.6 without significantly decreasing the accumulation of conjugate in tumors. Treatment of nude mice bearing established human colon adenocarcinoma xenografts with B72. 3-betaG-PEG followed 48 h later with AGP3 and a glucuronide prodrug of p-hydroxyaniline mustard significantly (p< or =0.0005) delayed tumor growth with minimal toxicity compared to therapy with a control conjugate or conventional chemotherapy.
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PMID:Efficient clearance of poly(ethylene glycol)-modified immunoenzyme with anti-PEG monoclonal antibody for prodrug cancer therapy. 1072 3

A glucuronide doxorubicin prodrug N-[4-doxorubicin-N-carbonyl (oxymethyl) phenyl] O-beta-glucuronyl carbamate (DOX-GA3) has been developed to improve the antitumor effects of doxorubicin (DOX). The prodrug was originally designed to be activated into drug by human beta-glucuronidase (GUS) released from tumor cells in necrotic areas of tumor lesions. The aim of this study was to further improve the antitumor effects of DOX-GA3 by means of antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT). We thus investigated if the administration of an enzyme-immunoconjugate prepared from the pancarcinoma Ep-CAM specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) 323/A3 and beta-glucuronidase would result in improved antitumor effects because of additional enzyme localization in tumor tissue. In vitro, the prodrug DOX-GA3 was found to be 12-times less toxic than the parent drug DOX in a human ovarian cancer cell line. Immunospecific and complete activation of the prodrug took place when the cells were pretreated with 323/A3-beta-glucuronidase conjugate. In nude mice bearing s.c. human ovarian cancer xenografts (FMa) the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of DOX-GA3 (500 mg/kg weekly x 2) was much higher when compared with that of DOX (8 mg/kg weekly x 2). In mice bearing well-established FMa xenografts, the standard treatment of DOX at the MTD (8 mg/kg weekly x 2) resulted in a tumor growth inhibition of 67%. Treatment with DOX-GA3 at a single dose of 500 mg/kg resulted in a better tumor growth inhibition of 87%. The combination of DOX-GA3 (500 mg/kg) with 323/A3-mGUS conjugate and anti-GUS MAb 105, to clear circulating conjugate, improved the antitumor effect even further to 98%. At the lower dose of 250 mg/kg DOX-GA3 tumor growth inhibition (34%) was not better than that of DOX. The combination, however, of DOX-GA3 at 250 mg/kg and 323/A3-mGUS conjugate plus MAb 105 again greatly improved the antitumor effect (growth inhibition of 93%). DOX given at 8 mg/kg weekly x 2 did not result in tumor regressions. As a result of ADEPT, the number of regressions of tumors improved from 0 out of 12 to 9 out of 11 at a dose of 250 mg/kg DOX-GA3. At the higher prodrug dose (500 mg/kg) the number of regressions improved from 2 out of 12 to 9 out of 10 as a result from the addition of enzyme-immunoconjugate. Our studies show that the efficacy of the widely used anti-cancer agent DOX may be improved by using the prodrug DOX-GA3, in combination with the tumor-specific enzyme-immunoconjugate 323/A3-mGUS and a conjugate clearing antibody.
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PMID:Pronounced antitumor efficacy of doxorubicin when given as the prodrug DOX-GA3 in combination with a monoclonal antibody beta-glucuronidase conjugate. 1125 80

In order to improve current chemotherapeutic treatment and diminish severe side effects, several prodrug strategies have evolved to achieve site-specific delivery of cytotoxic anticancer agents. This review concentrates on recent developments of antitumor prodrug monotherapy with prodrugs that are designed for direct recognition of tumor-associated factors, such as hypoxia, tumor-associated enzymes and receptors. Firstly, oxygen deficiency in the core of solid tumors leads to enhanced activity of reducing enzymes, like for example nitroreductases, which can be used for site- specific conversion of prodrug to drug. Secondly, some enzymes are present in elevated levels in tumor tissue: beta-glucuronidase leaks from necrotic areas within tumors, while tumor cells for invasive and metastatic activities need several tumor-associated proteases, like plasmin. These enzymes form an attractive target for designing selective prodrugs. Finally, tumor-selective expression of receptors can be exploited for the delivery of antitumor agents. Low molecular weight binding motifs for these receptors can be coupled to cytotoxic drugs in order to obtain tumor-homing conjugates. At present, receptor-binding motifs for a number of receptors that are required for angiogenesis are used for prodrug monotherapy. There exists an increasing body of literature, which describes the complex interplay not only between tumor-associated enzymes, but also between these enzymes and tumor-associated receptors in the process of tumor invasion and metastasis, indicating the feasibility of targeting cytotoxic drugs to these key players in tumor growth. This paper reviews the development and evaluation of anticancer prodrugs, and their application in the various prodrug monotherapy approaches.
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PMID:Anticancer prodrugs for application in monotherapy: targeting hypoxia, tumor-associated enzymes, and receptors. 1147 43


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