Comparison of UVA induced cytotoxicity by iodoHoechst isomers

Full text: Isomers of the DNA minor groove binding ligand, iodoHoechst, have been shown to sensitise DNA to cleavage by ultraviolet type A (UVA). The DNA damage has been attributed to formation of a carbon-centred radical upon UVA induced dehalogenation of the drugs. Comparison of the efficacy of the ligands in inducing DNA single strand breaks in plasmid DNA has indicated that the ortho isomer is more efficient than the para- and meta-isomers, mainly due to a greater cross-section for dehalogenation, and to some extent from increased efficiency of DNA damage per dehalogenation event. In the present study, the efficiency of dehalogenation and cytotoxicity of the three iodoHoechst isomers has been compared in human erythroleukemic, K562 cells. The uptake of the iodoHoechst compounds in K562 nuclei has been measured, and the photoefficiency of the cellular associated dehalogenation by UVA has been established for the three isomers. The results indicate that the sensitivity to UVA mediated dehalogenation is much higher for the ortho analogue compared to the para and meta-analogues. Values of the UVA D37 doses for the ortho, para and meta isomers are 49 ± 2, 327 ± 29 and 251 ± 32 J/m2 , respectively. Clonogenic survival assays have been used to compare the efficiency of sensitisation of cells to UVA irradiation by the analogues. The ortho analogue exhibits higher efficiency compared to the meta and para analogues. The numbers of dehalogenation events required for cell kill have been calculated from the clonogenic survival at various levels of drug uptake, and the results for the ortho, para and meta isomers are 1.2x104 , 3.9x104 and 11.6x104 , respectively. These results indicate that the ortho analogue is the most efficient isomer in sensitising cell kill by UVA irradiation due to both the high quantum yield for dehalogenation and the higher cytotoxic efficiency of dehalogenation events