Hypoxia-induced nitric oxide production and tumour perfusion is inhibited by pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20)

Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 14:6:22950. doi: 10.1038/srep22950.

Abstract

The hypoxic tumour microenvironment represents an aggressive, therapy-resistant compartment. As arginine is required for specific hypoxia-induced processes, we hypothesised that arginine-deprivation therapy may be useful in targeting hypoxic cancer cells. We explored the effects of the arginine-degrading agent ADI-PEG20 on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activation, the hypoxia-induced nitric oxide (NO) pathway and proliferation using HCT116 and UMUC3 cells and xenografts. The latter lack argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1) making them auxotrophic for arginine. In HCT116 cells, ADI-PEG20 inhibited hypoxic-activation of HIF-1α and HIF-2α, leading to decreased inducible-nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NO-production, and VEGF. Interestingly, combining hypoxia and ADI-PEG20 synergistically inhibited ASS1. ADI-PEG20 inhibited mTORC1 and activated the unfolded protein response providing a mechanism for inhibition of HIF and ASS1. ADI-PEG20 inhibited tumour growth, impaired hypoxia-associated NO-production, and decreased vascular perfusion. Expression of HIF-1α/HIF-2α/iNOS and VEGF were reduced, despite an increased hypoxic tumour fraction. Similar effects were observed in UMUC3 xenografts. In summary, ADI-PEG20 inhibits HIF-activated processes in two tumour models with widely different arginine biology. Thus, ADI-PEG20 may be useful in the clinic to target therapy-resistant hypoxic cells in ASS1-proficient tumours and ASS1-deficient tumours.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine / metabolism
  • Argininosuccinate Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Argininosuccinate Synthase / genetics
  • Argininosuccinate Synthase / metabolism
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrolases / pharmacology*
  • Hypoxia
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
  • Mice, SCID
  • Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / metabolism
  • Perfusion
  • Polyethylene Glycols / pharmacology*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Tumor Burden / drug effects
  • Unfolded Protein Response / drug effects
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays*

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Polyethylene Glycols
  • Arginine
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
  • Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Hydrolases
  • ADI PEG20
  • Argininosuccinate Synthase