Vol. 299, Issue 3, 1154-1160, December 2001

CI-988 Inhibits Growth of Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells

Terry W. Moody and Robert T. Jensen

Department of Cell and Cancer Biology, Medicine Branch, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland (T.W.M.); and Digestive Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (R.T.J.).

The effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonists on small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells were investigated. CI-988, L-365,260, and L-364,718 inhibited specific ¹²⁵I-CCK-8 binding to NCI-H209 cells with IC₅₀ values of 5, 2, and 200 nM. ([R-(R*,R*)]-4[[2-[[3-(1H-Indole-3-yl)-2-methyl-1-oxo-2-[[tricyclo[3.3.1.1^3,7]- dec-2-yloxy)carbonyl[amino]propyl]amino]-1-phenylethyl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid) (CI-988; 100 nM) inhibited the ability of 10 nM CCK-8 to elevate cytosolic Ca²⁺ in 1-[2-(5-carboxyoxazol-2-yl)-6-aminobenzofuran-5-oxy]-2-(2'-amino-5'-methylphenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid acetoxymethyl ester-loaded NCI-H209 cells. By Western blot, CI-988 inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin stimulated by CCK-8. Also, CI-988 inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase stimulated by CCK-8. By Northern blot, CI-988 antagonized the ability of 10 nM CCK-8 to increase c-fos mRNA in NCI-H209 cells. Also, CI-988 inhibited the ability of CCK-8 to increase vascular endothelial cell growth factor mRNA. Using a [3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2.5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide] and clonogenic assay, CI-988 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-H209 cells in vitro. Using nude mice, CI-988 inhibited the proliferation of NCI-H209 xenografts. These results suggest that CI-988 is a CCK₂ receptor antagonist that inhibits the proliferation of SCLC cells.