Background: 2-CADO inhibits the growth of several types of cells and causes apoptosis by a mechanism which involves adenosine receptors or cellular uptake or both.
Methods: Androgen-independent (PC3) prostate cancer cells were used in the study and proliferation, cell-cycle progression, and apoptosis analyzed. Deoxy-and ribonucleoside triphosphate pools were determined by HPLC. The molecular mechanism was examined by assessing the involvement of DNA synthesizing enzymes in the cellular response.
Results: 2-CADO treatment dramatically reduced the number of prostate cancer cells and permanently stopped cell-cycle progression in the S-phase. The role of 2-CADO in prostate cancer cells is uptake-mediated and followed by sequential phosphorylations to 2-Cl-ATP that irreversibly inhibits several key-enzymes for DNA biosynthesis.
Conclusions: Arrest of DNA synthesis responsible for toxicity of 2-CADO to PC3 cells is due to the lack of substrates for DNA polymerization caused by irreversible inhibition of purine/pyrimidine ribo-and 2-deoxyribonucleotides salvage enzymes.