Erlotinib Antagonizes Efflux Via ABC Transporters and Decreases P-Gp Cell Surface Expression by Inhibiting SRC Kinase and mTOR Pathways in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Abstract 2564 Background: Erlotinib (Erlo) was originally developed as an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, yet it also exerts antileukemic “off-target” effects, in vitro and in vivo in MDS and AML (Boehrer et al., Blood, 2008). In a preliminary pre-clinical study, we observed that Erlo increased chemosensitivity to current AML drugs in different AML cell lines and in ex vivo AML patient cells (n=3) (ASH 2010, 2163). Those first results suggested an implication of ABC-transporters in the potentiation of apoptosis. Here, we bring direct evidence for Erlo's ability to hinder efflux pumps and to decrease their expression on AML cells. Methods: Drug efflux via ABC-transporters (substrate: mitoxantrone-MTZ or doxorubicin-Dox), and specific efflux via P-gp (substrates: DioC23 and Rho-123), MRP (s: Calcein and CDCFDA) and BCRP (s: Hoechst 33342) were quantified by FACS following incubation with 10mM Erlo. Intracellular VP-16) content was quantified by Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography (RRLC). Biochemical inhibitors of the respective ABC-transporters (CSA (1μM), verapamil (Vera-10μM), MK571 (10μM), KO143 (500nM) served as positive controls. To assess chemosensitivity, 10mM Erlo was combined to AraC (100nM), Dox (100nM), or VP-16 (1mM) and apoptosis over-time (24, 48, 72h) quantified by DioC3(6)/PI staining. Assessment of sensitivity to the drug combinations listed above were carried out in KG-1 cells, and its more immature variant KG-1a and in ex vivo CD34+ marrow cells from AML patients (AML post MDS n=5, de novo AML n=5). P-gp's ATPase activity was quantified with the luminescence-based Pgp-Gloä Assay System. Surface expression of P-gp was determined by FACS analysis and total protein expression of MRP, BCRP and P-gp by immunoblot analysis. Functional relevance of signaling pathways was tested using the SRC inhibitor PP2 (10μM) and the mTOR inhibitor Rapamicin (10nM). Results: We found that I) Erlo inhibited efflux via P-gp, MRP and BCRP as demonstrated by increased intracellular retention of DioC23/Rho-123, Calcein/CDCFDA and Hoechst 33342, respectively, andby its ability to retain MTX (300nM) and Dox (200nM) intracellularly II) Inhibition of drug efflux was higher in KG-1 than in KG-1a cellss, in agreement with a lower expression of P-gp and BCRP on KG-1a as compared to KG-1 cells; III) Quantification of VP-16 by RRLC after incubation with or without Erlo showed the ability of Erlo to increase intracellular VP-16 contents by approximately 60%; IV) Erlo increased ATPase activity in a dose-dependant manner, supporting the notion that Erlo is a competitive inhibitor of P-gp; IV) Erlo combined to VP-16 induced synergistic effects on apoptosis in KG-1 cells, and to a lesser extent in KG-1a (48h KG-1: Erlo 20%, VP-16 38%, Erlo+VP16 78%, KG-1a 48h: Erlo 10%, VP-16: 12%, Erlo+VP16: 35%); V) 48h of incubation with Erlo reduced cell surface expression of P-gp in KG-1 cells by 50%, whereas total P-gp protein expression remained unchanged, suggesting that Erlo interferes exclusively with the protein form expressed on the cell surface, VI) Decrease of P-gp cell surface expression was recapitulated upon incubation with PP2 (10μM) or Rapamicin (10nM); VII) the combination of Erlo+VP-16 in 10 AML-patient samples induced synergistic effects on apoptosis in 5 of them and additive effects in 3 of them. Conclusions: We here confirm that Erlo increases sensitivity towards chemotherapeutic agents subjected to drug efflux via ABC-transporters and delineate the molecular pathways conveying these effects. Disclosures: Fenaux: Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding.