Manganoporphyrins and ascorbate enhance gemcitabine cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer

•Manganoporphyrins act synergistically with ascorbate to increase hydrogen peroxide flux.•Combination gemcitabine, MnPs, and AscH− increases cytotoxicity in vitro.•Combination gemcitabine, MnPs, and AscH– inhibits pancreatic cancer growth in vivo.•Double-stranded DNA breaks are increased with MnP, AscH−, and gemcitabine therapy.•Triple therapy does not increase systemic oxidative stress in vivo.

Pharmacological ascorbate (AscH−) selectively induces cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cells vs normal cells via the generation of extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), producing double-stranded DNA breaks and ultimately cell death. Catalytic manganoporphyrins (MnPs) can enhance ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity by increasing the rate of AscH− oxidation and therefore the rate of generation of H2O2. We hypothesized that combining MnPs and AscH− with the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine would further enhance pancreatic cancer cell cytotoxicity without increasing toxicity in normal pancreatic cells or other organs. Redox-active MnPs were combined with AscH− and administered with or without gemcitabine to human pancreatic cancer cell lines, as well as immortalized normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. The MnPs MnT2EPyP (Mn(III)meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl) porphyrin pentachloride) and MnT4MPyP (Mn(III)tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin pentachloride) were investigated. Clonogenic survival was significantly decreased in all pancreatic cancer cell lines studied when treated with MnP + AscH− + gemcitabine, whereas nontumorigenic cells were resistant. The concentration of ascorbate radical (Asc•−, an indicator of oxidative flux) was significantly increased in treatment groups containing MnP and AscH−. Furthermore, MnP + AscH− increased double-stranded DNA breaks in gemcitabine-treated cells. These results were abrogated by extracellular catalase, further supporting the role of the flux of H2O2. In vivo growth was inhibited and survival increased in mice treated with MnT2EPyP, AscH−, and gemcitabine without a concomitant increase in systemic oxidative stress. These data suggest a promising role for the use of MnPs in combination with pharmacologic AscH− and chemotherapeutics in pancreatic cancer.

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