Differential sensitivity to mitomycin C between human RSa cell line and its derivative UVr-1

To study cellular signaling factors responsible for the susceptibility of human cells to cell proliferation inhibition by anticancer drugs, human RSa cell line and its ultraviolet-resistant derivative UVr-1 were compared with respect to their sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effects of mitomycin C (MMC), 5-fluorouracil, nimustine (ACNU), cisplatin, pirarubicin (THP), bleomycin, methotrexate and ifosfamide. RSa cells were found to be highly sensitive to MMC by MTT assay compared to UVr-1 cells. The half maximum inhibition concentration of MMC against proliferation of RSa cells was approximately 100 ng/ml while that of UVr-1 cells was greater than 1 microgram/ml. There was no significant difference observed between RSa and UVr-1 cells in the sensitivity to other seven drugs examined. Analysis by flow cytometry revealed that the cell cycle of RSa was completely blocked at the G2/M phase 40 h after treatment with MMC at a concentration of 100 ng/ml whereas a substantial proportion of UVr-1 cells was not arrested at that phase even in the presence of MMC. Further immunoblot analysis on MMC-induced signal transduction showed that the amounts of phosphorylated ERK MAP kinases were increased in UVr-1 cells to a greater extent than those in RSa cells after treatment with MMC for longer than 2 h. However, the increase in p21Cip1 was observed in RSa cells 1 h after addition of MMC but was not observed in UVr-1 cells. These distinct signaling pathways might account for the differences in sensitivity to MMC between RSa and UVr-1 cells.