Differential induction of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase activity in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cells in response to N1,N12-bis (ethyl)spermine involves transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation.

The growth inhibition that occurs in cisplatin-sensitive 2008 human ovarian cancer cells in response to the spermine analog, N1,N12-bis(ethyl)spermine (BESpm), is associated with a potent induction of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), the rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine catabolism. Conversely, in cisplatin-resistant C13* cells, which are less responsive to BESpm, enzyme induction does not occur at comparable levels after exposure to the bis(ethyl)-derivative. In this study we have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential induction of SSAT activity in cisplatin- sensitive and -resistant cells. Northern blot analysis revealed a difference in the level of SSAT mRNA expression in the two cell lines; in particular, 2008 cells treated with 10 µM BESpm for progressively increasing periods of time accumulated more heteronuclear (3.5 kb) and mature (1.3/1.5 kb) SSAT mRNAs than its resistant variant. SSAT mRNA accumulation paralleled enzyme activity and both were almost completely prevented in the two lines by co-treatment with 5 µg/ml Act-D, suggesting that transcription plays a major role in the analog-mediated induction of SSAT. Moreover, when Act-D was added 48 h after BESpm exposure, SSAT mRNA and enzyme activity were stabilized in both cell lines. Therefore, the marked difference in the induction of SSAT activity seems to be related to increased enzyme synthesis, particularly in sensitive cells, whose SSAT protein turnover was also greatly reduced (half-life >12 h in 2008 cells versus 5 h in C13* cells) in the presence of BESpm. These findings suggest that cisplatin-resistance modulates the SSAT response to BESpm at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.