Activated Macrophages as a Novel Determinant of Tumor Cell Radioresponse: The Role of Nitric Oxide–Mediated Inhibition of Cellular Respiration and Oxygen Sparing

• Published in: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics Vol. 76; no. 5; pp. 1520 - 1527
• Main Authors: Jiang, Heng, M.S, De Ridder, Mark, M.D., Ph.D, Verovski, Valeri N., Ph.D, Sonveaux, Pierre, Ph.D, Jordan, Bénédicte F., Ph.D, Law, Kalun, B.S, Monsaert, Christinne, B.S, Van den Berge, Dirk L., M.D, Verellen, Dirk, Ph.D, Feron, Olivier, Ph.D, Gallez, Bernard, Ph.D, Storme, Guy A., M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2010
• Subjects: ANIMAL CELLS; Animals; ANOXIA; CELL CONSTITUENTS; Cell Hypoxia - physiology; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Respiration; CHALCOGENIDES; CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; ELEMENTS; Enzyme Activation; Guanidines - pharmacology; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Heme Oxygenase-1 - biosynthesis; Hypoxia; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; INHIBITION; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Macrophage Activation; MACROPHAGES; Macrophages - enzymology; Mice; MITOCHONDRIA; NITRIC OXIDE; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - metabolism; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NITROGEN OXIDES; NONMETALS; OXIDES; OXYGEN; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Oxygen sparing; PHAGOCYTES; Radiation Tolerance - physiology; Radiology; RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; RADIOSENSITIVITY; Radiosensitization; RESPIRATION; SENSITIVITY; SOMATIC CELLS; TUMOR CELLS; Oxygen sparing; Hypoxia; Radiosensitization; Macrophages; Inducible nitric oxide synthase
• ISSN: 0360-3016; 1879-355X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.10.047

Purpose Nitric oxide (NO), synthesized by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), is known to inhibit metabolic oxygen consumption because of interference with mitochondrial respiratory activity. This study examined whether activation of iNOS (a) directly in tumor cells or (b) in bystander macrophages may improve radioresponse through sparing of oxygen. Methods and Materials EMT-6 tumor cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages were exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide plus interferon-γ, and examined for iNOS expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and enzymatic activity. Tumor cells alone, or combined with macrophages were subjected to metabolic hypoxia and analyzed for radiosensitivity by clonogenic assay, and for oxygen consumption by electron paramagnetic resonance and a Clark-type electrode. Results Both tumor cells and macrophages displayed a coherent picture of iNOS induction at transcriptional/translational levels and NO/nitrite production, whereas macrophages showed also co-induction of the inducible heme oxygenase-1, which is associated with carbon monoxide (CO) and bilirubin production. Activation of iNOS in tumor cells resulted in a profound oxygen sparing and a 2.3-fold radiosensitization. Bystander NO-producing, but not CO-producing, macrophages were able to block oxygen consumption by 1.9-fold and to radiosensitize tumor cells by 2.2-fold. Both effects could be neutralized by aminoguanidine, a metabolic iNOS inhibitor. An improved radioresponse was clearly observed at macrophages to tumor cells ratios ranging between 1:16 to 1:1. Conclusions Our study is the first, as far as we are aware, to provide evidence that iNOS may induce radiosensitization through oxygen sparing, and illuminates NO-producing macrophages as a novel determinant of tumor cell radioresponse within the hypoxic tumor microenvironment.