Lysosomal Exocytosis of Olivacine on the Way to Explain Drug Resistance in Cancer Cells

Abstract

Ellipticine is an indole alkaloid with proven antitumor activity against various tumors in vitro and a diverse mechanism of action, which includes topoisomerase II inhibition, intercalation, and cell cycle impact. Olivacine—ellipticine’s isomer—shows similar properties. The objectives of this work were as follows: (a) to find a new path of olivacine synthesis, (b) to study the cytotoxic properties of olivacine and ellipticine in comparison to doxorubicin as well as their impact on the cell cycle, and (c) to investigate the cellular pharmacokinetics of the tested compounds to understand drug resistance in cancer cells better. SRB and MTT assays were used to study the anticancer activity of olivacine and ellipticine in vitro. Both compounds showed a cytotoxic effect on various cell lines, most notably on the doxorubicin-resistant LoVo/DX model, with olivacine’s cytotoxicity approximately three times higher than doxorubicin. Olivacine proved to be less effective against cancer cells and less cytotoxic to normal cells than ellipticine. Olivacine proved to have fluorescent properties. Microscopic observation of cells treated with olivacine showed the difference in sensitivity depending on the cell line, with A549 cells visibly affected by a much lower concentration of olivacine than normal NHDF cells. An increased percentage of cells in G0/G1 was observed after treatment with olivacine and ellipticine, suggesting an impact on cell cycle progression, potentially via higher p53 protein expression, which blocks the transition from G0/G1 to the S phase. Ellipticine induced apoptosis at a concentration as low as 1 μM. It has been proved that the tested compounds (ellipticine and olivacine) undergo lysosomal exocytosis. Reducing exocytosis is possible through the use of compounds that inhibit the activity of the proton pump. Olivacine and ellipticine exhibited diverse cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cells. Analysis of the lysosomal exocytosis of olivacine and ellipticine shows the need to look for derivatives with comparable anticancer activity but reduced weak base character.