INFLUENCE OF UKRAIN AND CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE ADMINISTRATION ON HA-1 MURINE HEPATOMA AND LS LYMPHOMA ON ASPARTIC PROTEINASE CATHEPSIN D

DJANAYEVA S.J.,¹ KOROLENKO T.A.,¹ SVECHNIKOVA I.G.,¹ FALAMEYEVA O.V.,¹ KOROLENKO E.,¹ KALEDIN V.I.,² NOWICKY J.³

1) Institute of Physiology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
2) Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
3) Ukrainian Anticancer Institute, Vienna, Austria.

Address for correspondence: S.J. Djanayeva, Institute of Physiology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.

Summary: Cathepsin D, the major lysosomal aspartyl proteinase and a mediator of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis, was studied in murine models of LS lymphosarcoma treated by cyclophosphamide (possible apoptosis induction), and HA-1 hepatoma treated by Ukrain (positive antitumor effect). It was found that cyclophosphamide, as well as cyclophosphamide plus Ukrain, increased cathepsin D specific activity in mice with LS lymphosarcoma. Ukrain alone had no effect on cathepsin D activity in LS lymphosarcoma. In HA-1 hepatoma cells cathepsin D activity was not changed compared with intact normal murine liver (day 10) and activity decreased during tumor development (on day 12). Ukrain significantly increased cathepsin D activity in ascitic fluid (day 10) and had a tendency to increase cathepsin D activity in ascitic cells but not to the normal value.