Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates induce S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of myeloma cells by activating MAPK pathway and inhibiting mevalonate pathway.

Bisphosphonates have been used for the treatment of hypercalcemia associated with malignancies and osteoporosis. It was previously reported that the mevalonate pathway is involved in nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate-induced apoptosis in osteoclasts and myeloma cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two bisphosphonates, incadronate, and newly developed bisphosphonate YM529 on human myeloma cells, U266, RPMI-8226, and HS-Sultan. Both incadronate and YM529 induced S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in these myeloma cells. Treatment of the myeloma cells with cell-permeable substrates for mevalonate pathways, geranylgeraniol, and farnesol prevented bisphosphonate-mediated growth suppression. Checkpoint kinases, Chk1/2, and MAPK became phosphorylated after stimulation with bisphosphonates in the myeloma cells. Bisphosphonate-induced apoptosis was partially prevented by the pretreatment with MAPK inhibitor. These results demonstrate that incadronate and YM529 suppress the proliferation of myeloma cells through mevalonate pathway and MAPK pathway.