Influence of tetrahydrouridine on the phosphorylation of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-cytosine (ara-C) by enzymes from solid tumors in vitro.

The phosphorylation of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) was studied in cell-free extracts from a variety of solid mouse tumors, L1210 ascites and in normal liver and spleen. Two apparent Michaelis constants were observed for kinase activity in Lewis lung (Km1, 4.15 muM; Km2 58.1 muM), sarcoma 180 (Km1 6.66 muM; Km2 56.18 muM), adenocarcinoma 755 (Km1 4.34 muM; Km2 50.0 muM) and l1210 (Km1 29.41 muM; Km2 41.67 muM). The Km1 values generally ranged from 5 to 20 muM 3H-ara-C while the Km2 values ranged from 20 to 60 muM 3H-ara-C. Normal spleen (Km 47.6 muM), normal liver (Km 10.0 muM) and Ridgway osteogenic sarcoma (Km 31.2 muM) had single Km values. In the presence of tetrahydrouridine (H4U), the in vitro phosphorylation of ara-C was increased as much as 91% in cell-free extracts from adenocarcinoma 755; lesser increases were observed in other tumor extracts. At low substrate concentrations, the apparent Km decreased or did not change in the presence of H4U, while at higher substrate concentrations the apparent Km was increased or did not change in the presence of H4U. In the presence of H4U, Vmax for kinase activity increased most in those tumors possessing deaminase activity.