The effect of dibromo-dulcitol and dianhydro-dulcitol (galactitol) on RNA synthesis in ascites tumor cells.

The mechanism of action on RNA synthesis of anticancer dibromo-dulcitol (DBD, NSC-104800) and dianhydro-dulcitol (DAD, or elsewhere dianhydrogalactitol, DAG, NSC-132313) was investigated. Rats, bearing Yoshida or Novikoff hepatoma ascites tumor cells sensitive to these drugs were treated with doses equivalent to half the LD50 value. Nucleolar RNA (noRNA) and nuclear RNA (nRNA) were pulse labelled with 3H-uridine, isolated and fractionated on sucrose density gradient. After 18 h treatment with either drug and after 3 h with DAD noRNA synthesis increased and the rate of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) precursor processing was enhanced. Investigation of low-molecular weight nRNAs (LMW nRNAs) (separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) showed increased synthesis and/or accumulation of RNA species (5S RNA, uridylic acid rich RNAs) related to rRNA synthesis. The tritium labelled drugs were bound to distinct fractions of nRNA, separated by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation, both in vivo and in vitro. This fact may be explained by the formation of intra-, or intermolecular crosslinking of pre-messenger RNA. The enhanced RNA synthesis might be interpreted as an alteration in the functions of nuclear proteins, involved in the regulation of gene transcription and processing of RNA precursors.