Influence of Bisphosphonates or Recombinant Human Parathyroid Hormone on in Vitro Chemotherapy Sensitivity in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

BACKGROUND

Osteonecrosis and low bone mineral density (BMD) are serious osteogenic side effects of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment. Bisphosphonates and recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rPTH) tend to be used to ameliorate osteonecrosis-related symptoms as well as to enhance bone mineral density in children with ALL and severe bone fragility. Only one preclinical study on the safety of bisphosphonates during ALL treatment is available, which raises concerns about their impact on leukemic drug sensitivity. Here, we assessed the influence of various bone-modifying agents (zoledronate, pamidronate and rPTH) on in vitro cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine (VCR), daunorubicin (DNR), dexamethasone (DEXA), 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), PEG-asparaginase (PEG-ASP)) and prednisone (PRED) that are commonly used in ALL treatment.

METHODS

Potential cytotoxic effects of the bone-modifying agents on leukemia cell viability and on in vitro cytotoxic responses of chemotherapeutic agents were tested in various T-cell and B-cell leukemia cell lines using methyl-thiazol-tetrazolium (MTT) assays. Bone-modifying agents were added at concentrations up to a five-fold of their physiological peak plasma concentration. For each assay, 50th percentile of maximal inhibitory concentration was determined. To quantify the combined effects of the bone-modifying agents on chemotherapeutic agent-induced cytotoxicity, median (interquartile range) combination indexes (CI) were calculated. We considered a median CI of < 0.8 as synergism and > 1.2 as antagonism (based on the method of Chou).

RESULTS

Zoledronate, pamidronate or rPTH in combination with DNR, 6-MP and PEG-ASP showed median CI values between 0.8 and 1.2. Variable inconclusive results were obtained in combination with VCR. Only the combination of a five-fold peak plasma concentration of zoledronate or pamidronate with DEXA resulted in median CI values of 1.15 (range, 1.08-1.48), and 1.34 (range, 1.07-1.62), respectively. Additional experiments using DEXA as well as PRED in combination with one-, three- or five-fold physiological peak plasma concentrations of zoledronate or pamidronate revealed that median CI values stay within 0.8 and 1.2, except for DEXA exposed leukemia cells in combination with a five-fold physiological peak plasma concentration of pamidronate which repeatedly showed a median CI value above 1.2 (1.34, range 1.04-1.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Zoledronate, pamidronate or rPTH do not seem to influence drug sensitivity of DNR, 6-MP or PEG-ASP, even at a five-fold physiological peak plasma concentration. Nevertheless, our findings suggest a minimal effect of pamidronate on DEXA-induced leukemia cell death. This suggests that even though zoledronate or pamidronate do not seem to negatively influence DEXA- or PRED- induced toxicity in expected physiological concentrations (one- to three-fold physiological peak plasma concentrations), these bone-modifying agents may only be considered with caution in individual cases, and preferably in clinical trial settings before being applied on a large scale in children with ALL.