Study on the possibility of insulin as a carrier of IUdR for hepatocellular carcinoma-targeted therapy

AIM: To evaluate the possibility of using insulin as a carrier for carcinoma-targeted therapy mediated by receptor, and to investigate the expression of insulin receptor in human hepatocellular carcinoma and the receptor binding characteristics of insulin-IUdR (iododeoxyuridine).METHODS: IUdR was covalently conjugated to insulin.Receptor binding assays of 125Ⅰ-insulin to human hepatocellular carcinoma and its adjacent tissue were performed.Competitive displacements of 125Ⅰ-insulin by insulin and insulin-IUdR to bind to insulin receptor were respectively carried out. Statistical comparisons between the means were made with paired t-test at a confidence level of 95%.RESULTS: The data indicated that there were high- and low-affinity binding sites for 125Ⅰ-insulin on both hepatocellular carcinoma and its adjacent tissue. Hepatocellular carcinoma had a significantly higher Bmax for high affinity binding site than its adjacent liver tissue (P＜0.05, t=2.275). Insulin-IUdR competed as effectively as insulin with 125Ⅰ-insulin for binding to insulin receptor. Values of IC501, C502, KI1 and KI2 for Values of IC50l and KI1 for insulin-IUdR were significantly higher than that for insulin (P＜0.01,t=4.537 and 4.813).CONCLUSION: It is possible to use insulin as a carrier for carcinoma-targeted therapy mediated by receptor.

Receptor binding characteristics and cytotoxicity of insulin-methotrexate

AIM: To characterize the receptor binding affinity and cytotoxicity of insulin-methotrexate (MTX) for the potential utilization of insulin as carriers for carcinoma target drugs.METHODS: MTX was covalently linked to insulin. Insulin-MTX conjugate was purified by Sephadex G-25 column and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography.Hepatocellular carcinoma cell membrane fractions were isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation.Competitive displacement of ^125Ⅰ-insulin with insulin and insulin-MTX binding to insulin receptors were carried out.Cytoreductive effect of insulin-MTX on human hepatoma BEL7402 cells and human hepatocyte cell line HL7702 was evaluated using the MTT assay.RESULTS: Insulin-MTX competed as effectively as insulin with^125Ⅰ-insulin for insulin receptors. The values of Kd for insulin-MTX and insulin were 93.82±19.32 nmol/L and 5.01±1.24 nmol/L, respectively. The value of Kd for insulin-MTX was significantly increased in comparison with insulin(t=7.2532, n=4, P<0.005). Insulin-MTX inhibited the growth of human hepatoma cells (BEL7402) almost as potently as MTX. The inhibitory effect reached a peak on the 5 th day when the growth of cells was inhibited by 79% at aconcentration of 5.0 μg/mL insulin-MTX. Treatment with 5.0 μg/mL of MTX and 5.0 μg/mL of insulin-MTX merely resulted in inhibition of HL7702 cells by 31.5% and 7.8% on the 5 th day.CONCLUSION: Insulin-MTX specifically recognizes insulin receptors and inhibits the growth of BEL7402 cells. These results suggest that insulin can be used as a carrier in receptor mediated carcinoma-targeting therapy.