Enhanced growth inhibition and differentiation of fluorodeoxyuridine-treated human colon carcinoma cells by phenylbutyrate

The effect of phenylbutyrate (PB), a nontoxic differentiation inducer, in human colon carcinoma cell lines treated with 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) was evaluated. Two HT-29 human colon carcinoma subclones (U4 well differentiated and U9 poorly differentiated) were equally growth inhibited by 16 h of FUdR (0.2 microM) treatment but recovered cell growth in 3-6 days after the removal of FUdR. PB as a single agent had minimal effect on cell growth, but after FUdR treatment, PB inhibited cell growth for 12 days. The inhibition of cell growth in FUdR-treated cells by PB was more sustained in U4 than U9 cells and was associated with an increased and sustained expression of p21waf1 protein, secretion of transforming growth factor beta1, mediators of p53-dependent or -independent G1 cell cycle arrest, and an increase in the alkaline phosphatase activity as well, considered a marker of differentiation in colon carcinoma cells. These effects of PB were seen only in FUdR-pretreated cells because PB alone had minimal effect on the expression of these genes. The sequential use of FUdR followed by PB in patients with colon carcinoma should be explored because two subclones of HT29, irrespective of their state of differentiation, respond to this clinically achievable regimen.