Antagonism of cytotoxic chemotherapy in neuroblastoma cell lines by 13-cis-retinoic acid is mediated by the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins.

13-cis-Retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) is given at completion of cytotoxic therapy to control minimal residual disease in neuroblastoma. We investigated the effect of combining 13-cis-RA with cytotoxic agents employed in neuroblastoma therapy using a panel of 6 neuroblastoma cell lines. The effect of 13-cis-RA on the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway was studied by flow cytometry, cytotoxicity by DIMSCAN, and protein expression by immunoblotting. Pretreatment and direct combination of 13-cis-RA with etoposide, topotecan, cisplatin, melphalan, or doxorubicin markedly antagonized the cytotoxicity of those agents in 4 out of 6 tested neuroblastoma cell lines, increasing fractional cell survival by 1 to 3 logs. The inhibitory concentration of drugs (IC(99)) increased from clinically achievable levels to nonachievable levels, greater than 5-fold (cisplatin) to greater than 7-fold (etoposide). In SMS-KNCR neuroblastoma cells, 13-cis-RA upregulated expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL RNA and protein, and this was associated with protection from etoposide-mediated apoptosis at the mitochondrial level. A small molecule inhibitor of the Bcl-2 family of proteins (ABT-737) restored mitochondrial membrane potential loss and apoptosis in response to cytotoxic agents in 13-cis-RA treated cells. Prior selection for resistance to RA did not diminish the response to cytotoxic treatment. Thus, combining 13-cis-RA with cytotoxic chemotherapy significantly reduced the cytotoxicity for neuroblastoma in vitro, mediated at least in part via the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family of proteins.