Difluoromethylornithine prevents the down-regulation of type I interferon receptors: a possible mechanism for a synergistic antiproliferative effect.

Type I interferon and difluoromethylornithine have been shown to exert an antiproliferative effect, both alone and in combination, in several tumor cell lines. Using B16 melanoma cells, we have shown that these two drugs inhibit growth over 72 hr in vitro. The estimated ED50 values for difluoromethylornithine and type I interferon were 31.1 +/- 1.1 microM and 22.3 +/- 2.7 IU/ml, respectively. When used in combination, a marked synergism was observed, as detected by isobologram analysis. Type I interferon, at concentrations that exhibited synergistic activity with difluoromethylornithine, did not affect ornithine decarboxylase activity or intracellular polyamine concentrations. These data suggest that the synergistic antiproliferative effect of murine type I interferon in combination with difluoromethylornithine is not mediated via polyamine depletion. When we examined the type I interferon receptor numbers on the B16 cells exposed to 5 IU/ml murine type I interferon for 72 hr, a 40% decrease was observed, compared with that seen in control cells. Difluoromethylornithine, at 10 microM, did not affect type I interferon receptor numbers. However, when added to the cells in the presence of murine type I interferon, difluoromethylornithine completely inhibited down-regulation, suggesting that down-regulation of the type I interferon receptor is a polyamine-dependent process. These observations may provide a basis for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of interferon treatment through control of interferon receptor down-regulation.