Modification of dopa toxicity in human tumour cells.

A variety of factors were found to modify the toxicity of L-dopa in HeLa cells (D37 16 microM) and in dopa-sensitive, nonpigmented human melanoma cells (MM96) (D37 5 microM) having a similar size and doubling time. Dopa toxicity was decreased by concurrent treatment with superoxide dismutase, peroxidase or catalase, by erythrocytes, or by hypoxia. Toxicity could be increased by the enzyme inhibitors L- and D-penicillamine, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate or 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole. The two cell lines had similar levels of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase; in 6 human melanoma lines, no correlation was found between dopa killing and tyrosinase activity as determined either by formation of dopa from tyrosine or by formation of melanin from dopa. Uptake of L-dopa was similar in HeLa and MM96 cells, and the toxicity of D-dopa was the same in both lines as that of the L-isomer. Dopa decomposed within 12 hr in culture medium, the rate and products being influenced by addition of the above enzymes and by the cell density. Dopa-melanin and medium containing decomposed dopa were also selectively toxic to MM96 cells. Adenovirus 5 was used in two different ways to assess the relative importance of DNA damage and inhibition of DNA synthesis by dopa. Viral replication was found to be unaffected in cells being treated with dopa but was strongly inhibited in cells treated with the DNA polymerase inhibitor cytosine arabinoside. Secondly, the virus was itself inactivated by treatment with dopa for 24 hr (D37 1.3 mM); similar dose response curves were obtained for replication of dopa-treated virus in untreated HeLa or MM96 cells. These results show that the initial events of dopa toxicity occur outside the cell and lead to the formation of a stable, toxic product (probably melanin) which does not strongly inhibit DNA polymerase activity. Melanoma hypersensitivity was not due to differences in oxygen-metabolizing enzymes, dopa uptake, or DNA repair.