Inhibition of NADH oxidase activity and growth of HeLa cells by the antitumor sulfonylurea, N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl) urea (LY181984) and response to epidermal growth factor.

Right side-out plasma membrane vesicles isolated from HeLa cells exhibited an NADH oxidase activity at their external surfaces that was inhibited by the antitumor sulfonylurea, N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)urea (LY181984). Intact HeLa cells (fresh or frozen) also exhibited an NADH oxidase activity at the external cell surface. The inhibition of this activity by LY181984 was enhanced by the addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF). The order of addition was critical. It was necessary that the LY181984 be followed by the EGF. If the EGF was administered first, the response to LY181984 was unaffected by EGF. Binding of [3H]LY181984 to HeLa cells also was enhanced by EGF. Growth experiments with HeLa cells revealed a similar pattern of response to EGF. The EC50 of growth inhibition of LY181984 was about 100 microM. However, if the LY181984 was followed by addition of 10 nM EGF, the EC50 for LY181984 was reduced to about 30 nM which now approximated the previously determined Kd of [3H]LY181984 binding of 30 nM and the EC50 of 30 nM for inhibition of NADH oxidase activity by LY181984 by isolated vesicles of plasma membranes. The tumor-inactive sulfonylurea N-(methylphenylsulfonyl-N'-(phenyl)urea (LY181985) was ineffective in the inhibition of NADH oxidation and of growth with HeLa cells either in the presence or absence of EGF.