Idarubicin - CAS 58957-92-9 Catalog number: BADC-00327

In Vitro

Idarubicin is a clinically effective synthetic anthracycline analog used in the treatment of several human neoplasms. Anthracyclines have the potential to undergo bioactivation by flavoenzymes to free radicals and thus exert their cytotoxic actions. The plasmid DNA experiments demonstrated that idarubicin could undergo bioreduction by P450 reductase with the resulting formation of DNA strand breaks. The antioxidant enzymes SOD and catalase, and hydroxyl radical scavengers, DMSO and thiourea, afforded significant levels of protection against idarubicin-induced DNA strand breaks. These findings suggested that DNA damage by idarubicin occurs through a mechanism which involves its redox cycling with P450 reductase to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The extent of DNA damage by idarubicin was found to increase with increasing concentrations of drug or enzyme as well as with increasing incubation time. The capacity of idarubicin to induce DNA damage under above incubation conditions was compared with that of a model compound, mitomycin C. Finally, enzyme assays carried out with purified P450 reductases revealed that idarubicin exhibited about two-fold higher rate of reduction than mitomycin C.

In Vivo

Idarubicin loading in ONCOZENE DEE agents was > 99% at 10 minutes. Time to reach 75% of the release plateau level was 37 minutes ± 6 for DC Bead DEE agents and 170 minutes ± 19 for ONCOZENE DEE agents both loaded with idarubicin 10 mg/mL. After transarterial chemoembolization with idarubicin-loaded ONCOZENE DEE agents, three partial responses and one complete response were observed with only two asymptomatic grade 3 biologic adverse events. Median time to maximum concentration for idarubicin in patients was 10 minutes, and mean maximum concentration was 4.9 µg/L ± 1.7. Mean area under the concentration-time curve from 0-24 hours was equal to 29.5 µg.h/L ± 20.5.

Mechanism Of Action

Idarubicin has antimitotic and cytotoxic activity through a number of proposed mechanisms of action: Idarubicin forms complexes with DNA by intercalation between base pairs, and it inhibits topoisomerase II activity by stabilizing the DNA-topoisomerase II complex, preventing the religation portion of the ligation-religation reaction that topoisomerase II catalyzes.

Pharmacology

Idarubicin is an antineoplastic in the anthracycline class. General properties of drugs in this class include: interaction with DNA in a variety of different ways including intercalation (squeezing between the base pairs), DNA strand breakage and inhibition with the enzyme topoisomerase II. Most of these compounds have been isolated from natural sources and antibiotics. However, they lack the specificity of the antimicrobial antibiotics and thus produce significant toxicity. The anthracyclines are among the most important antitumor drugs available. Doxorubicin is widely used for the treatment of several solid tumors while daunorubicin and idarubicin are used exclusively for the treatment of leukemia. Idarubicin may also inhibit polymerase activity, affect regulation of gene expression, and produce free radical damage to DNA. Idarubicin possesses an antitumor effect against a wide spectrum of tumors, either grafted or spontaneous. The anthracyclines are cell cycle-nonspecific.