Base excision repair of reactive oxygen species-initiated 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine inhibits the cytotoxicity of platinum anticancer drugs.

Anticancer therapy with cisplatin and oxaliplatin is limited by toxicity and onset of tumor resistance. Both drugs form platinum-DNA cross-linked adducts, and cisplatin causes oxidative DNA damage including the 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) lesion. To assess oxidative DNA damage as a mechanism of cisplatin and oxaliplatin cytotoxicity, 8-oxodG-directed base excision repair was stably enhanced in human embryonic kidney cells by FLAG-tagged expression of human oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (alpha-OGG1) or its functional homologue, Escherichia coli formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (fpg). Both drugs increased reactive oxygen species and 8-oxodG levels, and cytotoxicity was decreased by antioxidant pretreatment. Ectopic expression of alpha-OGG1 or fpg in cell clones increased nuclear and mitochondrial 8-oxodG repair, and reduced death by reactive oxygen species initiators (H(2)O(2), menadione) and both platinum drugs. Exposure to oxaliplatin caused a more marked and sustained block of cell proliferation than exposure to cisplatin. We conclude that the 8-oxodG lesion is cytotoxic, and base excision repair a likely determinant of risk. The greater antitumor efficacy of oxaliplatin seems unrelated to oxidative DNA damage, suggesting a novel strategy for improving the therapeutic index in cancer therapy.