Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonists are used clinically for treating diabetes mellitus and cancer. 2-Methyl-2[(1-{3-phenyl-7-propylbenzol[d]isoxazol-6-yl}oxy)propyl]-1 H-4-indolyl) oxy]propanoic acid (BPR1H0101) is a novel synthetic indole-based compound, discovered through research to identify new PPAR gamma agonists, and it acts as a dual agonist for PPAR gamma and PPAR alpha. Isobologram analysis demonstrated that BPR1H0101 is capable of antagonistic interaction with the topoisomerase (topo) II poison, VP16. A study of its mechanism showed that BPR1H0101 could inhibit the catalytic activity of topo II in vitro, but did not produce detectable topo II-mediated DNA strand breaks in human oral cancer KB cells. Furthermore, BPR1H0101 could inhibit VP16-induced topo II-mediated DNA cleavage and ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated phosphorylation in KB cells. The results suggest that BPR1H0101 can interfere with the topo II reaction by inhibiting catalytic activity before the formation of the intermediate cleavable complex; consequently, it can impede VP16-induced topo II-mediated DNA cleavage and cell death. This is the first identified PPAR alpha/gamma agonist that can serve as a topo II catalytic inhibitor, to interfere with VP16-induced cell death. The result might have relevance to the clinical use of the PPAR alpha/gamma agonist in combination chemotherapy.
