Abstract
Previous studies have shown that multidrug resistance (MDR) in the doxorubicin-selected lung tumour cell lines COR-L23/R, GLC4/ADR and MOR/R is associated with overexpression of the MRP gene. In this study we report that resistance to daunorubicin, vincristine and rhodamine 123 can be partially reversed in these cell lines by exposing the cells to buthionine sulphoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) synthesis. This effect of BSO on drug resistance was associated with an increased intracellular accumulation of daunorubicin and rhodamine 123, owing to inhibition of the enhanced drug efflux. In contrast, the accumulation of daunorubicin was not increased by BSO treatment in a P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated MDR cell line. BSO treatment (25 microM, 20 h) of the cell lines resulted in 60-80% depletion of cellular GSH levels. The effects of BSO on daunorubicin accumulation in the COR-L23/R and GLC4/ADR cells were associated with cellular GSH depletion. In addition, increase of cellular GSH levels in BSO-treated COR-L23/R and GLC4/ADR cells as a result of incubation with 5 mM GSH ethyl ester restored the accumulation deficit of daunorubicin. However, the transport of daunorubicin did not increase the GSH release in any of the cell lines. These results demonstrate that drug transport in MRP- but not in P-gp-overexpressing MDR tumour cell lines can be regulated by intracellular GSH levels.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Versantvoort, C., Broxterman, H., Bagrij, T. et al. Regulation by glutathione of drug transport in multidrug-resistant human lung tumour cell lines overexpressing multidrug resistance-associated protein. Br J Cancer 72, 82–89 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.281
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1995.281
This article is cited by
-
Blood-triggered generation of platinum nanoparticle functions as an anti-cancer agent
Nature Communications (2020)
-
Human cancer-associated fibroblasts enhance glutathione levels and antagonize drug-induced prostate cancer cell death
Cell Death & Disease (2017)
-
Iron N-(2-hydroxy acetophenone) glycinate (FeNG), a non-toxic glutathione depletor circumvents doxorubicin resistance in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in vivo
BioMetals (2012)
-
Indomethacin overcomes doxorubicin resistance by decreasing intracellular content of glutathione and its conjugates with decreasing expression of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase via promoter activity in doxorubicin-resistant leukemia cells
Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology (2009)
-
A molecular understanding of ATP-dependent solute transport by multidrug resistance-associated protein MRP1
Cancer and Metastasis Reviews (2007)