Uptake and intracellular distribution of doxorubicin metabolites in B-lymphocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
The toxicity of doxorubicin metabolites was evaluated on lymphocytes of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Only doxorubicinol was found to be cytotoxic for these lymphocytes, whereas exposure to aglycones at concentrations as high as 5 microM for 1 h had no effect on the proliferative capacity of these cells. After exposure of cells to isomolar concentrations of doxorubicin or its metabolites, uptake/retention of doxorubicinol was 23% of doxorubicin, and uptake/retention of aglycones was 5 to 13% of doxorubicin. Seventy to 90% of doxorubicin and 60 to 90% of doxorubicinol taken up/retained by the cells were detected in the cell nuclear fraction, whereas only 20 to 40% of the aglycones were localized in the cell nucleus. Cytotoxicity of metabolites was generally related to the proportion of drug taken up/retained by the cells and localized to the nuclei. The low uptake and nuclear localization may be at least partially responsible for the lack of cytotoxicity of aglycones on B-lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Dessypris
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Division of Hematology, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37203.
Brenner
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DE
Baer
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MR
Hande
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KR
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002451:Cell Compartmentation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004317:Doxorubicin; C010013:adriamycinol