title: Inhibitory effect of alkylating modulators on the function of P-glycoprotein.
abstract: Modulators of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) are often themselves transported out of cells, thereby limiting their effectiveness. It may be possible to develop more effective modulators of multidrug resistance by designing drugs that irreversibly block the function of P-gp. Therefore, we studied the effect of the mustard derivatives of fluphenazine (FPN) and trans-flupenthixol (FPT) on P-gp function. Both fluphenazine-mustard (FPN-M) and trans-flupenthixol-mustard (FPT-M) possessed alkylating activity, as assayed using 4-(p-nitrobenzyl) pyridine. Multidrug-resistant MCF-7/AdrR cells were incubated with FPN or FPN-M, or FPT or FPT-M for 1 h, washed for varying number of times in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), then resuspended in medium containing [3H]vinblastine (VBL), and assayed for steady-state accumulation of the drug. Washing had far less of an effect on the ability of FPN-M and FPT-M to increase VBL accumulation compared to their parent compounds. After eight washes in excess PBS, the cells initially exposed to FPN or FPT accumulated only 30% and 50% of the initially accumulated drug, whereas the FPN-M- or FPT-M-treated cells accumulated approximately 75% and 90% of the control, respectively. FPN-M and FPT-M also increased the uptake and decreased the efflux of VBL from MDR cells despite repeated washing. We also examined the effects of these modulators on sensitivity of MDR cells to cytotoxic agents. FPN-M and FPT-M sensitized MCF-7/AdrR cells to VBL and doxorubicin to a greater extent than their parent compounds. These studies point out the potential of "irreversible" P-gp modulators to produce prolonged chemosensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08901, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Makhey
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: LaVoie
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Hait
mesh_terms: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / Q000502:physiology*; D001386:Azides / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004095:Dihydropyridines / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005475:Flupenthixol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020168:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; D001386:Azides; D004095:Dihydropyridines; D014747:Vinblastine; C041130:azidopine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005475:Flupenthixol; D005476:Fluphenazine