Alteration of ganglioside composition and metabolism in doxorubicin-resistant rat tumoral cells

Doxorubicin-induced oxygen free radical formation in sensitive and doxorubicin-resistant variants of rat glioblastoma cell lines [corrected and republished erratum originally printed in FEBS Lett 1993 May 17;322(3):295-8]

We have studied the formation of hydroxyl radical (OH.) induced by doxorubicin in a series of doxorubicin- or vincristine-selected variants of C6 rat glioblastoma cells in culture by electron-spin resonance spectroscopy using 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide as a spin trap. Wild-type cells, sensitive to doxorubicin, exhibited in the presence of this drug a concentration-dependent OH. formation which could be inhibited by preincubation with superoxide dismutase, catalase or an antibody against cytochrome P450-reductase. In highly doxorubicin-resistant cells, OH. formation was reduced to about 20% of the level obtained in sensitive cells. In cells presenting a very low level of resistance to doxorubicin or in cells selected with vincristine, both presenting a pure multidrug-resistant phenotype, OH. formation was identical to that obtained in sensitive cells. In cells of intermediate resistance or in revertant cells, intermediate levels of OH. formation were obtained. Protection against OH. formation and action can be identified at the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, which are both enhanced in the resistant cells.

A comparison of membrane properties and composition between cell lines selected and transfected for multi-drug resistance

Cell lines selected (CHRC5) and transfected (LR-73-1A) for multi-drug resistance have total lipid compositions which are indistinguishable between resistant and parental cells. Lipid composition was evaluated by 1H NMR and the total fatty acid content by GLC. No change in surface hydrophobicity, as measured with the fluorescent probe dansyl-PE, was observed as a result of transfection of CHO cells with the mdr1 gene. However, the selected cell line, CHRC5, showed a decreased surface hydrophobicity. This decreased surface hydrophobicity was indicated by an 8 nm increase in the fluorescence emission of dansyl-PE in the CHRC5 cell line compared with the AB1. Both resistant cell lines showed an increase in the polarisation of the fluorescent probe, TMA-DPH in the plasma membranes corresponding to a 14% and a 24% change in fluorescence polarisation for the selected and transfected cell lines, respectively. This is indicative of reduced mobility of the acyl chains in the resistant cell lines. Both the CHRC5 and the transfected cell lines showed almost a 2-fold increase in the initial rate of membrane cycling. The membrane cycling could be inhibited by a known bilayer stabiliser, the N-carbobenzoxy-D-Phe-L-Phe-Gly. These results indicate that the properties of the plasma membrane from resistant cells are altered compared with their parental cell line.