Characterisation Of Novel Human Lung Carcinoma Cell Lines Selected For Resistance To Anti-Neoplastic Analogues Of Staurosporine

The staurosporine analogues CCP 41251, UCN-01 and Ro 31-8220 are specific inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), CGP 41251 and UCN-01 exert anti-neoplastic activity against human tumours grown in rodents, and CCP 41251 reverses multidrug resistance, The hypothesis was tested that these agents can induce drug resistance and alter cellular levels of target kinases. Human-derived A549 lung carcinoma cells were exposed for 6 months to CGP 41251, UCN-01 or Ro 31-8220 at gradually increasing concentrations, Cells acquired resistance against these agents, 4.3-fold against CGP 41251 (A549/CGP cells), 4.0-fold against UCN-01 (A549/UCN cells) and 14-fold against Ro 31-8220 (A549/Ro cells). Cells were neither collaterally cross-resistant towards the PKC inhibitors nor resistant against the growth-inhibitory properties of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. However, cross-resistance was observed in A549/CGP cells against staurosporine (13-fold) and in A549/Ro cells against doxorubicin (26-fold), All 3 cell types expressed multidrug resistance-associated protein, and A549/Ro cells expressed P-glycoprotein, as adjudged by Western blot analysis. Phorbol ester-stimulated PKC activity in these cells was decreased by between 57% and 96% compared to wild-type A549 cells, Levels of the PKC isoenzymes alpha and theta in all 3 resistant cell types and of PKC-epsilon in A549/UCN cells were concomitantly reduced. Cells regained drug sensitivity after culture in the absence of drug for 6 (A549/Ro cells), 5 (A549/CGP cells) and 1 (A549/UCN cells) months. Our results suggest the following features of this type of anti-signalling drug: (i) they can induce drug resistance, (ii) they may be potentially useful in combination because of the lack of cross-resistance between them and (iii) they can down-regulate PKC, which may have pharmacological or toxicological consequences. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.