Increased accumulation of vincristine and adriamycin in drug-resistant P388 tumor cells following incubation with calcium antagonists and calmodulin inhibitors.

Abstract

Some calcium antagonists and calmodulin inhibitors enhance the intracellular levels of vincristine and Adriamycin in vincristine- and Adriamycin-resistant P388 leukemia cells by inhibiting their outward transport. The high intracellular drug accumulation was directly related to the enhancement of the cytotoxicity of the antitumor agents, and the vincristine and Adriamycin resistance in these cells was circumvented.