Reversal of multidrug resistance by novel verapamil analogs in cancer cells

The present study was performed to evaluate the ability of KR-30032 and KR-30035 to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) by measuring the cytotoxicity and the accumulation rate of rhodamine. Additionally, the adverse cardiac toxicity of KR-30032 and KR-30035 was evaluated by measuring the changes of tension in isolated rat aorta and left ventricular pressure (LVP) in guinea pig heart. KR-30035 potentiated the paclitaxel-induced cytotoxicity to HCT15 [P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-expressed cells] to over 15-fold greater than that of verapamil and KR-30032 was equipotent with verapamil (EC50: 0.07, 5.0 and 3.3 nM at 1.0 mu g/ml). KR-30032 and KR-30035 were without effect on cytotoxicity to SK-OV-3 cells (P-gp-non-expressing cells), as well as to tamoxifen-induced cytotoxicity in the above cell types. Maximal rhodamine accumulation rates with KR-30032, KR-30035 and verapamil were 290, 291 and 271% in HCT15 cells; and 451, 970 and 440% in HCT15/CL02 cells, respectively. KR-30032 and KR-30035 were 20- to 25-fold less potent than verapamil in relaxing aorta (EC50: 8.13, 6.40 and 0.32 mu M, respectively) and were 12- to 35-fold less potent than verapamil in decreasing LVP in isolated hearts (EC50: 41.8, 14.1 and 1.2 mu M, respectively). The results of this study suggest that KR-30032 and KR-30035 are active modulators of MDR with potentially minimal cardiovascular toxicity. [(C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.].