THE UPTAKE AND EFFLUX OF DOXORUBICIN BY A SENSITIVE HUMAN BLADDER-CANCER CELL-LINE AND ITS DOXORUBICIN-RESISTANT SUBLINE

The uptake and efflux of doxorubicin (Dox) were investigated in a human bladder cancer cell line (UM-UC-6) and in a multi-drug resistant (mdr) subline (UM-UC-6Dox). Unlike previous reports, the initial uptake kinetics of Dox, and its accumulation and retention to steady-state were modelled mathematically. Cells were incubated with Dox and the amount of Dox in the cellular and medium phases was measured by a specific HPLC method. When monitored for 1 min from 0.02-mu-M to 25-mu-M Dox, the uptake was very rapid but was significantly faster in the resistant cell line. The initial rate of uptake at t = 0 followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics yielding Vmax values (the maximal rate of uptake) of 15.0 +/- 1.7 and 12.9 +/- 1.2 nmol/10(6)/min and Km (rate at Vmax/2) of 25.2 +/- 4.7 and 16.4 +/- 2.9-mu-M for UM-UC-6 and UM-UC-6Dox, respectively. There was no metabolism of Dox by keto-reduction or reductive hydrolysis. At 1.0-mu-M the uptake of Dox to steady-state was biexponential but there was no difference in total cellular Dox concentration between the two cell lines at equilibrium. A 3 compartment sequential closed model was fitted yielding significantly different values for the intercompartmental and hybrid rate constants, indicating altered intracellular distribution in resistant cells. Verapamil (10-mu-M), trifluoperazine (10-mu-M) or Tween 80 (0.005%) had no effect on the uptake or efflux of Dox. The UM-UC-6Dox line appeared to show atypical mdr characteristics since net drug accumulation was not lowered and classic P-glycoprotein inhibitors were not effective. The primary mechanism of Dox resistance is not enhanced metabolism or lowered intracellular concentrations.