Kinetic phenotypic diagnosis of N-acetylation polymorphism in patients based on ratio of urinary metabolites of salicylazosulfapyridine.

We found that N-acetylation polymorphism can be evaluated from the disposition kinetics of sulfapyridine (SP) and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and their acetylated metabolites generated by N-acetyltransferase (NAT2) after oral administration of salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP). In 126 Japanese subjects, the homozygote of NAT2*4 was the most frequent (40%), followed by heterozygotes of NAT2*4 and mutant genes (28% NAT2*4/*6A, 15% NAT2*4/*7B, and 2% NAT2*4/*5B). Combinations of mutant genes accounted for 16%. When the relationship between the molar ratio of N-acetyl-SP (Ac-SP)/SP or N-acetyl-5-ASA(Ac-5-ASA)/5-ASA in serum and five genotypes of polymorphic NAT2* was examined in patients who received multiple doses of SASP, the molar ratios of Ac-SP/SP, rather than Ac-5-ASA/5-ASA tended to decrease according to the classification of genotype. We calculated the pharmacokinetic parameters in healthy subjects with various genotypes of polymorphic NAT2* after a single p.o. administration of SASP, according to a model of the SP metabolic pathways. The molar ratios of Ac-SP/SP in serum and urine were simulated using these parameters, and the molar ratio of Ac-SP/SP in urine at 4 days after the first administration could be categorized into ranges that were specific to various NAT2* genotypes. Thus, we were able to predict the N-acetylation polymorphic genotypes of patients by measuring the molar ratio of Ac-SP/SP in urine, after administration of SASP.

Effect of meropenem on disposition kinetics of valproate and its metabolites in rabbits.

PURPOSE: We investigated the effect of meropenem (MEPM) on the disposition kinetics of valproate (VPA) and its metabolites in rabbits. METHODS: Rabbits were given 75 mg/kg VPA intravenously with or without 300 mg/kg MEPM. RESULTS: The plamsa total clearance of VPA was significantly increased to about 1.5 times the control (6.09 mL/min/kg vs. 4.28 mL/min/kg) by MEPM (P < 0.05). The values of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of 2-en-VPA, a product of beta-oxidation, and VPA-glucuronide (VPA-G) were significantly decreased to about 55% and 78% of the control, respectively (P < 0.05). The cumulative urinary excretions of VPA in the control and MEPM-treated groups were 0.54% and 0.62% of the dose, respectively, whereas those of VPA-G were 45.6% and 62.5%, respectively. The urinary excretion of VPA-G was significantly increased by MEPM (P < 0.05). Further, in the case of 33.8 mg/kg VPA-G administered intravenously the AUC value of VPA-G was unchanged by MEPM, whereas that of the generated VPA was significantly decreased to about half of the control. CONCLUSIONS: The increase of the total clearance of VPA caused by MEPM appears to be a consequence of increased renal clearance of VPA-G, as well as suppression of VPA-G hydrolysis in the liver.

[Studies on the mechanism of subcellular distribution of basic drugs based on their lipophilicity].

This paper described the studies on the mechanism of subcellular distribution of lipophilic weak bases. Although the tissue distribution of basic drugs appeared to decrease with time simply in parallel with their plasma concentration, their subcellular distribution in various tissues exhibited a variety of patterns. Basic drugs were distributed widely in various tissues, but were concentrated in lung granule fraction, where their accumulation was dependent on their lipophilicity and lysosomal uptake. As the plasma concentration of drugs decreased after maximum level, the contribution of lysosomes to their subcellular distribution increased. The uptake of the basic drugs into lysosomes depended both on their intralysosomal pH and on the drug lipophilicity. As the lipophilicity of the basic drugs increased, they accumulated more than the values predicted from the pH-partition theory and raised the intralysosomal pH more potently, probably owing to their binding with lysosomal membranes with or without additional intralysosomal aggregation. These phenomena should be considered as a basis of drug interaction in clinical treatments.

Uptake of imipramine in rat liver lysosomes in vitro and its inhibition by basic drugs.

We investigated the uptake of imipramine (IMP) in highly purified lysosomes from rat liver and its inhibition by a variety of basic drugs in vitro. The uptake of [(3)H]IMP into lysosomes peaked in less than 20 s, showing little temperature dependency or countertransport phenomena. It was accelerated by increase of extralysosomal pH, stimulated by Mg(2+)-ATP in KCl buffer, and suppressed by acidic ionophores. However, the uptake of [(3)H]IMP in lysosomes was approximately 140-fold higher than the value expected from the pH-partition theory. IMP and other weak lipophilic bases like chlorpromazine and propranolol raised the intralysosomal pH, and their potency was stronger than that of NH(4)Cl, a typical pH-perturbing weak base. A variety of basic drugs inhibited the uptakes of [(3)H]IMP and [(14)C]methylamine into lysosomes, their 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) being almost the same for [(3)H]IMP and [(14)C]methylamine uptake (r = 0.842). A high correlation (r = 0.946) was observed between the IC(50) values (for the inhibition of [(3)H]IMP uptake) and the lipophilicity (P(oct) values). These results suggest that the accumulation of lipophilic basic drugs is driven primarily by the transmembrane pH difference (pH-partition theory) but with the involvement of some additional mechanism(s) related to drug lipophilicity, possibly binding (partition or adsorption) to lipophilic substance(s) and/or aggregation within lysosomes. Based on this idea, we have established a model that described and successfully simulated the weak base-induced pH increase, the accumulation of a lipophilic weak base (IMP), and the inhibition of accumulation of IMP by lipophilic basic drugs.

Uptake of basic drugs into rat lung granule fraction in vitro.

Although basic drugs are distributed widely in various tissues, they are characteristically concentrated in the lung granule fraction. We examined the uptake of seven lipophilic basic drugs into rat lung granule fraction (P2) in vitro and investigated the contributions of drug lipophilicity and lysosomal trapping to the characteristic lung P2 distribution. The uptake of each drug into P2 was examined at various pH values. The drug concentration in P2 was determined by gas chromatography. Biperiden (BP) was rapidly taken up into P2, reaching a maximal concentration within 1 min at pH 7.4 at both 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Both BP and chlorpromazine uptake into P2 was biphasic. Though the uptake rates of the seven drugs into P2 increased with rising pH, the rate of increase varied for each drug. There was a good correlation between the octanol-water partition coefficient of the non-ionized form (P(oct)) of each drug and the uptake into P2 in the presence or absence of NH4Cl, which inhibits lysosomal trapping. However, uptake into P2 in the presence of NH4Cl showed a stronger P(oct)-dependency. We conclude that the distribution of basic drugs into lung P2 is dependent on both drug lipophilicity and lysosomal uptake.

Influence of ammonium chloride on the tissue distribution of anticholinergic drugs in rats.

Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) increases lysosomal pH and thereby abolishes intralysosomal accumulation of drugs. Its effect on the tissue distribution of biperiden and trihexyphenidyl in rats has been investigated. The tissue-plasma concentration ratios (Kp) of these drugs in various tissues were determined by infusion studies at steady-state in the presence or absence of NH4Cl. Treatment with NH4Cl reduced the Kp values for both drugs, causing the largest reduction in Kp in the lung (52.1 to 11.8 for biperiden and 59.5 to 18.9 for trihexyphenidyl; ratios of decrease 0.77 and 0.68, respectively), followed by the heart and kidneys, with relatively small reductions in the brain, gut, muscle and fat. Subcellular fractionation studies in the lung indicated that the subcellular fraction-plasma concentration ratio of each drug at the steady state (K(p,sf)) was reduced by treatment with NH4Cl, with the largest decrease in the post-nuclear fraction (ratio of decrease 0.82 for biperiden and 0.74 for trihexyphenidyl), followed by the nucleus, microsomes and supernatant, in that order. A strong correlation was found between the ratio of decrease in K(p,sf) after NH4Cl treatment and the specific activity of acid phosphatases, a marker of lysosomes, in each fraction (biperiden, r = 0.948; trihexyphenidyl, r = 0.945). These results suggest that acidic organelles contribute significantly to the distribution kinetics of anticholinergic drugs.

Synergistic antitumor interaction of human monocyte chemotactant protein-1 gene transfer and modulator for tumor-infiltrating macrophages.

PURPOSE: In order to evaluate the possibility of synergistic antitumor gene therapy by the gene delivery of monocyte chemotactant protein-1 (MCP-1/MCAF/IE), the effect of a biological response modulater for macrophages on tumor progression of gene transfected tumor cells was studied. METHODS: Cachexia-inducing adenocarcinoma cells (cell line colon 26, clone 20) were transfected with either a control plasmid or MCP-1 cDNA. RESULTS: The production of MCP-1 reached 70-80 ng/ml in vitro when transfectant cells were cultured at a cell density of 1 x 10(5) cells/ml for 3 days. Transfection of MCP-1 cDNA did not affect the growth rate in vitro. Also, MCP-1-transfectants formed tumors after intra-footpad inoculation similar in size to the parental cells. The number of infiltrating macrophages in the primary tumor of the transfectant rapidly increased from the 3rd to 5th day after inoculation as revealed by immunohistochemical staining using an antibody against mouse macrophages. An earlier, greater, but no longer-lasting increase in tumor-infiltrating macrophages was induced in tumors by MCP-1 transfection was compared to that induced by the parent cells. On the 10th day after the inoculation, the tumor-infiltrating macrophages in mice inoculated MCP-1 transfectants were decreased to a level similar to that of the parent cells. Groups of mice were treated intraperitoneally with LPS at different times after the inoculation. Tumor cells producing high levels of MCP-1 were significantly lysed by macrophages treated with LPS, whereas parental or control transfected cells were not. Conclusions. Combination immunotherapy can provide a rationale for the application of MCP-1 treatment to increase immunological responses to cancer.

Effect of sequence of administration on the pharmacokinetic interaction between the anticholinergic drug biperiden and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate or [3H]N-methylscopolamine in rats.

In rats the pharmacokinetic interactions between the anticholinergic drug biperiden and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate ([3H]QNB) or [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS) is affected by the sequence in which the drugs are administered. Drug concentrations in various tissues were determined after intravenous administration of [3H]QNB or [3H]NMS (325 ng kg(-1)). Biperiden (6.4 mg kg(-1)) was administered either 5 min before, concomitantly with or 20 min after injection of [3H]QNB or [3H]NMS. When biperiden was administered concomitantly with or before [3H]QNB, distribution of [3H]QNB among the regions of the brain and other tissues was reduced; at 4 h the ratio of the distribution of [3H]QNB for experimental animals to that for control animals ranged from 0.15 to 0.9. When biperiden was administered after [3H]QNB, the distribution of [3H]QNB in the brain and other tissues was significantly higher than for the other two treatments (P < 0.01). However, for [3H]NMS the sequence of administration had no effect on the distribution of the drug in the brain and other tissues except for the kidney. In-vitro, in crude synaptosomal membranes, the amount of [3H]QNB at 2 h relative to the control concentration at equilibrium was 87% when biperiden was added before [3H]QNB and 56% when biperiden was added after [3H]QNB. In both instances the concentration of [3H]NMS reached equilibrium within 30 min. These findings suggest that the difference between the rate constant of association and dissociation at the possible site of action gives rise to the effect of the sequence of administration on the pharmacokinetic interaction.

Characteristic subcellular distribution, in brain, heart and lung, of biperiden, trihexyphenidyl, and (-)-quinuclidinyl benzylate in rats.

The subcellular distribution of biperiden (BP), trihexyphenidyl (TP) and (-)-quinuclidinyl benzylate (QNB) in brain, heart and lung following high dose (3.2 mg/kg) i.v. administration was investigated in rats. The subcellular distribution of BP or TP used clinically conformed with that of QNB, a typical potent central muscarinic antagonist. The concentration-time courses of the brain subcellular fractions for these drugs were of two types which decreased slowly and in parallel to the plasma concentration. The subcellular distribution in the brain and heart was dependent on the protein amount of each fraction. The percent post-nuclear fraction (P2) of the total concentration in the lung was characteristically about 3-5 times larger than that in the heart. It was elucidated that the distribution in the lung differs from that in the brain and heart, with high affinity which is not dependent on the protein amount in the P2 fraction containing lysosomes. On the other hand, at a low dose (650 ng/kg) of 3H-QNB, each fraction as a percentage of the total concentration in the brain increased in synaptic membrane and synaptic vesicles and decreased in nuclei and cytosol as compared with the high dose. These results show that although the tissue concentration-time courses of anticholinergic drugs appear to decrease simply in parallel to plasma concentration, the subcellular distribution exhibits a variety of patterns among various tissues.

Prediction of changes in the clinical pharmacokinetics of basic drugs on the basis of octanol-water partition coefficients.

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for basic drugs has been established on the basis of octanol-water partition coefficients of the non-ionized, unbound drugs (Poct). The parameters for the physiological model in man were estimated from a regression equation obtained for the relationships between the Poct and the tissue-plasma partition coefficient, the hepatic intrinsic clearance (CLint,h) and the blood-to-plasma concentration ratio in rabbits. The plasma concentrations observed after intravenous administration of ten basic drugs (3.2 mg kg-1) to rabbits agreed with the levels predicted using the physiological model (r = 0.710-0.980). In man, the predicted plasma concentrations of basic drugs were in good agreement with reported values (r = 0.729-0.973), except for diazepam and pentazocine. Variations in plasma and brain-concentration profiles of clomipramine and nitrazepam in various disease states were simulated using the model. We assumed that the changes in unbound fraction of drug in serum (fp), CLint,h and the hepatic blood flow rate were from 0.25- to 4-fold that of the control and that fat volume changed by 0.2- to 5-fold. With regard to changes in fp, we predicted that the brain-plasma concentration ratio of clomipramine was 1.5- to 25-fold that of the control 24 h after intravenous administration, although the variations in the plasma concentration-time profiles were less marked. Plasma concentrations predicted for several basic drugs were in good agreement with reported values and this physiological model could be useful for predicting drug-disposition kinetics in man.

Relationships between the hepatic intrinsic clearance or blood cell-plasma partition coefficient in the rabbit and the lipophilicity of basic drugs.

The relationships between drug lipophilicity and hepatic intrinsic clearance (CLint,h) or red blood cell-plasma partition coefficients (D) have been elucidated for ten highly lipophilic basic drugs with apparent octanol-water partition coefficients at pH 7.4 (Papp,oct) or 150 or above. The true octanol-water partition coefficients of the non-ionized drugs (Poct) were used to determine CLint,h and D for the unbound drugs (CLint,h,f and Df, respectively), and CLint,h,f and Df for the non-ionized and unbound drugs (CLint,h fu and Dfu, respectively). The total clearance values were determined at steady state by infusion studies of individual drugs in rabbits. There was better correlation between log Poct and log CLint,h,fu (r = 0.974) than between log Poct and log CLint,h,f (r = 0.864). The D values were calculated from the blood-plasma concentration ratio. There was a better correlation between log Poct and log Dfu (r = 0.944) than between log Poct and log Df (r = 0.612). The regression equations obtained were CLint,h,fu = 0.0875 x Poct1.338 and Dfu = 0.0108 x Poct0.970, respectively. These results show that the CLint,h and D of highly lipophilic basic drugs can be predicted from Poct by taking fu into consideration. By applying these parameters to a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model it might be possible to predict the pharmacokinetics of unknown basic drugs.

Molecular cloning of a gene encoding a new type of metalloproteinase-disintegrin family protein with thrombospondin motifs as an inflammation associated gene.

A cellular disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) is a new family of genes with structural homology to the snake venom metalloproteinases and disintegrins. We screened genes which were selectively expressed in the cachexigenic colon 26 adenocarcinoma subline in vivo. It was found that one novel cDNA clone, identified as a cachexigenic tumor selective gene, encodes a cysteine-rich protein which shows a sequence similarity to that of both the snake venom metalloproteinases and thrombospondins. We named this cDNA clone A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-1). ADAMTS1 consists of six domains, 1) a pro- and 2) a metalloproteinase, 3) a disintegrin-like, 4) a thrombospondin (TSP) homologous domain containing TSP type I motif, 5) a spacer region, and 6) COOH-terminal TSP submotifs. Unlike other ADAMs, ADAMTS-1 does not possess a transmembrane domain and is a putative secretory protein. Therefore, ADAMTS-1 is a new type of ADAM family protein with TSP type I motifs. We demonstrated that the TSP homologous domain containing the TSP type I motif of ADAMTS-1 is functional for binding to heparin. ADAMTS-1 mRNA could be induced by stimulating colon 26 cells with an inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1, in vitro. Moreover, intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide in mice selectively induced ADAMTS-1 mRNA in kidney and heart. These data suggest that ADAM-TS-1 may be a gene whose expression is associated with various inflammatory processes as well as development of cancer cachexia.

A candidate for cancer gene therapy: MIP-1 alpha gene transfer to an adenocarcinoma cell line reduced tumorigenicity and induced protective immunity in immunocompetent mice.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the possibility of cancer gene therapy by the gene delivery of chemokine, the effects of human macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (hu-MIP-1 alpha), murine-macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (mu-MIP-1 alpha), and human-interleukin 8 (hu-IL-8) on tumor progression and immunization were studied. METHODS: Cachexia-inducing and highly tumorigenic adenocarcinoma cells (cell line colon 26, clone 20) were transfected with either a control plasmid, hu-MIP-1 alpha, mu-MIP-1 alpha, or hu-IL-8 expression vector. The production of hu-MIP-1 alpha reached > 1.5 ng/ml in vitro when transfectant cells were cultured at a cell density of 2 x 10(5) cells in 7 ml for 3 days. Immunocompetent BALB/c mice were inoculated into the footpad with the tumor cells, and then primary tumor growth, morphological analyses, and tumor immunogenicity were studied. RESULTS: The secretion of hu-MIP-1 alpha, mu-MIP-1 alpha, and hu-IL-8 did not affect the growth rate in vitro. Reduced tumorigenicities in vivo were observed in transfected cells with hu-MIP-1 alpha and mu-MIP-1 alpha. Morphologic observation of the site of inoculation of cells transfected with hu-MIP-1 alpha showed infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils on the 5th day after the inoculation. Mice that had rejected cells transfected with hu-MIP-1 alpha gene were immune to a subsequent challenge with the parental cells. CONCLUSIONS: The rejection of the cells depends on cytolysis and generates potent and long lasting antitumor immunity. These data suggest that tumor cells transfected with the MIP-1 alpha gene might be useful as an effective therapy for the treatment of certain tumors.

Contribution of lysosomes to the subcellular distribution of basic drugs in the rat liver.

PURPOSE: We examined the subcellular distribution of the basic drugs, chlorpromazine (CPZ), imipramine (IMP) and biperiden (BP), in rat liver, and evaluated the contribution of lysosome (Lys) to their intracellular distribution in comparison with that of mitochondria (Mit). METHODS: In an in vivo distribution, the concentrations of CPZ, IMP and BP in the liver subcellular fractions were determined. In an in vitro study, uptake of [3H]IMP into Lys and Mit fractions was determined in the presence or absence of several agents. RESULTS: The distribution of these drugs 10 min after administration was quite similar. However, the relative specific contents (the drug concentration per protein of each fraction divided by that of the total homogenate) in Lys were 7.3, 9.6 and 4.2, respectively for CPZ, IMP and BP, whereas those in the other organella were only 0.4 approximately 1.7. In an in vitro uptake study, the dose response of IMP uptake into Lys was biphasic, while that into Mit fractions was monophasic. The binding of IMP to the high affinity sites of Lys was pH dependent and disappeared in 50 mM NH4Cl or 50 microM CPZ, both of which increased the intralysosomal pH, the low affinity sites were not affected by these drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that Lys has the highest affinity for the basic drugs in the liver and that its contribution to their subcellular distribution depends on the intralysosomal pH, which is also affected by these drugs. The importance of these effects may become significant in combination therapy using various basic drugs.

Kinetic evidence for facilitated peritoneal transport of benzoic acid in rats.

To evaluate the dose dependency in apparent peritoneal permeability (Pd) of benzoic acid as a model compound for a monocarboxylic acid transport system, a kinetic model, which involves changes in the volume and osmolality of the dialysate as well as the diffusion and convection of drugs across the peritoneum, was applied. We compared the Pd value of benzoic acid to that of phenobarbital which is a more lipophilic drug than benzoic acid. The concentration-time courses of phenobarbital in both peritoneal cavity and serum after the intraperitoneal administration with various doses were parallel according to dose, whereas those of benzoic acid varied in a dose-dependent manner. Using the values of unbound fraction (Fu), the value of Pd for unbound drugs was estimated. The Pd values of benzoic acid at 20 micrograms mL-1 was three times the value determined at 1000 micrograms mL-1. We suggest that certain facilitated transport systems constitute the mechanism of enhanced peritoneal membrane permeability of benzoic acid.

Quantitative relationship between structure and peritoneal membrane transport based on physiological pharmacokinetic concepts for acidic drugs.

To describe quantitatively the peritoneal transport of drugs, the kinetic model, which involves changes in the volume and osmolality of the dialysate as well as the diffusion and convection of drugs across the peritoneum, was applied. The apparent peritoneal permeability (Pd) of unbound drugs in rats and the partition coefficient (Papp) in an octanol:water system at pH 7.4 were estimated among acidic drugs. Using the values of unbound fraction (fS), the Pd values of the drugs were estimated from concentration-time profiles in serum and the peritoneal dialysate after intraperitoneal administration of drugs. The intrinsic membrane permeability (Pdm) was calculated based on a physiological pharmacokinetic model. The fS.Pdm values of thiopental and thiamylal (6.5 and 5.4 ml/min) were 2-3 times greater than the effective peritoneal blood flow, indicating that the peritoneal transport of the barbiturates with high lipophilicity was dominantly blood flow-limited. Evidence shows a high degree of correlation between log Pdm and log Papp. By considering the relationships, we estimated the Pdm of quinolonecarboxilic acids. The fS.Pdm values of quinolonecarboxilic acids were < 10% of the peritoneal effective blood flow rate, indicating that the peritoneal transport of quinolonecarboxilic acids was dominantly diffusion-limited because of low lipophilicity. In conclusion, there was a good correlation between log Pdm and log Papp. The prediction of Pdm can be useful to describe the peritoneal pharmacokinetics.

Human MCAF gene transfer enhances the metastatic capacity of a mouse cachectic adenocarcinoma cell line in vivo.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF/MCP-1/JE) on tumor progression and metastasis. METHODS: Cachexia-inducing adenocarcinoma cells (cell line colon 26, clone 20) were transfected with either a control plasmid or MCAF expression vector. Spontaneous lung metastases were determined in mouse. RESULTS: The production of MCAF reached 0.4 ng/ml in vitro when transfectant cells were cultured at a cell density of 5 x 10(4) cells/ml for 3 days. Transfection of MCAF expression vector did not affect the growth rate in vitro. Also, after MCAF-transfection, the size of tumors after intra-footpad inoculation was similar to that of the parental cells. When the primary tumors were resected on the 10th day after inoculation, the incidence of spontaneous lung metastasis was less than 20% in both cells. The number of endothelial cells in the primary tumor rapidly increased from the 10th to the 14th day after inoculation, as revealed by immunohistochemical staining. In accordance with enhanced angiogenesis, the incidence rates of spontaneous metastasis increased when the primary tumors were resected on the 14th day after inoculation. Moreover, the spontaneous lung metastases were augmented in the animals injected with MCAF-transfectants compared to those injected with parental cells with a concomitant increase of angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MCAF may augment the metastastic potential by modulating tumor associated angiogenesis.

Reversal of drug sensitivity in MDR subline of P388 leukemia by gene-targeted antisense oligonucleotide.

We attempted to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) by treatment with 25-mer antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotide. The phosphorothioate analogs, the sequences of which are sense or antisense to the initiation codon of mouse mdr1 mRNA, were tested against murine leukemic P388/S and adriamycin-resistant P388/ADR cell lines. A weak inhibitory effect on the growth of P388/S and P388/ADR cells was observed at a sense and antisense oligonucleotide concentration of 30 microM. Using the monoclonal antibody to P-glycoprotein and a flow cytometry technique, we showed that the level of expression of P-glycoprotein in P388/ADR cells treated with antisense oligonucleotide was lower than when treated with sense oligonucleotide. The antisense oligonucleotide potentiated the growth-inhibitory effect of vinblastine on P388/ADR cells, whereas sense oligonucleotide did not. This was accompanied by an increase in vinblastine retention in the cells. The reversal of the resistance by antisense oligonucleotide was increased by the combination with 1 microM verapamil. These results suggest that the antisense oligonucleotide and low dose verapamil may be useful in circumventing the resistance to anticancer drugs of MDR tumors.