Phosphorus-containing metabolites in anthracycline-resistant murine leukemia P388 cells.

The method of 31P nuclear magnetic resonance was used to study in vivo the level of phosphorus-containing metabolites in P388 leukemia cells sensitive or resistant to rubomycin (daunomycin) and its nitroxyl analog-emoxyl. It was shown that decreased content of phosphomonoesters (PME) is characteristic of the resistant strains in comparison with the parent cells. Rubomycin and emoxyl were established not to affect practically the pool of phosphorus-containing metabolites in the cells of the resistant strains, but caused considerable increase of PME level in the cells of the parent strain.