Lectin staining patterns of plasma membranes of daunorubicin and vincristine resistant Ehrlich ascites tumour cells.

The plasma membrane is considered to play a major role in the development of resistance to anthracycline and vinca alkaloid drugs (pleiotropic resistance). Previous studies have reported an increase in plasma membrane carbohydrates in pleiotropic resistant cells compared with wild-type cells. The present study has utilized a panel of 11 lectins and the streptavidin-biotin histochemical technique in order to compare plasma membrane carbohydrates from wild-type Ehrlich ascites tumour cells with cells from daunorubicin and vincristine resistant sublines. While the lectins ConA, LCA, PSA, PNA after neuraminidase and WGA stained plasma membranes of daunorubicin-resistant cells to a significantly greater degree than those of wild-type cells, no difference was apparent between vincristine-resistant and wild-type cells. PWM and WGA after neuraminidase pretreatment showed similar staining of the wild-type and both resistant sublines, while SBA with and without neuraminidase pretreatment, HPA, DBA, LTA and UEA I demonstrated either very weak or negative reactions with all sublines. We conclude that the observed increase in plasma membrane carbohydrate found in anthracycline-resistant cells is possibly due to drug action during acquisition and maintainance of resistance, and, though conceivably of importance in the development of resistance towards anthracyclines, is without significance for the pleiotropic resistance phenotype itself.