Differential effect of collaterally sensitive antimetabolites on P388 murine leukemia sensitive and resistant to adriamycin in vitro.

Experiments were carried out in vitro using DNA polymerase and ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors to investigate their cytotoxicity to P388 murine leukemia sensitive (P388/S) and resistant (P388/R) to adriamycin (ADR). DNA polymerase inhibitors such as cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) and aphidicolin elicited comparative inhibition of DNA biosynthesis in both parental and ADR-resistant tumor cells. However, ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors such as hydroxyurea (HU) and caracemide were collaterally more sensitive to P388/R cells. Inosine diglycolaldehyde (Inox) was ineffective in showing such a response. Pretreatment with HU significantly increased intracellular ADR levels and inhibition of RNA biosynthesis by ADR in P388/R cells while, in P388/S cells, sequential or concurrent treatment with HU did not enhance intracellular ADR levels. Mechanisms underlying such an effect, implications due to reduced intracellular ATP levels in drug-resistant cells, and the possible utility of using ribonucleotide reductase as a target in drug-resistant tumors for the therapeutic benefit are discussed.