Effect of homoharringtonine on the viability of murine leukemia P388 cells resistant to either adriamycin, vincristine, or 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

Cultured murine leukemia P388 cell populations were derived from P388 cells resistant to vincristine (P388/VCR), adriamycin (P388/ADR), and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (P388/ARA-C) that were developed in vivo and to the parental drug-sensitive cells (P388/O) that were passaged in vivo. The doubling times of the cultured cell populations (mean +/- SD) between cell densities of 5 x 10(4) and 1 x 10(6) cells/ml were 14.2 +/- 2 h (P388/O), 16.5 +/- 1.9 h (P388/VCR), 16.9 +/- 1.2 h (P388/ADR), and 15.0 +/- 1.4 h (P388/ARA-C). Exponentially proliferating cultured cell populations were exposed to selected homoharringtonine (HHT) concentrations for 24 h and the surviving cell fractions were determined by colony formation in semisolid medium. The results, based on differential sensitivity of the cell populations to HHT, indicated that cultured P388/VCR cells were cross-resistant to 0.018-1.8 micrograms/ml HHT, P388/ADR cells were cross-resistant to 0.058-1.8 micrograms/ml HHT, and P388/ARA-C cells were collaterally sensitive to 0.09-0.36 micrograms/ml HHT. The results with the cultured P388/VCR, P388/ADR, P388/ARA-C, and P388/O cell populations were confirmed in animal experiments. CD2F1 mice bearing intraperitoneal (i.p.) implants of 1 x 10(6) P388/VCR, P388/ADR, P388/ARA-C, or P388/O leukemia cells were given HHT i.p. qd on days 1-9 postimplantation. Optimal treatment (less than or equal to LD10) produced in vivo cell kills of 2 to 3 log10 units in P388/O and about 7 log10 units in P388/ARA-C, whereas P388/VCR and P388/ADR cells actually increased by 1-2 log10 units during treatment. The results of this study indicate that cross-resistance (P388/VCR and P388/ADR) or collateral sensitivity to HHT (P388/ARA-C) is a function of the cellular properties of the target tumor cell populations that is independent of host factors.