Increased cytotoxicity of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitroso-3(4-methyl)-cyclohexylurea by pretreatment with O6-methylguanine in resistant but not in sensitive human melanoma cells.

Cells from a resistant ("Gr II") and a sensitive ("Str") human melanoma xenograft were incubated in vitro with O6-methylguanine for 2 h, subsequently treated with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitroso-3(4-methyl)-cyclohexylurea (MeCCNU) for 1 h and then plated in soft agar. In the resistant cells the O6-methylguanine pretreatment (2 mM) yielded an increase in sensitivity towards MeCCNU by a factor of 7.5. In the sensitive melanoma cells pretreatment with O6-methylguanine did not increase cytotoxicity. Human bone marrow cells from three normal donors were similarly pretreated with O6-methylguanine and MeCCNU. There was a clear increase in MeCCNU-induced cytotoxicity. We conclude, that while O6-methylguanine does potentiate the action of MeCCNU in resistant melanoma cells, the therapeutic usefulness of this treatment strategy may be limited.