Lack of cross-resistance to a new cytotoxic arylchloroethyl urea in various drug-resistant tumor cells.

1-Aryl 3-(2-chloroethyl) ureas (CEUs), a new class of potent antineoplastic agents, were recently developed in our laboratory. These compounds were designed from the aromatic moiety of chlorambucil and the unnitrosated pharmacophore of carmustine. In the present study we investigated the effect of the potent CEU derivative 4-tert-butyl-[3-(2-chloroethyl)ureido] benzene (tBCEU) on tumor cell lines selected for resistance to a wide range of anticancer drugs. The resistance mechanisms found in these cells included increased expression of P-glycoprotein, increased intracellular concentration of glutathione and/or glutathione-S-transferase activity, alteration of topoisomerase II, and increased DNA repair. Whereas the resistant cell lines were found to be highly resistant to a panel of clinically known anticancer drugs, tBCEU was found to be equally cytotoxic to both resistant and parental cells. The nitrobenzylpyridine assay indicated that tBCEU is a weaker alkylating agent than chlorambucil. This lack of cross-resistance in various resistant tumor cells suggests that tBCEU could be potentially useful in the treatment of cancers resistant to conventional anticancer drugs.