Glutathione (GSH) has often been implicated in the mechanism of resistance to platinum anti-cancer drugs. It has been suggested that GSH may reduce the cytotoxicity of these drugs by forming inactive conjugates and by enhancing the repair of DNA-platinum crosslinks. In the present study we have examined the effect of D,L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO) pretreatment on the accumulation of platinum in a sensitive (CHI) and 2 relatively resistant (SKOV-3, HX/62) human ovarian-carcinoma cell lines following exposure to PtII- (cisplatin, carboplatin) and PtIV-drugs (tetraplatin). The metabolism of cisplatin and tetraplatin (particularly the extent of platinum-GSH conjugate formation) in the presence and absence of BSO pre-treatment was also examined in these cell lines. BSO pre-treatment reduced the accumulation of PtII but not that of PtIV drugs in the relatively resistant SKOV-3 and HX/62 cell lines. It had no effect on the accumulation of either class of drugs in the sensitive CHI cells. Metabolism studies with cisplatin showed that the SKOV-3 and HX/62 cells, which contained 2- to 3-fold higher levels of GSH, were able to inactivate a greater proportion of cellular cisplatin, by the formation of platinum-GSH conjugates, than the CHI cells. A significant inhibition in formation of these conjugates, by BSO-induced depletion of cellular GSH (over 80%), did not, however, increase cisplatin concentration in the resistant cells. In contrast, a small increase in cisplatin concentration was observed in the sensitive cells following BSO pre-treatment. Comparison of cisplatin and tetraplatin metabolism in the SKOV-3 cells indicated that a greater proportion of the latter drug was inactivated by formation of GSH conjugates. BSO-induced depletion of cellular GSH in this cell line significantly reduced the formation of such conjugates from both drugs. However, concomitant increases in intracellular levels of reactive species were observed only after tetraplatin exposure. Our data suggest that the greater potentiation of PtIV- compared with PtII-drug cytotoxicity in the relatively resistant cell lines following 24 hr BSO pre-treatment may be caused by a differential effect of BSO on the metabolism and cellular distribution of these drugs. A BSO-induced reduction in PtII- but not PtIV-drug accumulation in these cells may also partially contribute to the differential potentiation of cytotoxicity of these drugs.