Trabectedin (ET-743, Yondelis) is a substrate for P-glycoprotein, but only high expression of P-glycoprotein confers the multidrug resistance phenotype

Invest New Drugs. 2007 Feb;25(1):1-7. doi: 10.1007/s10637-006-7773-9.

Abstract

Trabectedin (ET-743, Yondelis) is a novel anticancer drug currently undergoing phase II and III investigations. There are various and conflicting reports whether trabectedin is a substrate for P-glycoprotein (P-gp), an important factor in drug disposition and multi-drug resistance (MDR). We have now unambiguously shown that trabectedin is a P-gp substrate by investigating vectorial transport over monolayers of LLC-PK1 pig kidney and Madine-Darby Canine kidney (MDCK) cells and the mdr1a and/or MDR1 transfected subclones. We further characterized the cytotoxic effects and cellular accumulation of trabectedin in these cell lines as well as in a panel of other cell lines with high or moderate expression levels of P-gp. Trabectedin displayed the typical MDR phenotype only in highly P-gp expressing cell lines, but not in cell lines with expression levels more closely conforming to clinical samples, suggesting that P-gp will not confer resistance to trabectedin in cancer patients.

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / genetics
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / pharmacology
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Membrane Permeability / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Dibenzocycloheptenes / pharmacology
  • Dioxoles / metabolism
  • Dioxoles / pharmacology*
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Intracellular Fluid / chemistry
  • Intracellular Fluid / drug effects
  • Intracellular Fluid / metabolism
  • LLC-PK1 Cells
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology
  • Quinolines / pharmacology
  • Swine
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / metabolism
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / pharmacology*
  • Trabectedin
  • Transfection / methods

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Dibenzocycloheptenes
  • Dioxoles
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Quinolines
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines
  • zosuquidar trihydrochloride
  • Trabectedin
  • Paclitaxel