[Effect of intracellular acidification on P-glycoprotein in drug-resistant K562/A02 cells]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intracellular acidification on the P-gp in K562/A02 cells. Confocal laser microscope was used to determine the intracellular acidification. MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of intracellular acidification on K562 and K562/A02 cells. Flow cytometry was applied to measure the influence of intracellular acidification on the activity of P-gp. The P-gp expression at protein and mRNA levels were determined by Western blot and real-time RT-PCR respectively. The results indicated that intracellular acidification had no obvious cytotoxicity on K562 and K562/A02 cells. The function of P-gp in K562/A02 cells weakened along with decrease of intracellular acidification, the intracellular acidification significantly increased the accumulation of Rhodamine 123 (Rh 123) and suppressed the efflux of Rh 123 mediated by P-gp. The intracellular acidification also inhibited the expression of P-gp in K562/A02 cells at protein and mRNA levels which showed intracellular acidification with time-dependence. It is concluded that the intracellular acidification can inhibit the expression and function of P-gp in K562/A02 cells.