Amplification and expression of a multidrug resistance gene in human glioma cell lines

Two human glioma cell lines were examined for multidrug resistance (MDR). A vincristine (VCR)-resistant glioma cell line showed a cross resistance to Adriamycin (doxorubicin, ADR) and etoposide (VP-16) to varying extents, suggesting the presence of MDR; the resistance to VCR was considerably decreased by calcium entry blockers. On the other hand, another VCR-sensitive glioma cell line exhibited no cross resistance to ADR or VP-16. Double minute chromosomes and homogeneously staining regions as well as clonal aberrations of chromosome 7 were not observed in cytogenetic studies of multidrug-resistant and multidrug-sensitive glioma cell lines. In Northern and Southern blot analyses, MDR gene 1 (MDR1) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was shown to be overexpressed without any amplification of the MDR1 gene in multidrug-resistant glioma cell lines as compared to multidrug-sensitive glioma cell lines. It would be reasonable to suggest that amplification of the MDR1 gene may not be a sine qua non for acquisition of MDR and that the MDR1 mRNA level may be correlated with the extent of MDR.