Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce a very broad, pleiotropic anticancer drug resistance phenotype in acute myeloid leukemia cells by modulation of multiple ABC transporter genes.

PURPOSE: Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are being studied in clinical trials with the aim to induce cellular differentiation, growth arrest, and apoptosis of tumor cells. Recent reports suggest that the multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. To investigate whether additional drug transporters are regulated by HDACi and how this affects cytotoxicity, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells were examined.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: AML cells were cultured in the presence of phenylbutyrate, valproate, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, or trichostatin A and analyzed for drug transporter expression and function as well as sensitivity to anticancer drugs.

RESULTS: MDR1, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRP) 7 and 8 were induced in a dose- and time-dependent manner as shown by semiquantitative PCR. The pattern of gene induction was cell line specific. Phenylbutyrate induced P-glycoprotein and BCRP expression and the efflux of drugs as determined with labeled substrates. KG-1a cells treated with phenylbutyrate developed resistance to daunorubicin, mitoxantrone, etoposide, vinblastine, paclitaxel, topotecan, gemcitabine, and 5-fluorouracil; as a result drug-induced apoptosis was impaired. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed the hyperacetylation of histone proteins in the promoter regions of MDR1, BCRP, and MRP8 on valproate treatment. Furthermore, an alternative MRP8 promoter was induced by HDACi treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of AML cells to HDACi induces a drug resistance phenotype broader than the "classic multidrug resistance," which might negatively affect treatment effectiveness.