A single 24h contact time with adriamycin provokes the emergence of resistant cells expressing the Gp 170 protein.

We investigate here, in A549 cells, the influence of a single short (1h) or long (24h) adriamycin (ADR) contact time on the long-term cytotoxicity of the drug and on the emergence of resistant cells. In contrast to a 1 h ADR contact, a 24 h treatment provokes the emergence of resistant cells overexpressing the Gp170 protein and this overexpression is maintained for at least three months without any drug selection pressure.