Schisandrin B--a novel inhibitor of P-glycoprotein.

P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux is one of the major causes of the cancer multidrug resistance (MDR). Inhibition of P-glycoprotein could reverse cancer MDR. Here, we show that schisandrin B, a naturally occurring compound from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill, bears strong potency to inhibit P-glycoprotein. Schisandrin B reversed the drug resistance of four MDR cell lines characterized with overexpression of P-glycoprotein and fully restored the intracellular drug accumulation by interacting with P-glycoprotein. Schisandrin B has a core structure of dibenzocyclooctadiene, representing a novel P-glycoprotein inhibitor. To our best knowledge, the role of schisandrin B to inhibit P-glycoprotein has not been reported.