CJY, an isoflavone, reverses P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug-resistance in doxorubicin-resistant human myelogenous leukaemia (K562/DOX) cells.

In an effort to develop safe and effective multidrug-resistance (MDR) reversing agents, the effect of CJY, an isoflavone, on the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function and P-gp-mediated MDR was evaluated in doxorubicin-resistant human myelogenous leukaemia (K562/DOX) cells. The results showed that CJY caused a marked increase in accumulation and a notable decrease in efflux of rhodamine 123 (Rh123). The inhibitory effect of the agent on P-gp function persisted for at least 120 min after removal of 2.5 microM CJY from the incubation medium. The doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and cell cycle perturbations were significantly potentiated by CJY. The intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin was also enhanced. The compound exhibited potent effects in-vitro on the reversal of P-gp-mediated MDR, suggesting that it could become a candidate as an effective MDR reversing agent in cancer chemotherapy.