Camptothecin and cisplatin upregulate ABCG2 and MRP2 expression by activating the ATM/NF-κB pathway in lung cancer cells.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) formation is an important problem in lung cancer chemotherapy. Our study showed that both camptothecin and cisplatin could not only induce ATM and NF-κB activation but also upregulate expression of the MDR-related genes ABCG2, MRP2 in NCI-H446 cells. Moreover, camptothecin and cisplatin-induced ABCG2 and MRP2 upregulation could be impaired by ATM and NF-κB inhibitors, indicating a relationship between ATM, NF-κB activation and MDR formation in lung cancer chemo-therapy. Our study indicates that ATM may serve as a potential molecular target for MDR formation in lung cancer chemotherapy.