Resistance to tetracycline, a hydrophilic antibiotic, is mediated by P-glycoprotein in human multidrug-resistant cells.

Two multidrug-resistant human leukemic CCRF-CEM sublines (CEM/VCR R and CEM/VLB100) were significantly more resistant to tetracycline, a hydrophilic antibiotic, than parental cells (P < 0.001). Verapamil and cyclosporin A completely reversed tetracycline resistance in CEM/VCR R cells, which also accumulated and retained significantly less [3H]tetracycline than CCRF-CEM cells. Like verapamil, addition of tetracycline to CEM/VCR R cells which had achieved steady-state vincristine levels resulted in augmented vincristine accumulation. [3H]Azidopine photoaffinity labelling of CEM/VCR R membrane proteins was inhibited by tetracycline in a dose-dependent manner. Although drugs associated with the multidrug-resistance phenotype are typically hydrophobic compounds, these data suggest that resistance to tetracycline, despite its hydrophilic nature, is mediated by P-glycoprotein in these cell lines.