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KW-2149, a new mitomycin C (MMC) derivative, inhibited the growth of murine P388 leukemia in vitro at 20-fold lower concentrations than those of MMC. KW-2149 was also effective in inhibiting the growth of MMC-resistant P388 (P388/MMC) cells. To elucidate these characteristics of KW-2149, its uptake and efflux were compared with those of MMC in MMC-sensitive and -resistant P388 cells. Both MMC and KW-2149 accumulated rapidly in P388 cells after incubation at the concentration of 0.47 and 0.024 microM, respectively, which were the IC50 values at 1-h exposure. Although this concentration of KW-2149 was 20 times lower than that of MMC, its intracellular concentration was little more than that of MMC, suggesting that KW-2149 accumulated in the cells quite efficiently. The accumulated KW-2149 in the cells after 1-h treatment remained for as long as 24 h after the incubation of the cells in drug-free medium, suggesting that most of the intracellular KW-2149 or MMC was bound to cellular components. The ratios of resistance of P388/MMC cells to MMC and KW-2149 were 34 and 8.8, respectively, at 1-h exposure, suggesting that P388/MMC cells were partially resistant to KW-2149 in vitro. P388/MMC cells also showed partial resistance to cisplatin, Adriamycin, m-AMSA, and etoposide. The accumulation of MMC in P388/MMC cells was lower than that in P388 cells, although the size of the former cells was almost equal to that of the latter. As a result, the amount of DNA-bound MMC was lower in P388/MMC cells than in P388 cells, suggesting its involvement in the mechanisms of MMC resistance in P388/MMC cells.

KW-2149 is a new derivative of mitomycin C (MMC). The plasma concentrations, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of [3H]-KW-2149 in normal and tumor-bearing mice after i. v. administration of 16.6 mg/kg were investigated. The plasma radioactivity decreased biexponentially after i. v. administration in normal mice. However, the unchanged drug disappeared rapidly, showing a half-life (t1/2) of 9.7 min, which was shorter than MMC's (18 min). The radioactivity was excreted in mouse urine (33%) and feces (58%) within 144 h. High radioactivity was distributed in the gallbladder, liver, kidney, pancreas, and lung at 1 h after i. v. administration to normal mice. The tumor concentration was lower than the plasma or blood concentration. The lowest radioactivity was observed in the brain. The metabolic rate of KW-2149 was very rapid. The methyl sulfide form (M-16), the symmetrical disulfide dimer (M-18), and the albumin conjugate were detected in plasma, which possessed anticellular activity. The specific anticellular activity of these compounds against uterine carcinoma (HeLa S3) was 1/100, 1, and 1/20 respectively, as compared with that of KW-2149.