Characterization of a clonal isolate of an oxaliplatin resistant ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780/C10

A single cell clonal sub-line A2780/C10B that is 18-fold resistant to oxaliplatin and approximately threefold cross-resistant to cisplatin and exhibiting a metastasis associated cellular phenotype was characterized for mechanisms of resistance. The cell line exhibited a 50% reduction in the accumulation of both oxaliplatin and cisplatin relative to the parent line, while extensive decline in Pt-DNA adduct levels occurred only following oxaliplatin treatment. The basal GSH levels were fivefold higher in A2780/C10B compared to A2780 and had a fivefold elevation in gamma-GT suggesting this may be the mechanism involved in GSH elevation. The basal levels of ERCC-1, XPA and MRP-2 mRNA levels in A2780/C10B were not higher than those in A2780. The highly reduced Pt-DNA adduct formation only for oxaliplatin, but not cisplatin may be a reflection of the fact that at equimolar concentrations oxaliplatin makes fewer Pt-DNA adducts than cisplatin. The data indicate that multiple lesions occur in a single cell to produce the resistant phenotype.