In this study, the antiproliferative effects of vinblastine (VLB), paclitaxel (TXL), doxorubicin (DXR), daunorubicin (DNR) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were assessed in the human cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa-Ohio (HeLa) and Hvr100-6 cells, established by growing the parental HeLa cells in the presence of progressively greater concentrations of VLB in the culture medium. Flow cytometric analysis indicated the induction of MDR1 (P-glycoprotein) in Hvr100-6 cells with no alterations in levels of multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP). Resistance to VLB, TXL, DXR and DNR was found in Hvr100-6 cells with relative resistances of ca. 300, 4000, 50 and 200, respectively, whereas no resistance was found to 5-FU. The reversal effects of antifungal drugs, fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, miconazole and amphotericin B on multidrug resistance were also assessed using Hvr100-6 cells. Itraconazole was found to have potent reversal effect on the resistance to VLB and TXL, but the others had no such effect. This reversal effect of itraconazole was concentration-dependent, with dose modifying factors of 3.2, 10.1 and 435.7 at 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 microM of itraconazole, respectively. In addition, this reversal effect of itraconazole was explained by the inhibition of accumulation of the anticancer drugs.