To identify the role of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in multidrug resistance in tumor cells, we examined the PKC isoform pattern in the multidrug resistant P388/ADR cell line and studied the effect of down regulation of PKC isoforms on intracellular daunorubicin accumulation and P-glycoprotein expression. Using monoclonal antibodies to PKCα, β and γ and flow cytometry technique we showed that P388/ADR cells overexpressed PKCα and β as compared to drug sensitive P388 cells. Prolonged treatment of P388/ADR cells with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a procedure that is known to down regulate PKC, resulted in the down regulation of total PKC activity and the PKCβ isoform (at the protein level) that was accompanied by the correction of daunorubicin accumulation in P388/ADR cells. The level of expression of P-glycoprotein in PMA treated cells was similar to that of untreated cells. These results suggest that PKCβ regulates the drug efflux function of P-glycoprotein.