Previously we established cell lines resistant to Adriamycin and cisplatin to elucidate the mechanisms involved in acquired drug-resistance. In this study, we investigated ganglioside composition in drug-resistant cell lines. The Adriamycin-resistant cell line, SBC-3/ADM100, exhibited a ganglioside composition ratio similar to that of the parent SBC-3 cells. Densitometric analysis by resorcinol showed a 1.61-fold increase of ganglioside GM2 in SBC-3/ADM100 cells, when compared to the parent SBC-3 cells. The cisplatin-resistant cell line, SBC-3/CDDP, showed a simplified ganglioside pattern, expressing only gangliosides GM3 and GM2. SBC-3/CDDP cells showed a marked increase in ganglioside GM3. These findings suggest that the alteration of ganglioside composition may be actively involved in the acquisition of drug-resistance.