gramicidin-a and nonactin

The effects of several K(+)-selective neutral ionophores on membrane electrical characteristics of differentiated NG108-15 (neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid) cells were examined. Specifically, alterations in membrane resting potential (V(m)), input resistance (R(in)) and electrically-induced action potential generation were determined upon bath application of enniatin (0.1-10 microg/ml), nonactin (0. 1-10 microM) and valinomycin (0.1-10 microM). Although some cells exhibited a slight hyperpolarization and/or reduced R(in), i.e. membrane electrical correlates of enhanced K(+) loss, neither V(m) nor R(in) were significantly altered by any of the ionophores. However, valinomycin and especially nonactin affected action potentials induced by electrical stimulation. This was apparent in the ablation of action potentials in some cells and in the occurrence of degenerative changes in action potential shape in others. The simultaneous administration of the neutral ionophores and the protonophore CCCP or the superfusion of enniatin, nonactin or valinomycin in high (50 mM) glucose-containing physiological solution did not yield more extensive alterations in V(m) or R(in). These data suggest that the neutral ionophores are unable to materially enhance K(+) flux above the relatively high resting level in NG108-15 cells. Thus, alterations in action potentials appear to be unrelated to K(+) transport activity.

Topics: Action Potentials; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cell Membrane; Depsipeptides; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electric Stimulation; Glioma; Gramicidin; Hybrid Cells; Ion Transport; Ionophores; Macrolides; Membrane Potentials; Mice; Neuroblastoma; Neurons; Nigericin; Peptides; Potassium; Rats; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Valinomycin

Recently, a gastric Mg(2+)-ATP-dependent phospholipid flippase was found. Here, the effects of ionophores and monovalent cations on the gastric flippase were examined. We found that translocation of the fluorescent analogue of phosphatidylcholine was inhibited by valinomycin in the presence of K(+). The inhibition depended on both the concentrations of valinomycin and K(+). Valinomycin did not inhibit translocation in the absence of K(+). Protonophores, carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and carbonylcyanide-p-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP), accelerated translocation by 190-270%. These increases were completely abolished by 2-methyl-8-(phenylmethoxy)imidazo-[1, 2-a]pyridine-3-acetonitrile (SCH 28080), a gastric flippase inhibitor. Since these protonophores did not affect the Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase activity that is responsible for phospholipid translocation by the flippase, the coupling ratio of the amount of transported phospholipids/the amount of hydrolyzed ATP was variable and seemed to depend on the state of the membrane bilayer, for example fluidity. Inhibition by the valinomycin-K(+) complex was abolished in the presence of CCCP or FCCP, indicating the valinomycin-K(+)-CCCP(FCCF) ternary complex did not inhibit the flippase.

Topics: 4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biological Transport; Ca(2+) Mg(2+)-ATPase; Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone; Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone; Enzyme Activation; Gastric Mucosa; Gramicidin; Intracellular Membranes; Ionophores; Macrolides; Phosphatidylcholines; Potassium Chloride; Sodium Chloride; Swine; Valinomycin

Streaming potentials have been measured for gramicidin channels with a new method employing ion-selective microelectrodes. It is shown that ideally ion-selective electrodes placed at the membrane surface record the true streaming potential. Using this method for ion concentrations below 100 mM, approximately seven water molecules are transported whenever a sodium, potassium, or cesium ion, passes through the channel. This new method confirms earlier measurements (Rosenberg, P.A., and A. Finkelstein. 1978. Interaction of ions and water in gramicidin A channels. J. Gen. Physiol. 72:327-340) in which the streaming potentials were calculated as the difference between electrical potentials measured in the presence of gramicidin and in the presence of the ion carriers valinomycin and nonactin.

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Electrochemistry; Gramicidin; Ion Channels; Macrolides; Membrane Potentials; Microelectrodes; Models, Biological; Valinomycin

The decrease of the intracellular concentration of drug in resistant cells compared to sensitive cells is, in most cases, correlated with the presence, in the membrane of resistant cells, of a 170-kDa P-glycoprotein responsible for an active efflux of the drug. In an attempt to identify mechanism(s) by which multidrug resistance can be circumvented, we have examined the cellular accumulation of 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-adriamycin, alone and in conjunction with various ionophores on the one hand and with cyclosporin A on the other hand. The present study was performed using a spectrofluorometric method with which it is possible to follow continuously the uptake and release of fluorescent molecules by living cells, as the incubation of the cells with the drug proceeds. Erythroleukemia K562 cell lines were used. Using experimental conditions in which these ionophores were unable to modify either the intracellular pH, or the transmembrane potential, or to induce an intracellular ATP depletion, we have shown that mobile ionophores as well as cyclosporin inhibit the P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux of 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-adriamycin in K562 resistant cells, whereas gramicidin, a channel-forming ionophore, does not. The concentration that must be used to inhibit 50% of the efflux was 0.7 microM for valinomycin, 0.4 microM for nonactin, 0.2 microM for nigericin, 1.1 microM for monensin, 0.4 microM for lasalocid, 1.2 microM for calcimycin and 0.4 microM for cyclosporin. Due to the high toxicity of the ionophores, the observation that they increased 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-adriamycin accumulation in the multidrug-resistant cells is not correlated with an effect of these compounds on drug resistance. However, the correlation exists in the case of cyclosporin. From our data showing that lipophilic neutral complexes, formed between carboxylic ionophores and metal ions, are both able to inhibit the P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux of anthracycline we can infer that the lipophilicity but not the cationic charge is an important physical property.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1; Carbonyl Cyanide p-Trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone; Carrier Proteins; Cell Division; Cyclosporine; Doxorubicin; Drug Resistance; Gramicidin; Humans; Ionophores; Macrolides; Membrane Glycoproteins; Membrane Potentials; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Valinomycin