title: Evidence that plasma membrane fluidity of isolated hepatocytes is modified by exposure to microtubule-depolymerizing drugs.
abstract: The role of microtubules on membrane fluidity has been investigated on freshly isolated whole rat hepatocytes prepared by the perfusion method and exposed either to the microtubule-depolymerizing drugs colchicine and vincristine or to beta-lumicolchicine, a colchicine analog deprived of biological activity. Exposure of hepatocytes to 6.3 microM colchicine or to 3.0 microM vincristine led to a significant decrease of membrane fluidity as measured by fluorescence polarization of trimethylammoniodiphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH). No changes were observed in cells exposed to 10.0 microM beta-lumicolchicine. These observations support the hypothesis that the microtubular system plays a role in the modulations of physico-chemical properties of the plasma membrane.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Pathology, University of Ancona, School of Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Curatola
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jézéquel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orlandi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D003078:Colchicine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005454:Fluorescence Polarization; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008162:Lumicolchicines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008162:Lumicolchicines; D004161:Diphenylhexatriene; D014750:Vincristine; C033628:1-(4-(trimethylamino)phenyl)-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene; D003078:Colchicine