title: Interaction of the bisbiguanides chlorhexidine and alexidine with phospholipid vesicles: evidence for separate modes of action.
abstract: Strains of Providencia stuartii with demonstrated resistance towards chlorhexidine did not show such resistance towards either of the related biguanide antiseptics, alexidine or vantocil. Alexidine promoted a significantly faster alteration in the permeability of Escherichia coli cell membranes towards various metal cations than chlorhexidine. Differential thermal analysis of various mixed lipid vesicles and pure phospholipid vesicles showed alexidine to share with vantocil the property of producing lipid phase separation and domain formation. It is suggested that the nature of the end-group on the biguanides affects the ability to produce lipid domains in cell membranes and this this might, in turn, affect activity and resistance patterns observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chawner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001645:Biguanides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011511:Proteus / Q000187:drug effects*; D011532:Providencia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013104:Spheroplasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001645:Biguanides; D010743:Phospholipids; C031233:polihexanide; C001570:alexidine; D002710:Chlorhexidine