title: On the mechanism of action of lonidamine: a study on human erythrocyte membrane.
abstract: The incubation of human erythrocytes with increasing levels of the antineoplastic drug Lonidamine clearly indicated a dose-dependent effect on the lipid composition of the plasma membranes. A selective transfer of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol from membrane to incubation medium and the consequent enrichment in phosphatidylethanolamine of the membrane itself was observed. Moreover, the membranes were found to contain increasing levels of the drug which was incorporated at a constant membrane/medium partition ratio. The changes in composition appeared to be consistent with morphological alterations observed by scanning and freeze-fracture electron microscopy demonstrating changes in cell shape, the presence of numerous intracellular vesicles, and a membrane protein rearrangement. The analysis of intact red cells by nuclear magnetic resonance ruled out the possibility that the alterations described above could be due to an ATP depletion. This further confirmed that cell membranes were the primary target of the Lonidamine action, the previously described energy metabolism impairment being a consequence of a selective damage of cellular membranes, probably originating from the incorporation of the drug into the lipid bilayer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrastructures, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Malorni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arancia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nista
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Accinni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cantafora
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000187:drug effects*; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007191:Indazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D007191:Indazoles; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D002784:Cholesterol; C016371:lonidamine