title: High cytotoxicity and membrane permeability of Et3Pb+ in mammalian and plant cells.
abstract: Cells of mammalian origin as well as those of higher plants appear to be very sensitive to triethyllead ion (Et3Pb+). Neuroblastoma cells kept in the presence of 1 microM Et3Pb+ lost their viability within 6 h. Growth of suspension culture cells of soybean (G. max(L.)Merr.) was inhibited by 1 microM Et3Pb+, and finally the cells died. Morphologically, Et3Pb+ caused the complete breakdown of microtubular structures in neuroblastoma cells; thus microtubules appeared to be the main target for the toxin. While in a previous study the effect of Et3Pb+ on microtubules has been well documented at concentrations of 50-200 microM 1, the present study demonstrates that the formation of microtubules from pig brain tubulin is disturbed at concentrations of Et3Pb+ as low as 0.5 to 1 microM. We conclude from these data that Et3Pb+ freely permeates the plasma membranes of mammalian as well as plant cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D013025:Glycine max; D013552:Swine; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014404:Tubulin; D007854:Lead; C010360:triethyllead