Amphotericin B and the blood-brain barrier to methotrexate.
The permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to methotrexate, Na+, and Cl- was studied in rats treated with the membrane-active antifungal agent amphotericin B. Enhancement of brain uptake of methotrexate was expected as amphotericin B increases the permeability of lipid membranes, including tumor cell membranes. However, amphotericin B had no effect of the BBB permeability to methotrexate, Na+, and Cl-. This may have been because the amphotericin B acted only on the luminal and not on the abluminal brain capillary membrane, leaving the BBB intact.
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002712:Chlorides; D000666:Amphotericin B; D012964:Sodium; D008727:Methotrexate