title: Cholesterol markedly reduces ion permeability induced by membrane-bound amphotericin B.
abstract: It is widely accepted that amphotericin B (AmB) together with sterol makes a mixed molecular assemblage in phospholipid membrane. By adding AmB to lipids prior to preparation of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV), we directly measured the effect of cholesterol on assemblage formation by AmB without a step of drug's binding to phospholipid bilayers. Potassium ion flux assays based on 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) clearly demonstrated that cholesterol markedly inhibits ion permeability induced by membrane-bound AmB. This could be accounted for by a membrane-thickening effect of cholesterol since AmB actions are known to be markedly affected by the thickness of membrane. Upon addition of AmB to an LUV suspension, the ion flux gradually increased with increasing molar ratios of cholesterol up to 20 mol%. These biphasic effects of cholesterol could be accounted for, at least in part, by the ordering effect of cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-16 Machikaneyama,Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010539:Permeability / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D000666:Amphotericin B; D002784:Cholesterol