title: Effects of etherlipid analogs on cell membrane functions.
abstract: Hexadecylphosphocholine and other etherlipid-derived substances show a pronounced antiproliferative activity on neoplastic cells and a broad spectrum of other biological effects on many cell types in vitro and in vivo. Though the precise molecular mechanism by which these etherlipid analogs act still remains unresolved, it seems clear that it most probably involves some essential function of the cell membrane. We investigated the effect of different etherlipids with and without cytotoxic activity in etherlipid-susceptible and -resistant tumor cell lines on three important membrane functions. We observed various inhibitory activities on endocytosis and the uptake of small precursor molecules as sugars, amino acids, and alcohols by toxic and nontoxic substances in resistant as well as susceptible cells. There was no correlation between the antiproliferative characteristics of the compounds and the effects on these membrane transport functions. Furthermore, the substances reduced the number of membrane tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptors regardless of their antiproliferative properties. The results of these investigations suggest that etherlipid analogs may interfere with many membrane functions in an unspecific manner. Therefore, many of the previously reported biological effects of etherlipids have to be viewed under a different light. Future investigation on these compounds should always contain appropriate control substances and cell models to really prove the specificity of the observed effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Clinic of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. berkovic@gmx.de
authors.forename: Dinko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berkovic
authors.forename: Jan Heino
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wernicke
authors.forename: Eduard A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Fleer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D010742:Phospholipid Ethers; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; C065637:choline transporter; D007294:Inositol; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D002794:Choline