Biopolymers and cell. 2010; 26 (6): 472 - 477
Modulation of bisquaternary ammonium agents effect on model biomembranes by complex formation with an organic anion
O. V. Vashchenko, V. A. Pashynska, M. V. Kosevich1, V. D. Panikarskaya1, L. N. Lisetski
Institute for Scintillation Materials NAS of Ukraine, 60, Prospekt Lenina, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 61085
1Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering NAS of Ukraine, 47, Prospekt Lenina, Kharkiv, Ukraine, 61103
Aim. To study membranotropic activity modulation of bisquaternary ammonium compounds (BQAC) decamethoxinum and aethonium determined by their interaction with dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) organic anion. Methods. Differential scanning calorimetry, mass spectrometry. Results. Doping phospholipid membranes with individual BQAC or DHB leads to a considerable decrease in the membrane melting temperature. At the same time, when BQAC and DHB are introduced together, a certain increase in the membrane melting temperature is observed, implying non-additivity of their action and incorporation of their complexes into the membranes. Conclusions. DHB decreases the efficiency of BQAC destabilizing action on the membranes, i. e. DHB is a modulator of their membranotropic activity. A possible molecular mechanism of the modulation consists in the compensation of charges of the BQAC dications by organic DHB anions on the complex formation; parameters of the complex interaction with the membrane structures differ from those of individual ionic compounds.
Key words: membranotropic agents, phospholipid membranes, bisquaternary ammonium compounds, dihydroxybenzoic acid, activity modulation, differential scanning calorimetry.