Effect of Chlorotriphenyl Derivatives of Sn and Pb upon Biophysical Properties of Membranes

Biophysical activity of two twin organometallic compounds Triphenyltin chloride (TPhT) and Triphenyllead chloride (TPhL) in their interreaction with model membranes, as well as with yeast cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was investigated. Four measurement methods were used in the experiments: two physical methods (spin probes method and the electric method); two biological methods (minimal inhibitory concentration /MIC/ and yeast survival test). It has been found that the activity of TPhT in interaction with model membranes and yeast cells is distinctly greater than that of TPhL. The activity manifests itself by considerable increase in the fluidity of the middle part of liposome bilayer, change in the polarization direction of the transmembrane voltage of filters impregnated with lauric acid, and in complete inhibition of growth of yeast cells at the concentration of 5 μg/mL

Effect of Tin and Lead Chlorotriphenyl Analogues on Selected Living Cells

ABSTRACT: Three kinds of living cells, human embryonic kidney cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli, were tested for their sensitivity to chlorotriphenyltin and chlorotriphenyllead. The tin compound proved definitely more toxic than the lead derivative, particularly in the case of the human embryonic kidney cells devoid of any protective cell wall. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) comparative studies carried out by using a natural model liposome system (egg yolk lecithin) confirmed considerable changes within the lipid bilayer upon doping by the aforementioned additives, which may be crucial to the mechanism of the observed cell cleavage. The individual dopants revealed diverse impact upon the membrane's condition, chlorotriphenyltin distinctly fluidized the lipid system, whereas chlorotriphenyllead stiffened the medium within the membrane. A theoretical approach concerning such different behaviors of studied tin and lead analogues because of their high toxicity in living cells has been presented. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 25:231-237, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com

Metalloporphyrin intercalation in liposome membranes: ESR study

Liposomes characterized by membranes featuring diverse fluidity (liquid-crystalline and/or gel phase), prepared from egg yolk lecithin (EYL) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), were doped with selected metalloporphyrins and the time-related structural and dynamic changes within the lipid double layer were investigated. Porphyrin complexes of Mg(II), Mn(III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and the metal-free base were embedded into the particular liposome systems and tested for 350 h at 24°C using the electron spin resonance (ESR) spin probe technique. 5-DOXYL, 12-DOXYL, and 16-DOXYL stearic acid methyl ester spin labels were applied to explore the interior of the lipid bilayer. Only the 16-DOXYL spin probe detected evident structural changes inside the lipid system due to porphyrin intercalation. Fluidity of the lipid system and the type of the porphyrin complex introduced significantly affected the intermolecular interactions, which in certain cases may result in self-assembly of metalloporphyrin molecules within the liposome membrane, reflected in the presence of new lines in the relevant ESR spectra. The most pronounced time-related effects were demonstrated by the EYL liposomes (liquid-crystalline phase) when doped with Mg and Co porphyrins, whereas practically no spectral changes were revealed for the metal-free base and both the Ni and Zn dopants. ESR spectra of the porphyrin-doped gel phase of DPPC liposomes did not show any extra lines; however, they indicated the formation of a more rigid lipid medium. Electronic configuration of the porphyrin’s metal center appeared crucial to the degree of molecular reorganization within the phospholipid bilayer system

The dynamics of the surface layer of lipid membranes doped by vanadium complex: computer modeling and EPR studies

Penetration of the liposome membranes doped with vanadium complex formed in the liquid-crystalline phase from egg yolk lecithin (EYL) by the TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) spin probes has been investigated. The penetration process was followed by 360 hours at 24°C, using the electron spin resonance (EPR) method. The spectroscopic parameter of the partition (F) of this probe indicated that a maximum rigidity of the membrane was at 3% concentration of the vanadium complex. Computer simulations showed that the increase in the rigidity of the membrane corresponds to the closure of gaps in the surface layer of the membrane, and indicates the essential role of the membrane surface in transport processes

Impact of humic acids on EYL liposome membranes: ESR method

In this paper, the effects of model (commercial) and natural (extracted from peat) humic substances on the membrane of liposomes formed with egg yolk lecithin (EYL) are presented. In our research, mass concentrations of fulvic and humic acids were used, which in relation to lecithin varied from 0% to 13%. To study membrane fluidity, electron spin resonance (EPR) was used with two spin probes, penetrating various regions of the lipid bilayer. The effects of model and natural humic substances (humic acids – HAs and fulvic acids – FAs) on the lipid membrane in different regions were researched: the lipid-water interphase, and in the middle of the lipid bilayer. It was shown that FA and HA impact the fluidity of liposome membranes in different ways. Increased mass concentrations of HAs decreased membrane fluidity in both acids: extracted from peat and the model. However, increased mass concentration of FAs extracted from peat, decreased membrane fluidity in the surface region, at the same time stiffening the central part of the bilayer. Increasing the concentration of FAs extracted from peat had the opposite effect when compared to model FA. This effect may be related to the complexation of xenobiotics present in the soil environment and their impact on biological membranes