Inhibition of putrescine uptake by polypyridinium quaternary salts in B16 melanoma cells treated with difluoromethylornithine.

Several bipyridinium, tetrapyridinium and hexapyridinium quaternary salts have been found to be potent inhibitors of putrescine uptake into B16 melanoma cells which had previously been treated with difluoromethylornithine. In general, the potency of inhibitors increased as the number of quaternary centres increased. A relationship between the distance apart of the positively charged nitrogen atoms and the potency of the salts as inhibitors of uptake has been established by comparison with a number of diaminoalkanes. It was found that an inter-nitrogen distance of 0.6-0.7 nm or 1.0-1.1 nm was optimal for high activity. This finding is significant in determining structural features of the polyamine transport system.