Cytochalasin B: inhibition of glucose and glucosamine transport.

Cytochalasin B has been shown to potently inhibit the transport of glucose, deoxyglucose, and glucosamine by Novikoff hepatoma cells in suspension culture without affecting their intracellular phosphorylation and metabolism. Deoxyglucose transport is inhibited by cytochalasin B in a simple competitive manner. Although this inhibition is not sufficient to explain the biological action of the drug on cytokinesis, it does explain earlier observations on inhibition by cytochalasin B of the incorporation of glucose and glucosamine, and probably of other extracellular precursors, into macromolecules by various types of cells.