Haemolytic activity of aromatic heptaenes. A group of polyene macrolide antifungal antibiotics.

The aromatic heptaene vacidin A induces ion selective channels in human red blood cells. The ion flux induced leads to a secondary effect--colloid osmotic haemolysis. Molecular variations at ionizable polar groups of the antibiotic modify the properties of the permeability pathway concerning intercationic selectivity and the symmetry of ion flux.