Active uptake of propranolol by isolated rabbit alveolar macrophages and its inhibition by other basic amines.

Propranolol and other basic amines are concentrated by the lung. To test the possibility that the alveolar macrophage might participate in this process, the uptake of dl-[3H]propranolol was studied in macrophages isolated from healthy male rabbits. Uptake was time, temperature, and pH dependent and was reduced in the presence of inhibitors of cellular energy metabolism, such as sodium azide, iodoacetate, sodium cyanide and 2,4-dinitrophenol. It was abolished by sonication of the cell suspension. Scatchard plots suggested at least three uptake processes, one of which appeared to be partition. Uptake of dl-[3H]propranolol was inhibited equally by increasing concentrations of both the dextro- and the levo-isomers, as well as the racemate. It was also markedly inhibited by the lysomotropic agents, ammonium chloride and chloroquine, and by a number of tertiary amines including imipramine, chlorpromazine and methadone. Endogenous amines, including noreprinephrine, epinephrine and histamine had no effect on uptake. These observations suggest that uptake processes in the lung for exogenous basic amines may differ from those for endogenous amines. Although uptake of endogenous amines has been localized to the vascular endothelium, the lysosome may be one intracellular site of accumulation for exogenous amines.