Cation conductance and efflux induced by polyene antibiotics in the membrane of skeletal muscle fiber.

Cation conductance and efflux induced by polyene antibiotics amphotericin B (AMB), amphotericin B methyl ester (AME), nystatin, mycoheptin, and levorin on frog isolated skeletal muscle fibers and whole sartorius muscles were investigated. Conductance was measured under current-clamp conditions using a double sucrose-gap technique. Cation efflux was studied using flame emission photometry. Some new data were obtained concerning the effects of levorin and mycoheptin on biological membranes. The power dependence of polyene-induced cation transport on antibiotic concentration in muscle membrane was lower than that in bilayers. The decline in the equilibrium conductance caused by polyene removal (except for levorin) was very fast. There was reverse temperature dependence of AMB- and nystatin-induced conductances. Both induced conductance and efflux values demonstrated a correlation with the order of antifungal activities: levorin > AMB, mycoheptin > AME > nystatin, except for AME, which was more potent on yeastlike cells. These effects were interpreted in terms of possible differences in the kinetics of channel formation in biological and model membranes and in light of the role of nonconducting antibiotic forms in biological membranes.