Inhibition of the amiloride-sensitive na+ channel by isothiouronium derivatives. Avigdor, Abraham, Carol Asher, Daniel M. Tal, Steven J. D. Karlish, and Haim Garty. Department of Membrane Research and Biophysics and the Department of Biochemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
APStracts 3:0181C, 1996.
Effects on the amiloride-blockable Na+ channel of a family of recently synthesized isothiouronium derivatives were measured in plasma membrane vesicles from rat distal colon. Some of these derivatives act as high affinity Na+ like antagonists on the (Na+,K+) ATPase. One of the reagents tested, 1-Bromo-2,4,6-tris (isothiouroniummethyl) benzene tribromide (Br-TITU), was found to be a potent blocker of the Na+ channel. At neutral pH, Br-TITU rapidly inhibits the channel mediated 22Na+ uptake with a Ki of 94 39 nM. The inhibition observed is specific and reversible. Br2-TITU (1,3-Dibromo-2,4,6 -tris(isothiouroniummethyl)benzene tribromide) and Br-TITU derivatives with methyl and phenyl substitutions on the isothiouronium moiety were much less effective blockers. Incubation of cells with Br-TITU at alkaline (but not neutral) pH produces irreversible inactivation of channels, possibly due to covalent modification of a lysine residue. This inactivation can be attenuated by amiloride but not by Na+ ions. Thus, Br-TITU may be a useful reagent in identifying essential residues of the channel protein.

Received 26 February 1996; accepted in final form 22 May 1996.
APS Manuscript Number C105-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 17 June 96