Effect of a diazafluoranthen derivative on phospholipases A study at the air-water interface

AC-3579 (2-N-methylpiperazinomethyl-1,3-diazafluoranthen 1-oxide) produces in rat hepatocytes a hypertrophy of the endoplasmic reticulum.Two possibilities that can explain this phenomenon are (1) that AC-3579 inactivates the phospholipases, and (2) that an AC-3579-lipid interaction hinders the enzymic activity.To demonstrate these hypotheses, a physicochemical model of biological membrane, the lipid-water interface, has been used. Dipalmitoyl dl-α-phosphatidylcholine was spread at the air-water interface, the enzymes (phospholipase A or phospholipase C) dissolved in the aqueous phase.The enzymic reaction was first studied with and without AC-3579 dissolved in the aqueous phase; no enzymic inactivation was observed. However in AC-3579- lipid complex completely inhibited the enzymic reaction in the case of phospholipase A.An explanation is given in terms of steric hindrance to the enzyme-substrate complex formation.