The Action of Thioridazine and Promazine on Biological Membranes: Relationship between ATPase Inhibition and Membrane Stabilization

The effects of promazine and thioridazine on hypotonic haemolysis of human erythrocytes are compared with their effect on Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase of washed human erythrocyte ghosts. Promazine (5 × 10^-5 - 5 × 10^-4 M) and thioridazine (10^-5 - 10^-4 M) stabilize erythrocytes against hypotonic haemolysis, but have lytic effects at higher concentrations. Both drugs inhibit Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase of erythrocyte membranes. This inhibition is slight at drug concentrations which have a membrane-stabilizing action, but is complete and irreversible at lytic concentrations of the drugs. Promazine and thioridazine also inhibit Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase in a membrane fraction prepared from rat hearts. The relative order of potency of the two drugs in this respect does not reflect their relative potency as general cardiac depressants. It is concluded that Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase is not a primary target for the action of promazine and thioridazine in the rat heart. It is suggested that inhibition of Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase by these agents is secondary to more general alterations of the physical properties of the cell membrane.