Chemotherapy Drugs Thiocolchicoside and Taxol Permeabilize Lipid Bilayer Membranes by Forming Ion Pores

We report ion channel formation by chemotherapy drugs: thiocolchicoside (TCC) and taxol (TXL) which primarily target tubulin but not only. For example, TCC has been shown to interact with GABAA, nuclear envelope and strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors. TXL interferes with the normal breakdown of microtubules inducing mitotic block and apoptosis. It also interacts with mitochondria and found significant chemotherapeutic applications for breast, ovarian and lung cancer. In order to better understand the mechanisms of TCC and TXL actions, we examined their effects on phospholipid bilayer membranes. Our electrophysiological recordings across membranes constructed in NaCl aqueous phases consisting of TCC or TXL under the influence of an applied transmembrane potential (V) indicate that both molecules induce stable ion flowing pores/channels in membranes. Their discrete current versus time plots exhibit triangular shapes which is consistent with a spontaneous time-dependent change of the pore conductance in contrast to rectangular conductance events usually induced by ion channels. These events exhibit conductance (∼0.01-0.1 pA/mV) and lifetimes (∼5-30 ms) within the ranges observed in e.g., gramicidin A and alamethicin channels. The channel formation probability increases linearly with TCC/TXL concentration and V and is not affected by pH (5.7 - 8.4). A theoretical explanation on the causes of chemotherapy drug induced ion pore formation and the pore stability has also been found using our recently discovered binding energy between lipid bilayer and the bilayer embedded ion channels using gramicidin A channels as tools. This picture of energetics suggests that as the channel forming agents approach to the lipids on bilayer the localized charge properties in the constituents of both channel forming agents (e.g., chemotherapy drugs in this study) and the lipids determine the electrostatic drug-lipid coupling energy through screened Coulomb interactions between the drug molecules and lipids. The strength of this electrostatic energetic coupling determines the stability of the drug-induced ion pores. These findings may elucidate cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs and aid in the development of novel drugs for a broad spectrum of cancers and other diseases.