Membrane action of polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride revealed on smooth muscle cells, nerve tissue and rat blood platelets: A biocide driven pore-formation in phospholipid bilayers

Abstract A well-known cationic biocide of guanidine polymer family, polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG) has been tested against smooth muscle cells isolated from swine myometrium, synaptosomes of rat brain nerve terminals and rat blood platelets for the membrane action. It was established that PHMG blocked the activity of Na + ,K + -ATPase of smooth muscle cells plasma membrane by 82.2 ± 0.9% at a concentration of 7 ppm, whilst a dose-dependent depolarization of synaptosomes and platelets became appreciable at 100–500 ppm. Comparative studies by the methods of mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF and PDMS-TOF), viscosimetry, dynamic light scattering and model phospholipid membranes revealed PHMG oligomers with various number of repeat units (8–16) that formed K + -selective potential-dependent pores in sterol-free phosphatidylethanolamine-containing phospholipid bilayers at a concentration of 1 ppm. Obtained results suggest that besides acidic lipids and membrane proteins phosphatidylethanolamine and cholesterol are the other major factors responsible for the differences between PHMG-induced plasma membrane depolarization of microbial and eukaryotic cells and thus, diverse modes of PHMG membrane action.