Effects of Phellodendron and Its Main Components on the Cell Membrane Fluidity

AIM: To investigate the effect of phellodendron and three kinds of its main components, which have a suppressive effect on the immune system, on the membrane fluidity of normal murine splenocytes. METHODS: The fluidity of membrane lipid regions of splenocytes was determined by the fluorescence polarization technique using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-heatriene (DPH) as a fluorescence probe. RESULTS: The results showed that the water extract of phellodendron and one of its main components (palmatine) increased the cell membrane fluidity in the inactive state, but the other two components, berberine and jatrorrhizine, decreased the cell membrane fluidity. After activated by ConA, all of them can decrease the cell membrane fluidity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that their function might be due to decreasing the cell membrane fluidity.