Cationic amphiphilic drugs perturb the metabolism of inosititides and phosphatidic acid in photoreceptor membranes.
Incubation of purified bovine photoreceptor rod outer segments with [gamma-32P]ATP resulted in the labeling of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidic acid (PA) with little labeling of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Propranolol inhibited in a dose-dependent manner the labeling of PA and enhanced that of PIP. Various cationic amphiphilic drugs also were tested for these effects. Propranolol had the same effects on high-speed rat brain particulate material. While this particular preparation displayed more labeling of PIP2, propranolol was ineffective, as it was on retinal PIP-kinase. Ca2+-activated polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase activity in nerve-ending membranes also was inhibited by propranolol. It is concluded that cationic amphiphilic drugs can inhibit diacylglycerol kinase and the polyphosphoinositide phosphodiesterase and stimulate the phosphatidylinositol-kinase (but not PIP-kinase).