The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and anti-Alzheimer drug donepezil interacts with human erythrocytes

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.03.014Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Donepezil interacted with lipid bilayers present in the human erythrocyte membrane.

  • Morphological changes in human erythrocytes were induced by donepezil.

  • Donepezil might interact with the AChE enzyme present in the erythrocyte membrane.

Abstract

Donepezil is used to treat symptomatically the Alzheimer's disease (AD). This drug is a specific inhibitor of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), whose main physiological function is to hydrolyze the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The main objective of this work was to study the effect of donepezil on human erythrocytes as AChE is present in its membrane. For this purpose, human erythrocytes and molecular model of its membrane built-up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were used. The latter correspond to classes of phospholipids present in the outer and inner monolayers of the human erythrocyte membrane, respectively. Our experimental evidences obtained from X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that donepezil was capable of interacting with both phospholipids. Fluorescence spectroscopy results showed a moderate increase in the fluidity of the hydrophobic tails of DMPC and isolated unsealed human erythrocyte membranes (IUM). On the other hand, results by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical defocusing microscopy (DM) showed that the drug changed the normal biconcave shape of the erythrocytes inducing the formation of stomatocytes (cup-shaped cells). This effect was explained by the incorporation of donepezil molecules into the erythrocyte membrane and interactions with AChE.

Abbreviations

AChE
acetylcholinesterase
DMPC
dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine
DMPE
dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine
DSC
differential scanning calorimetry
SEM
scanning electron microscopy
DM
defocusing microscopy
MLV
multilamellar vesicles
LUV
large unilamellar vesicles
GP
generalized polarization
DPH
1,6-diphenyl-hexa-1,3,5-triene

Keywords

Donepezil
Cell membrane
Lipid bilayer
Human erythrocyte
Acetylcholinesterase

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