The Role of the Membrane Actions of Phenothiazines and Flavonoids as Functional Modulators

Abstract

Phenothiazine derivatives as well as flavonoids belong to heterocyclic compounds that exert numerous effects on biological systems. The structure of these compounds enables their specific interactions with different membrane proteins and also nonspecific interactions with the lipid phase of membranes. In the present review we focus on the influence of phenothiazines and flavonoids on lipid bilayers and other model systems, and on two groups of membrane proteins: transporters involved in the phenomenon of multidrug resistance and ion channels. Most of the compounds described in this paper interact with membranes and affect different properties of lipid bilayers. Modification of membrane properties should contribute to mechanisms underlying certain types of biological activity of the discussed molecules. Structural features essential for the modulatory effects exerted by phenothiazines and flavonoids on multidrug transporters are presented. Also various types of response of voltage-gated and chemically activated ion channels to the presence of heterocyclic compounds are reviewed.