Systems approach to study of solute transport across membranes using suspension cultures of mammalian cells V: Uptake and release kinetics of cardiac glycosides by Burkitt lymphoma cells.

Mass transport studies with three cardiac glycosides in the Burkitt lymphoma cell system have provided significant examples of the factorization and quantification of the influences of serum-drug binding, membrane-drug binding, cell interior binding, and intrinsic membrane permeability upon the uptake and release kinetics of drugs in living cell systems. All of the data from the glycosides are in agreement with the general physical model involving the rapid equilibration of the solute within the cell after permeation through the rate-determining plasma membrane barrier. The transport of digitoxin was influenced by membrane and serum binding and that of digoxin was influenced by membrane binding. There was no binding of ouabain to the plasma membrane and serum. The variables in the uptake and release kinetic studies at pH 7.3 included the use of viable and heat-inactivated cells, fetal bovine serum levels, and temperature.