[Distribution of polyene antibiotics in the cells of a tissue culture of puppy kidney].

The results of the studies on interacellular distribution of amphotericin AM-2, a wate soluble derivative of amphotericin in the cells of the puppy kidney tissue culture exposed to the antibiotic in a concentration of 50 gamma per 1 ml medium for 17 hours are presented. It was found that the antibiotic was firmly bound with the kidney cells: 15.4 per cent of the initial amount of the antibiotic was detected in the washed cells. Analysis of the antibiotic distribution in separate subcellular components showed that sorption of amphotericin AM-2 by the plasmic membranes, nuclei and cytoplasm was respectively 18.3, 35.6 and 9.7 per cent of the amount absorbed by the cells. Binding of a significant amount of the antibiotic absorbed by the plasmic membranes and nuclei with the above fractions was reversible. The results of the study provided a supposition that amphotericin AM-2 penetrated into the cells of the kidney tissue which adds some new findings to the studies on the mechanism of action of polyenic antibiotics in cells.