Effect of quaternary benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids sanguinarine, chelerythrine and fagaronine on some mammalian cells.

The effects of benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids sanguinarine (SA), chelerythrine (CHE), fagaronine (FA) and their dihydroderivates were tested on human leukocytes and lymphocytes, rat peritoneal mastocytes and primary cultured hepatocytes. The cytotoxicity of SA and CHE on hepatocytes is dose (35-100 microM) and time (1-3 h) dependent. Both alkaloids decrease chemiluminiscence of leukocytes and inhibit a creation of active E-rosets. The degranulation of mastocytes is inhibited only by CHE. Dihydroderivates of SA and CHE did not display any effect on studied cells, dihydrofagaronine exhibits a hepatotoxicity after 3 h.