PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - DAVID T. VISTICA AU - BARBARA P. SCHUETTE TI - Carrier Mechanism and Specificity Accounting for the Increase in Intracellular Melphalan by the Basic Amino Acids DP - 1981 Jan 01 TA - Molecular Pharmacology PG - 92--96 VI - 19 IP - 1 4099 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/19/1/92.short 4100 - http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/19/1/92.full SO - Mol Pharmacol1981 Jan 01; 19 AB - The basic amino acids arginine and its lower homologue, α-amino-γ-guanidinobutyric acid, increased the intracellular levels of melphalan only in the presence of leucine and sodium ions. This increase occurred solely through the monovalent cation-dependent, high-affinity, leucine-preferring transport system, one of the two amino acid transport systems responsible for melphalan uptake. Acceleration of melphalan exodus by leucine is antagonized by α-amino-γ-guanidinobutyric acid, resulting in increased cellular retention of melphalan.