Abstract

The interaction of salmeterol with model membranes has been studied with regard to equilibrium and kinetic behavior, including determination of the membrane-based partition coefficient, the rate of dissociation of salmeterol from membranes, and the rate of association. These data were obtained in various membrane preparations and under various conditions (e.g., temperature, cholesterol content). The compound is very lipophilic, compared with other beta 2 agonists such as salbutamol, and has a rapid association rate and a moderate dissociation rate. The equilibrium data support the assertion that the salmeterol action measured in perfused tissue involves an exo-site for nonspecific binding that may be identified with or related to the lipid bilayer. The kinetic data in unilamellar and multilamellar liposomes of synthetic lipids further suggest that the approach to the exo-site and the active site may involve components in the native system other than the lipid bilayer in which the beta 2 receptor is located. These additional components may explain the slow onset and the extraordinarily long duration of action.