Influence of Ibuprofen on Phospholipid Membranes

TL;DR

This study investigates how ibuprofen affects the structure and dynamics of phospholipid membranes, revealing a two-step phase transition and membrane stiffening, which could explain its long-term toxicity.

Contribution

The paper provides new insights into the structural effects of ibuprofen on phospholipid membranes using advanced neutron scattering techniques.

Findings

Ibuprofen induces a transition from lamellar to hexagonal phases in membranes.

Membranes become stiffer with increasing ibuprofen concentration.

A two-step structuring behavior of membranes was observed.

Abstract

Basic understanding of biological membranes is of paramount importance as these membranes comprise the very building blocks of life itself. Cells depend in their function on a range of properties of the membrane, which are important for the stability and function of the cell, information and nutrient transport, waste disposal and finally the admission of drugs into the cell and also the deflection of bacteria and viruses. We have investigated the influence of ibuprofen on the structure and dynamics of L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine (SoyPC) membranes by means of grazing incidence small-angle neutron scattering (GISANS), neutron reflectometry and grazing incidence neutron spin echo spectroscopy (GINSES). From the results of these experiments we were able to determine that ibuprofen induces a two-step structuring behavior in the SoyPC films, where the structure evolves from the purely lamellar phase for pure SoyPC over a superposition of two hexagonal phases to a purely hexago- nal phase at high concentrations. Additionally, introduction of ibuprofen stiffens the membranes. This behavior may be instrumental in explaining the toxic behavior of ibuprofen in long-term application.