Epithelial chloride channels can be blocked by various inhibitors, which show considerable differences in their molecular structure. In the present patch-clamp study, we compare different blockers of one type of epithelial Cl- channel with respect to their inhibitory potency. We applied the blockers to excised inside-out- or outside-out-oriented membrane patches of cultured HT29 colon carcinoma and respiratory epithelial cells (REC) containing the outwardly rectifying intermediate-conductance (ICOR) chloride channel. Four types of inhibitory compounds were tested: stilbene disulphonate derivatives, indanyloxyacetic acid, amidine, and arylaminobenzoates. The concentrations for half-maximal inhibition (IC50) for the different channel blockers were (mu-mol/l): 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid 100; 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid 80; indanyloxyacetic acid 9; 4,4'-dinitro-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid 8; amidine 8 and 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)-benzoate (NPPB) 0.9. All compounds, when applied to the cytosolic side of the channel, induced a flicker-type block of the ICOR Cl- channel at lower concentrations and a complete channel inhibition at higher concentrations. The inhibitory potency of NPPB was much higher when it was added to the external surface of the channel in outside-out-oriented membrane patches. At 1-mu-mol/l the inhibition was complete. All blocker effects were fully reversible. The probe with the highest affinity (NPPB) and a closely related compound 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylethylamino)-benzoate (NPEB) were used to construct macromolecular probes by linking these blockers to aminopolyethyleneglycol (PEG) or amino-ethyl-O-dextran (5 kDa). These macromolecular NPPB and NPEB derivatives inhibited the ICOR Cl- channels only from the outside but had no effect on the cytosolic side. In the case of PEG-NPPB an IC50 of 30 nmol/l was determined in outside-out patches. The data indicate that the interaction site for arylaminobenzoates is accessible from the outer aspects of the Cl- channel facing the extracellular medium. Furthermore, these data show that the macromolecular probes of arylaminobenzoates have affinities to the Cl- channel very similar to those of the respective parent compounds.
