Abstract
Micelle, liposome and polyethylene glycol(PEG) were employed to reduce the cell mem- brane toxicity of Amphotericin B(Amp. B). Cholesterol-sulfate which can form a mixed micelle with Amp. B molecules was found very effective for the reduction of Amp. B toxicity. 0.01% of cholesterol-sulfate could reduce the toxicity of 5X 10$^{-6}$ M Amp. B by 90%. The required concent- ration of cholesterol-sulfate for the toxicity reduction was proportionally increased with increasing Amp. B concentration. PEG was also effective on the reduction of Amp. B toxicity. 2% PEG was required for the reduction of toxicity by 50%, regardless of Amp. B concentration. The liposome system showed an effective reduction of Amp. B toxicity on RBC, maintaining the antibiotic effect on Candida albicans as free drugs. This seems to be due to the fact that liposome bilayer plays a role of buffer system between ergosterol of fungi cell membrane and cholesterol of red blood cell membrane, which leads the redistribution of Amp. B between them, as the result, the reduction of drug toxicity on cell membrane.