A study was made of modulations of lysosome-phagosome fusion process and of fibrillar actin content in mouse
peritoneal macrophages by an antitumor alkaloid sanguinarine and a derivative drug Ukrain. In addition, effects of these
substances on in vitro polymerization of monomeric globular actin from rabbit muscle were investigated. Sanguinarine and
Ukrain stimulated lysosome-phagosome fusion and increased the content of polymerized fibrillar form of actin in mouse macrophages.
Effects of these substances were enhanced at their higher concentrations. Both sanguinarine and Ukrain induced in vitro
polymerization of globular actin from rabbit muscle. A possible role of sanguinarine and Ukrain in changing vesicular membrane
states during intracellular membrane interaction in lysosome-phagosome fusion process was discussed. The influence of these
substances on actin polymerization and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement was evaluated. It could be supposed that sanguinarine and
Ukrain may alter intracellular membrane transport.
