Some reports have suggested that dantrolene interacts directly with the membrane bilayer. We investigated effects of dantrolene on changes in membrane properties induced by compound 48/80 (C48/80), a membrane stimulator. The addition of C48/80 for 1 min elicited a rapid, dose-dependent Ca2+ influx, which was reduced to 14% by the absence of external Ca2+. Dantrolene inhibited the C48/80-induced increase in Ca2+ permeability of plasma membranes in a concentration-dependent manner (0.33-10 microM, IC50 value was 5 microM). We next examined C48/80-induced changes in structural and dynamic membrane properties by electron spin resonance (ESR). The ratio h0/h-1 was determined to evaluate membrane fluidity. C48/80 increased the membrane fluidity in a concentration-dependent manner (0.1-0.56 mg/ml). Dantrolene (10 microM) itself did not change the membrane fluidity, but it significantly reduced the C48/80-induced increase in membrane fluidity (0.56 mg/ml). Moreover, the C48/80-induced increase in fluidity was dependent on extracellular Ca2+. We conclude that dantrolene protects neuroblastoma cell plasma membrane from C48/80-induced membrane perturbation, which causes Ca2+ influx and an increase in membrane fluidity. These findings strongly suggest that dantrolene directly stabilizes the neuronal plasma membrane.