Discovery of GSK2126458, a Highly Potent Inhibitor of PI3K and the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) is a critical regulator of cell growth and transformation, and its signaling pathway is the most commonly mutated pathway in human cancers. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a class IV PI3K protein kinase, is also a central regulator of cell growth, and mTOR inhibitors are believed to augment the antiproliferative efficacy of PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition. 2,4-Difluoro-N-{2-(methyloxy)-5-[4-(4-pyridazinyl)-6-quinolinyl]-3-pyridinyl}benzenesulfonamide (GSK2126458, 1) has been identified as a highly potent, orally bioavailable inhibitor of PI3Kα and mTOR with in vivo activity in both pharmacodynamic and tumor growth efficacy models. Compound 1 is currently being evaluated in human clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.

Interaction of macrolide antibiotics with intestinally expressed human and rat organic anion-transporting polypeptides.

The macrolide antibiotics azithromycin and clarithromycin are large molecular weight compounds that exhibit moderate to excellent oral bioavailability in preclinical species and humans. Previous concomitant dosing studies in rats using rifamycin SV, a general organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) inhibitor, suggested that the high oral absorption of azithromycin and clarithromycin may be caused by facilitative uptake by intestinal Oatps. In this study, we used OATP/Oatp-expressing cells to investigate the interaction of macrolides with rat Oatp1a5, human OATP1A2, and human/rat OATP2B1/Oatp2b1. These experiments showed that azithromycin and clarithromycin were potent inhibitors of rat Oatp1a5-mediated taurocholate uptake with apparent inhibitor constant (K(i)) values of 3.3 and 2.4 microM, respectively. The macrolides functioned as noncompetitive inhibitors but were not transport substrates for rat Oatp1a5, as assessed by direct uptake measurements of radiolabeled azithromycin and clarithromycin. cis-Inhibition and direct uptake studies further showed that azithromycin and clarithromycin were only very weak inhibitors and not substrates for human OATP1A2 and human/rat OATP2B1/Oatp2b1. In summary, these results indicate that the macrolides azithromycin and clarithromycin potently inhibit rat Oatp1a5 but do not significantly interact with OATP1A2 and OATP2B1/Oatp2b1. These intestinally expressed OATP/Oatp(s) are not responsible for the postulated facilitative uptake of azithromycin and clarithromycin, and alternative facilitative pathways must exist for their intestinal absorption.

Involvement of intestinal uptake transporters in the absorption of azithromycin and clarithromycin in the rat.

Macrolide antibiotics azithromycin (AZI) and clarithromycin (CLARI) are large molecular weight compounds and are substrates for apically polarized efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein, which can potentially restrict intestinal absorption. However, despite these undesired physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties, AZI and CLARI exhibit moderate to excellent p.o. bioavailability in preclinical species and humans. Intestinal uptake transporters, such as organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs), can facilitate the uptake of drugs that are substrates and hence increase p.o. absorption. The present study was designed to determine whether the intestinal Oatps are involved in absorption of these macrolides. AZI or CLARI was dosed p.o. to Sprague-Dawley rats after p.o. administration with vehicle or rifamycin SV (RIF), an OATP inhibitor. The p.o. exposures of AZI and CLARI were reduced 65 and 45%, respectively, when coadministered with an optimized RIF regimen. The p.o. RIF had no affect on the total blood clearance of these macrolides and most likely did not cause induction of metabolizing enzymes and/or transporters. Therefore, the results suggest that inhibition of an RIF-sensitive uptake transporter such as Oatp along the rat gastrointestinal tract was responsible for reduced p.o. exposure of AZI and CLARI. In addition, AZI and CLARI caused inhibition of taurocholate uptake in rat Oatp1a5-transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney cell monolayers. The in vitro and in vivo results suggest that the intestinal Oatps are involved in the p.o. absorption of AZI and CLARI in the rat.

A New Method to Collect Bile and Access the Duodenum in Conscious Dogs.

A novel, totally implantable catheter system that allows complete bile collection and duodenal access in conscious, freely moving dogs is described. Bile collection catheters remained patent for an average of 417 days (range, 711010 days) in eight animals which were used on study. Three animals have been used to validate the models complete collection of bile via biliary recovery of an intravenous dose of 14C-glycocholic acid, and in selected animals, parameters potentially indicative of liver damage (serum alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyltransferase, and total bilirubin levels) were within normal ranges for as many as 14 months after surgery. The eight study dogs have been used in a total of 29 studies, in which bile was successfully collected for 1248 h. The bile has been collected by using either a tethering system or a protected pouch arrangement. Compared to exteriorized catheter techniques, this system requires less maintenance and is better tolerated by the animals. The potential for a longer functional life span for individual animals, more normal liver enzymes, and the capability to selectively infuse towards the duodenum and flush the entire catheter and bile duct are other advantages of this model.