Gemfibrozil and its glucuronide inhibit the hepatic uptake of pravastatin mediated by OATP1B1.

When pravastatin (40 mg/day) was co-administered with gemfibrozil (600 mg, b.i.d., 3 days) to man, the AUC of pravastatin increased approximately 2-fold. We have clarified that OATP1B1 is a key determinant of the hepatic uptake of pravastatin in humans. Thus, we hypothesized that gemfibrozil and the main plasma metabolites, a glucuronide (gem-glu) and a carboxylic acid metabolite (gem-M3), might inhibit the hepatic uptake of pravastatin and lead to the elevation of the plasma concentration of pravastatin. Gemfibrozil and gem-glu inhibited the uptake of (14)C-pravastatin by human hepatocytes with K(i) values of 31.7 microM and 15.7 microM, respectively and also inhibited pravastatin uptake by OATP1B1-expressing Xenopus laevis oocytes with K(i) values of 15.1 microM and 7.6 microM. Additionally, we examined the biliary transport of pravastatin and demonstrated that pravastatin was transported by MRP2 using both human canalicular membrane vesicles (hCMVs) and human MRP2-expressing vesicles. However, gemfibrozil, gem-glu and gem-M3 did not affect the biliary transport of pravastatin by MRP2. Considering the plasma concentrations of gemfibrozil and gem-glu in humans, the inhibition of OATP1B1-mediated hepatic uptake of pravastatin by gem-glu would contribute, at least in part, to the elevation of plasma concentration of pravastatin by the concomitant use of gemfibrozil.

Inhibition of human organic anion transporter 3 mediated pravastatin transport by gemfibrozil and the metabolites in humans.

Coadministration of gemfibrozil (600 mg, b.i.d., 3 days) with pravastatin (40 mg/day) decreased the renal clearance of pravastatin by approximately 40% in healthy volunteers. To investigate the mechanism of this drug-drug interaction in the renal excretion process, we undertook an uptake study of pravastatin using human organic anion transporters (hOATs)-expressing S2 cells. hOAT3 and hOAT4 transported pravastatin in a saturatable manner with Michaelis--Menten constants of 27.7 microM and 257 microM respectively. On the other hand, hOAT1 and hOAT2 did not transport pravastatin. Gemfibrozil and its glucuronide and carboxylic metabolite forms inhibited the uptake of pravastatin by hOAT3 with IC(50) values of 6.8 microM, 19.7 microM and 5.4 microM, respectively. Considering the plasma concentrations of gemfibrozil and its metabolites in humans, the inhibition of hOAT3-mediated pravastatin transport by gemfibrozil and its metabolites would lead to a decrease in the renal clearance of pravastatin in clinical settings.

Mouse homologue of coq7/clk-1, longevity gene in Caenorhabditis elegans, is essential for coenzyme Q synthesis, maintenance of mitochondrial integrity, and neurogenesis.

coq7/clk-1 was isolated from a long-lived mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans, which showed sluggish behavior and an extended life span. Mouse coq7 is homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae coq7/cat5 that is required for biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (CoQ), an essential cofactor in mitochondrial respiration. Here we generated COQ7-deficient mice to investigate the biological role of COQ7 in mammals. COQ7-deficient mouse embryos failed to survive beyond embryonic day 10.5, exhibiting small-sized body and delayed embryogenesis. Morphological studies showed that COQ7-deficient neuroepithelial cells failed to show the radial arrangement in the developing cerebral wall, aborting neurogenesis at E10.5. Electron microscopic analysis further showed the enlarged mitochondria with vesicular cristae and enlarged lysosomes filled with disrupted membranes, which is consistent with mitochondriopathy. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that COQ7-deficient embryos failed to synthesize CoQ(9), but instead yielded demethoxyubiquinone 9 (DMQ(9)). Cultured embryonic cells from COQ7-deficient mice were rescued by adding bovine fetal serum in vitro, but exhibited slowed cell proliferation, which resembled to the phenotype of clk-1 with delayed cell divisions. The result implied the essential role of coq7 in CoQ synthesis, maintenance of mitochondrial integrity, and neurogenesis in mice.

Mouse coq7/clk-1 orthologue rescued slowed rhythmic behavior and extended life span of clk-1 longevity mutant in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The coq7/clk-1 gene was isolated from the long-lived mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans and was suggested to play a regulatory role in biological rhythm and longevity. The mouse COQ7 is homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae COQ7/CAT5 that is required for the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone), an essential messenger in mitochondrial respiration. In the present study, we characterized the expression and processing of mouse COQ7. We found that COQ7 is highly expressed in tissues with high energy demand such as heart, muscle, liver, and kidney in mice. Biochemical analysis revealed that COQ7 is targeted to mitochondria where it is processed to mature form. Transgenic expression of mouse coq7 completely rescued the slowed rhythmic behaviors of clk-1 such as defecation. In life-span analysis, transgenic expression reverted the extended life span of clk-1 to the comparable level with wild-type control. These data strongly suggested that coq7 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of biological rhythms and the determination of life span in mammalian species.

Human liver-specific organic anion transporter, LST-1, mediates uptake of pravastatin by human hepatocytes.

Involvement of LST-1 (a human liver-specific transporter, also called OATP2) as the major transporter in the uptake of pravastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, by human liver was demonstrated. The hepatic uptake of pravastatin evaluated using human hepatocytes was Na(+)-independent and reached saturation with a Michaelis constant (K(m)) of 11.5 +/- 2.2 microM. The uptake of pravastatin was temperature-dependent and was inhibited by estradiol-17beta-D-glucuronide, taurocholic acid, bromosulfophthalein, and simvastatin acid, but not by p-aminohippurate. Estradiol-17beta-D-glucuronide competitively inhibited pravastatin uptake with an inhibition constant comparable to the K(m) value for estradiol-17beta-D-glucuronide transport, indicating that a common transporter mediates the transport of pravastatin and estradiol-17beta-D-glucuronide in human hepatocytes. The results obtained with human hepatocytes agreed with those obtained with LST-1 expressing Xenopus oocytes. Oocytes microinjected with human liver polyadenylated mRNA showed Na(+)-independent uptake of pravastatin and estradiol-17beta-D-glucuronide. A simultaneous injection of LST-1 antisense oligonucleotides completely abolished this uptake. Expression of LST-1 was immunohistochemically demonstrated in the human hepatocytes, but not in Hep G2 cells, which showed very low uptake of pravastatin. Therefore, LST-1 was regarded as a key molecule for pravastatin in liver-specific inhibition of cholesterol synthesis, making pravastatin accessible to the target enzyme, which would otherwise not be inhibited by this hydrophilic drug.

Molecular identification of a rat novel organic anion transporter moat1, which transports prostaglandin D(2), leukotriene C(4), and taurocholate.

We have isolated a rat novel multispecific organic anion transporter, moat1. The isolated clones were originated by alternative splicing of the moat1 mRNA. The nucleotide sequences predict a protein of 682 amino acids with moderate sequence similarity to LST-1, the oatp family, and the prostaglandin transporter. Northern blot analysis of rat moat1 identified a predominant transcript of 4.4 kilonucleotides in all tissues. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses of rat brain further indicated that moat1 mRNA is widely distributed in neuronal cells of the central nervous system, especially in the hippocampus and cerebellum. moat1 transports prostaglandin D(2) (K(m); 35.5 nM), leukotriene C(4) (K(m); 3.2 microM) and taurocholate (K(m); 17.6 microM) in a sodium-independent manner. moat1 also transports prostaglandin E(1), E(2), thromboxane B(2), and iloprost but not dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and digoxin, of which the substrate specificity is similar, but definitively different from those of any other organic anion transporters.

Molecular characterization and functional regulation of a novel rat liver-specific organic anion transporter rlst-1.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently, we isolated a new complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding human liver-specific organic anion transporter (LST-1), representing the multispecificity of human liver. The aim of this study was to isolate a rat counterpart of human LST-1 and examine the expression regulation of its messenger RNA (mRNA) to clarify the molecular basis of cholestasis. METHODS: A rat liver cDNA library was screened with human LST-1 cDNA as a probe. Xenopus oocyte expression system was used for functional analysis. Northern blot analyses were performed using the isolated cDNA (termed rlst-1). The bile duct ligation model and the cecum ligation and puncture model were used for expression analyses. RESULTS: rlst-1 encodes 652 amino acids, predicting at least 11 transmembrane regions. The overall homology with human LST-1 was 60.2%, which is the highest among all known organic anion transporters. rlst-1 also belongs to the same new gene family as human LST-1, located between the organic anion transporter family and the prostaglandin transporter. rlst-1 preferably transports taurocholate (K(m), 9.45 micromol/L) in an Na(+)-independent manner. The rlst-1 mRNA is exclusively expressed in the liver. In both the bile duct ligation model and the cecum ligation and puncture model, mRNA expression levels of rlst-1 were down-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: rlst-1 is a counterpart of human LST-1 and is one of the important transporters in rat liver for the clearance of bile acid. The expression of rlst-1 may be under feedback regulation of cholestasis by biliary obstruction and/or sepsis.

Pravastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, is transported by rat organic anion transporting polypeptide, oatp2.

PURPOSE: We previously demonstrated the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, pravastatin, is actively taken up into isolated rat hepatocytes through multispecific organic anion transporters. The present study examined whether a newly cloned organic anion transporting polypeptide (oatp2) transports pravastatin. METHODS: We investigated functional expression of oatp2 in Xenopus laevis oocytes, to examine [14C] pravastatin uptake. RESULTS: [14C] Pravastatin (30 microM) uptake into oatp2 cRNA-injected oocytes was 40 times higher than that of water-injected control oocytes. The oatp2-mediated pravastatin uptake was Na+-independent and saturable. The Michaelis-Menten constant was 37.5+/-9.9 microM, a level comparable to that obtained in isolated rat hepatocytes in our previous study. As is the case with rat hepatocytes, the uptake of pravastatin (30 microM) was inhibited by 300 microM concentrations of taurocholate, cholate, bromosulfophthalein, estradiol-17beta-glucuronide, and simvastatin acid, but not by para-aminohippurate. On the other hand, [14C] simvastatin acid (30 microM) uptake of oatp2 cRNA-injected oocytes was not significantly different from that of water-injected oocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The cloned oatp2 was identified as the transporter responsible for the active hepatocellular pravastatin uptake.

Identification of a novel gene family encoding human liver-specific organic anion transporter LST-1.

We have isolated a novel liver-specific organic anion transporter, LST-1, that is expressed exclusively in the human, rat, and mouse liver. LST-1 is a new gene family located between the organic anion transporter family and prostaglandin transporter. LST-1 transports taurocholate (Km = 13.6 microM) in a sodium-independent manner. LST-1 also shows broad substrate specificity. It transports conjugated steroids (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol-17beta-glucuronide, and estrone-3-sulfate), eicosanoids (prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2, leukotriene C4, leukotriene E4), and thyroid hormones (thyroxine, Km = 3.0 microM and triiodothyronine, Km = 2.7 microM), reflecting hepatic multispecificity. LST-1 is probably the most important transporter in human liver for clearance of bile acids and organic anions because hepatic levels of another organic anion transporter, OATP, is very low. This is also the first report of the human molecule that transports thyroid hormones.

Immunohistochemical distribution and functional characterization of an organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (oatp2).

The rabbit polyclonal antibody against rat organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (oatp2) was raised and immunoaffinity-purified. Western blot analysis for oatp2 detected two bands ( 74 and 76 kDa) in rat brain and a single band (76 kDa) in the liver. By immunohistochemical analysis, the oatp2 immunoreactivity was specifically high at the basolateral membrane of rat hepatocytes. Functionally, the oatp2-expressing oocytes were found to transport dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, delta1 opioid receptor agonist [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin, Leuenkephalin, and biotin significantly, as well as the substrates previously reported. These data reveal the exact distribution of the rat oatp2 at the protein level in the liver, and that oatp2 appears to be involved in the multispecificity of the uptaking substrates in the liver and brain.

Cellular uptake mechanism for oligonucleotides: involvement of endocytosis in the uptake of phosphodiester oligonucleotides by a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line, HCT-15.

We used a 20-mer antisense oligonucleotide against human MDR1 mRNA to study the mechanism of uptake of oligonucleotides by a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line, HCT-15.5'-end-32P-labeled oligonucleotides were mainly used. The uptake of phosphodiester oligonucleotides (D-oligo) by HCT-15 cells increased with time, but the uptake of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (S-oligo) showed minimal increases with time. HeLa cells showed a 4-fold greater D-oligo uptake than did HCT-15 cells, and other cell lines exhibited a 25-fold lower uptake than did HCT-15 cells. On the other hand, S-oligo uptake varied only severalfold among the cell lines used. Doligo up-take consisted of a saturable component (Michaelis constant K(m) = 0.16 microM and maximal uptake rate Vmax = 4.8 pmol/min/mg for HCT-15 cells and K(m) = 0.21 microM and Vmax = 35.6 pmol/min/mg for HeLa cells), i.e., the difference between the cell types was mainly in Vmax. The uptake of labeled D-oligo was inhibited by unlabeled S-oligo at a much lower concentration (Ki = 0.01 microM) than by unlabeled D-oligo (K(m) = 0.16 microM), although the uptake rate of D-oligo was greater than that of S-oligo. The D-oligo uptake was highly temperature dependent. Of the sulfhydryl-modifying reagents (p-chloromercuriphenyl-sulfonic acid and p-chloromercuribenzoic acid), only p-chloromercuribenzoic acid inhibited D-oligo uptake, suggesting the involvement of a protein whose sulfhydryl residues inside the cell are critical for D-oligo uptake. Chloroquine and monensin, which are known to alter the intracellular fate of ligands and receptors, did not affect D-oligo uptake, but phenylarsine oxide, an inhibitor of internalization processes, inhibited uptake significantly. Down-regulation and recovery of D-oligo uptake induced by excess unlabeled D-oligo pretreatment occurred, but this was only partial. Studies with a digitonin equilibrium method and confocal microscopy indicated that intracellular localization of D-oligo was mainly in a vesicular compartment. More stable 3'-end-32P-labeled oligonucleotides were also used, to compare their uptake characteristics with those of the 5'-end-labeled oligonucleotides. The uptake characteristics for the two labels were similar in terms of saturability, greater D-oligo uptake, compared with S-oligo, and the inhibitory effect of p-chloromercuribenzoic acid; however, the stable 3'-end label showed greater uptake than the 5'-end label. Our findings suggest that D-oligo uptake by HCT-15 cells is mediated by endocytosis involving binding sites on the plasma membrane.

Evaluation of the efficiency of targeting of antitumor drugs: simulation analysis based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic considerations.

Antitumor drugs can be classified into two groups; cell cycle phase nonspecific (type I) and specific (type II) drugs. The cytotoxic activity of type I drugs depends on the time-concentration product (AUC), whereas that of type II drugs is time-dependent. Therefore, not only the AUC in the target organ, but also the exposure time is an important factor for evaluating the efficiency of any delivery system for antitumor drugs. In the present study, we examined the factors governing the cytotoxicity of drugs in tumors based on a hybrid perfusion model. It is suggested that the increase in tumor tissue binding of drug results in an increased unbound drug mean residence time (MRTT,U), leading to the increased activity of type II drugs. In contrast, the cytotoxic activity of type I drugs is unaffected by the alteration in the tissue binding since the intracellular AUC defined for unbound drugs (AUCT,U) is unaffected by the extent of drug binding. We also found that the symmetrical increase in the permeability-surface area products (PS) for drug influx (PSinf) and efflux (PSeff) across the tumor plasma membrane results in the unaltered and reduced antitumor activity for the type I and type II drugs, respectively, due to the unaltered AUCT,U and to the reduced MRTT,U. The kinetic analysis suggests that the increase in PSinf/PSeff ratio results in the increased cytotoxic activity of both type I and type II drugs. Collectively, optimization of the antitumor activity can be attained by increasing the tissue binding for type II drugs and by increasing PSinf and/or by decreasing PSeff type I and type II drugs. The present simulation study was carried out by considering the pharmacodynamic features of antitumor drugs and was a method of predicting how the antitumor activity may change on altering each process (tissue binding and membrane permeability for the influx and efflux processes) which governs the characteristics of drug distribution to tumors.