Assessment of intestinal availability (FG) of substrate drugs of cytochrome p450s by analyzing changes in pharmacokinetic properties caused by drug-drug interactions.

In this study, we developed the drug-drug interaction (DDI) method as a new assessment technique of intestinal availability (F(G), the fraction of drug transferred from the intestinal enterocytes into the liver, escaping from intestinal metabolism) based on the clearance theory. This method evaluates F(G) from changes caused by DDIs in the area under the blood concentration-time curve and in the elimination half-life of victim drugs. Application of the DDI method to data from the literature revealed that the mean and S.D. of F(G) values for 20 substrate drugs of CYP3A was 0.56 ± 0.29, whereas that for 8 substrate drugs of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2D6 was 0.86 ± 0.11. These results were consistent with the fact that intestinal metabolism is mediated predominantly by CYP3A. The DDI method showed reasonable correlations with the conventional i.v./p.o. method and the grape fruit juice (GFJ) method (coefficients of determination of 0.41 and 0.81, respectively). The i.v./p.o. method was more susceptible to fluctuations in the hepatic blood flow rate compared with the DDI and GFJ methods. The DDI method evaluates F(G) separating from the absorption ratio (F(A)) although it requires approximation of F(A). Since preciseness of approximation of F(A) does not greatly affect the evaluation of F(G) by the DDI method, we proposed a reasonable approximation method of F(A) for the evaluation of F(G) in the DDI method. The DDI method would be applicable to a broad range of situations in which various DDI data are utilizable.

Integrated Use of In Vitro and In Vivo Information for Comprehensive Prediction of Drug Interactions Due to Inhibition of Multiple CYP Isoenzymes.

BACKGROUND: Mechanistic static pharmacokinetic (MSPK) models are simple, have fewer data requirements, and have broader applicability; however, they cannot use in vitro information and cannot distinguish the contributions of multiple cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes and the hepatic and intestinal first-pass effects appropriately. We aimed to establish a new MSPK analysis framework for the comprehensive prediction of drug interactions (DIs) to overcome these disadvantages. METHODS: Drug interactions that occurred by inhibiting CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A in the liver and CYP3A in the intestine were simultaneously analyzed for 59 substrates and 35 inhibitors. As in vivo information, the observed changes in the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and elimination half-life (t1/2), hepatic availability, and urinary excretion ratio were used. As in vitro information, the fraction metabolized (fm) and the inhibition constant (Ki) were used. The contribution ratio (CR) and inhibition ratio (IR) for multiple clearance pathways and hypothetical volume (VHyp) were inferred using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. RESULT: Using in vivo information from 239 combinations and in vitro 172 fm and 344 Ki values, changes in AUC, and t1/2 were estimated for all 2065 combinations, wherein the AUC was estimated to be more than doubled for 602 combinations. Intake-dependent selective intestinal CYP3A inhibition by grapefruit juice has been suggested. By separating the intestinal contributions, DIs after intravenous dosing were also appropriately inferred. CONCLUSION: This framework would be a powerful tool for the reasonable management of various DIs based on all available in vitro and in vivo information.

FIC1-mediated stimulation of FXR activity is decreased with PFIC1 mutations in HepG2 cells.

PURPOSE: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1) is a specific form of genetic cholestasis caused by functional defects in FIC1/ATP8B1. Although the way FIC1 deficiency leads to PFIC1 remains unclear, some reports suggest that the loss of FIC1 function results in decreased activity of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in PFIC1 patients. In this study, in order to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of PFIC1, we constructed an experimental system for the evaluation of FIC1-mediated stimulatory effects on FXR activity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Luciferase assays revealed that FIC1 expression increased FXR-dependent transcription and that the effects of three PFIC1 mutants (G308V, T456M and D554N) were smaller than that of wild-type FIC1. In addition, the PFIC1 mutants could not locate to the plasma membrane even in the presence of CDC50A, which brings wild-type FIC1 to the plasma membrane. The results of coprecipitation assays suggested a defect in the ability of the PFIC1 mutants to interact with CDC50A. Furthermore, it was revealed that the expression of CDC50A elevated the FIC1-mediated transcriptional stimulation when coexpressed with wild-type FIC1, but not with mutated FIC1. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the PFIC1 mutants have a lower stimulatory effect on FXR activity and cannot interact with CDC50A, which may lead to the development of the features of PFIC1.

LXR alpha transactivates mouse organic solute transporter alpha and beta via IR-1 elements shared with FXR.

PURPOSE: Recently identified organic solute transporter (Ost) alpha and beta are located on the basolateral membrane of enterocytes and may be responsible for the intestinal absorption of many substrates including bile acids. In the present study, the mechanism governing the transcriptional regulation of their expression was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: To clarify the transcriptional regulation of Osts, reporter gene assays were performed using mouse Ostalpha/beta promoter-luciferase reporter constructs. Co-transfection of the constructs with farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) or liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha) and RXRalpha into Caco-2 cells induced the transcriptional activities of both Ost alpha and beta and further increases were observed following treatment with each agonist. Sequence analyses indicated the presence of IR-1 regions in Ostalpha and Ostbeta promoters, which was confirmed by the finding that the deletion of IR-1 sequences abolished the response to FXR and LXRalpha. Furthermore, mutations in IR-1 reduced the FXR- and LXRalpha-dependent transactivation of Ostalpha/beta. Together with the detection of direct binding of FXR/RXRalpha and LXRalpha/RXRalpha to the IR-1 elements, the presence of functional FXRE/LXRE was revealed in the promoter region of both Ostalpha and Ostbeta. In addition, the stimulatory effect of FXR/RXRalpha and LXRalpha/RXRalpha on Ostalpha, but not on Ostbeta, was further enhanced by HNF-4alpha. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that LXRalpha/RXRalpha transcriptionally regulate mouse Ostalpha/beta via IR-1 elements shared with FXR/RXRalpha. Exposure to FXR/LXRalpha modulators may affect the disposition of Ostalpha/beta substrates.