Proton pump inhibitors inhibit methotrexate transport by renal basolateral organic anion transporter hOAT3.

The coadministration of methotrexate (MTX) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can result in a pharmacokinetic interaction that delays MTX elimination and subsequently increases the MTX blood concentrations. Human organic anion transporters (hOATs) are responsible for the renal tubular secretion of MTX and are thought to be involved in this drug interaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory potencies of PPIs on hOAT1 and hOAT3, which are the two isoforms of OATs predominantly expressed in kidney proximal tubules. Using stably transfected cell systems that express the uptake transporters human embryonic kidney (HEK)-hOAT1 and HEK-hOAT3, we analyzed the inhibitory potencies of omeprazole, lansoprazole, and pantoprazole on OAT-mediated [(3)H]estrone sulfate (ES), [(3)H]p-aminohippuric acid (PAH), and [(3)H]MTX uptake in vitro. hOAT3 is a high affinity transporter for MTX (Km = 21.17 ± 5.65 µM). Omeprazole, lansoprazole, and pantoprazole inhibited [(3)H]MTX uptake in HEK-hOAT3 cells with an IC50 of 6.8 ± 1.16, 1.14 ± 0.26, and 4.45 ± 1.62 µM, respectively, and inhibited the [(3)H]ES uptake in HEK-hOAT3 cells with an IC50 of 20.59 ± 4.07, 3.96 ± 0.96, and 7.89 ± 2.31 µM, respectively. Furthermore, omeprazole, lansoprazole, and pantoprazole exhibited inhibited PAH uptake on hOAT1 in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 4.32 ± 1.26, 7.58 ± 1.06, and 63.21 ± 4.74 µM, respectively). These in vitro results suggest that PPIs inhibit [(3)H]MTX transport via hOAT3 inhibition, which most likely explains the drug-drug interactions between MTX and PPIs and should be considered for other OATs substrates.

Therapeutic efficiency of everolimus and lapatinib in xenograft model of human colorectal carcinoma with KRAS mutation.

KRAS mutation is a negative predictive prognostic factor during metastatic colorectal cancer treatment with antiepidermal growth factor receptor antibodies. For affected patients, new therapeutics must be explored. Our objective was to study efficacy of two drugs with different mechanisms of action, everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) and lapatinib (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), in a mouse xenograft model. We chose a model obtained after engraftment of a tumor originating from a human tumor collection. The patient was affected by a metastasis colorectal carcinoma resistant to cetuximab with KRAS mutation. From a previous study in mice, we know that everolimus is a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate and that a lapatinib pretreatment increases significantly (2.6-fold) everolimus AUC by inhibiting its intestinal P-gp efflux. We hence tested the effect of these drugs alone or combined. Mice bearing the xenografts were divided in four groups: control, lapatinib, everolimus, and L/E group (L/E: 2 days of lapatinib 200 mg/kg and then 3 days of everolimus 1 mg/kg). Tumor volumes and treatment toxicities were evaluated. Sixteen days after treatment initiation, the group L/E was the first one in which tumor volume average was significantly lower than the one of control group (193 ± 90 vs. 395 ± 171 mm(3) ; P = 0.0025). After 4 weeks of treatment, inhibition of tumor growth in lapatinib, everolimus, and L/E groups reached, respectively, 49, 53, and 57%. Each drug showed significant antitumor activity. Only moderate hematologic toxicity signs were observed. These results lead to new perspectives for new oral drugs in metastatic KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer resistant to standard chemotherapy.

ABCG2- and ABCG4-mediated efflux of amyloid-ß peptide 1-40 at the mouse blood-brain barrier.

The accumulation of amyloid-ß peptide (Aß) in the brain is a critical hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. This high cerebral Aß concentration may be partly caused by impaired clearance of Aß across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1) and the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) are involved in the efflux of Aß across the BBB. We hypothesized that other ABC proteins, such as members of the G subfamily, are also involved in the BBB clearance of Aß. We therefore investigated the roles of ABCG2 (BCRP) and ABCG4 in the efflux of [3H] Aß1-40 from HEK293 cells stably transfected with human ABCG2 or mouse abcg4. We showed that ABCG2 and Abcg4 mediate the cellular efflux of [3H] Aß1-40. In addition, probucol fully inhibited the efflux of [3H] Aß1-40 from HEK293-abcg4 cells. Using the in situ brain perfusion technique, we showed that GF120918 (dual inhibitor of Abcb1 and Abcg2) strongly enhanced the uptake (Clup, µl/g/s) of [3H] Aß1-40 by the brains of Abcb1-deficient mice, but not by the brains of Abcb1/Abcg2-deficient mice, suggesting that Abcg2 is involved in the transport of Aß at the mouse BBB. Perfusing the brains of Abcb1/Abcg2- and Abca1-deficient mice with [3H] Aß1-40 plus probucol significantly increased the Clup of Aß. This suggests that a probucol-sensitive transporter that is different from Abca1, Abcb1, and Abcg2 is involved in the brain efflux of Aß. We suggest that this probucol-sensitive transporter is Abcg4. We conclude that Abcg4 acts in concert with Abcg2 to efflux Aß from the brain across the BBB.

Modulation of endocrine and transport functions in human trophoblasts by saquinavir and nelfinavir.

OBJECTIVES: The distribution of drugs to the maternal-fetal interface is influenced by the expression of various efflux transporters. Among these transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is responsible for the efflux of a great number of drugs such as protease inhibitors of the human immunodeficiency virus, thus reducing the chemical exposure of the fetus. STUDY DESIGN: The effects of saquinavir and nelfinavir were evaluated on human trophoblast functions and integrity by investigating their effect on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion and on P-gp expression and functionality. RESULTS: Nelfinavir significantly reduced hCG secretion by 30% after a 48-h treatment but it had no effect on syncytia formation. Saquinavir had no effect on hCG secretion but significantly increased both expression (to a 2-fold extent) and functionality (by 17.9%) of P-gp, whereas nelfinavir only increased functionality (by 23.1%) with a dissociation of P-gp from caveolin-1. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the effects of saquinavir and nelfinavir differ on trophoblast functions.

Cloning and characterization of a novel isoform of iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1 (DEHAL1) DEHAL1C from human thyroid: comparisons with DEHAL1 and DEHAL1B.

The human iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1 (DEHAL1) gene is composed of six exons. Two isoforms (DEHAL1 and DEHAL1B) have been published in GenBank, both of which have a nitroreductase domain and arise from differential splicing in exon 5. We recently showed that the DEHAL1 isoform is a transmembrane protein that efficiently catalyzes the NADPH-dependent deiodination of mono (L-MIT) and diiodotyrosine (L-DIT) in human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK293) cells. In the present study, we establish the existence of a new transcript, DEHAL1C, in the human thyroid with a terminal exon that lacks in the DEHAL1 transcript. This exon is the complete exon 5, which is spliced in the DEHAL1B mRNA variant. These two variants encode proteins with differing C-terminal domains. Using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we found that the expression of the mRNA of DEHAL1C and DEHAL1B was lower than that of DEHAL1 mRNA in the thyroid. We also observed that human DEHAL1B and DEHAL1C proteins are rapidly degraded in stably transfected HEK293 cells, unlike the DEHAL1 protein, and that exposure to the proteasome inhibitor MG132 resulted in accumulation of these proteins that was markedly time- and concentration-dependent. These findings show that the cytoplasmic tail could play a role in the stability of the protein.

Dual oxidase-2 has an intrinsic Ca2+-dependent H2O2-generating activity.

Duox2 (and probably Duox1) is a glycoflavoprotein involved in thyroid hormone biosynthesis, as the thyroid H2O2 generator functionally associated with Tpo (thyroperoxidase). So far, because of the impairment of maturation and of the targeting process, transfecting DUOX into nonthyroid cell lines has not led to the expression of a functional H2O2-generating system at the plasma membrane. For the first time, we investigated the H2O2-generating activity in the particulate fractions from DUOX2- and DUOX1-transfected HEK293 and Chinese hamster ovary cells. The particulate fractions of these cells stably or transiently transfected with human or porcine DUOX cDNA demonstrate a functional NADPH/Ca2+-dependent H2O2-generating activity. The immature Duox proteins had less activity than pig thyrocyte particulate fractions, and their activity depended on their primary structures. Human Duox2 seemed to be more active than human Duox1 but only half as active as its porcine counterpart. TPO co-transfection produced a slight increase in the enzymatic activity, whereas p22(phox), the 22-kDa subunit of the leukocyte NADPH oxidase, had no effect. In previous studies on the mechanism of H2O2 formation, it was shown that mature thyroid NADPH oxidase does not release O2*- but H2O2. Using a spin-trapping technique combined with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we confirmed this result but also demonstrated that the partially glycosylated form of Duox2, located in the endoplasmic reticulum, generates superoxide in a calcium-dependent manner. These results suggest that post-translational modifications during the maturation process of Duox2 could be implicated in the mechanism of H2O2 formation by favoring intramolecular superoxide dismutation.

Dual oxidase2 is expressed all along the digestive tract.

The dual oxidase (Duox)2 flavoprotein is strongly expressed in the thyroid gland, where it plays a critical role in the synthesis of thyroid hormones by providing thyroperoxidase with H2O2. DUOX2 mRNA was recently detected by RT-PCR and in-situ hybridization experiments in other tissues, such as rat colon and rat and human epithelial cells from the salivary excretory ducts and rectal glands. We examined Duox2 expression at the protein level throughout the porcine digestive tract and in human colon. Western blot analysis identified Duox2 as the same two molecular species (M(r) 165 and 175 kDa) as detected in the thyroid. It was expressed in all the tissues tested, but the highest levels were found in the cecum and sigmoidal colon. Immunohistochemical studies showed that Duox2 protein is mainly present in these parts of the gut and located at the apical membrane of the enterocytes in the brush border, indicating that it is expressed only in highly differentiated cells. A Ca2+/NADPH-dependent H2O2-generating system was associated with Duox2 protein expression, which had the same biochemical characteristics as the NADPH oxidase in the thyroid. Indeed, treatment of the thyroid and cecum particulate fractions with phenylarsine oxide resulted in complete calcium desensitization of both enzymes. A marked increase in DUOX2 expression was also found during spontaneous differentiation of postconfluent Caco-2 cells. The discovery of Duox2 as a novel source of H2O2 in the digestive tract, particularly in the cecum and colon, makes it a new candidate mediator of physiopathological processes.

Iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1 (DEHAL1) is a transmembrane protein involved in the recycling of iodide close to the thyroglobulin iodination site.

In the thyroid, iodotyrosine dehalogenase acts on the mono and diiodotyrosines released during the hydrolysis of thyroglobulin to liberate iodide, which can then reenter the hormone-producing pathways. It has been reported that the deiodination of iodotyrosines occurs predominantly in the microsomes and is mediated by NADPH. Recently, two cDNAs, 7401- and 7513-base pairs long that encode proteins with a conserved nitroreductase domain were published in GenBank as iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1 (DEHAL1) and iodotyrosine dehalogenase 1B (DEHAL1B), respectively. We report here our investigation of the localization and activity of one of these isoforms, DEHAL1. DEHAL1 mRNA is highly expressed in the thyroid, is up-regulated by cAMP, and encodes a transmembrane protein that efficiently catalyzes the NADPH-dependent deiodination of mono (L-MIT) and diiodotyrosine (L-DIT), with greater activity vs. L-MIT. Iodotyrosine deiodinase was active in HEK293 cells transfected by DEHAL1 cDNA, but not in CHO cells. A fraction of DEHAL1 protein is exposed to the cell surface, as indicated by biotinylation experiments. Immunohistochemistry studies showed that DEHAL1 proteins accumulate at the apical pole of thyrocytes. Taken together, these findings indicate that the deiodination reaction occurs at the apical pole of the thyrocyte and is involved in a rapid iodide recycling process at and/or close to the organification site.

Targeting of the dual oxidase 2 N-terminal region to the plasma membrane.

Dual oxidase 2 (Duox2) is a cell surface glycoprotein that probably provides thyroperoxidase with the H2O2 required to catalyze thyroid hormone synthesis. No functional H2O2-generating system has yet been obtained after transfecting Duox2 into non-thyroid cell lines, because it is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We investigated the level of maturation of various Duox2 truncated proteins in an attempt to identify the region of Duox2 responsible for its remaining in the ER. Duox2-Q686X mutant, corresponding to the N-terminal ectodomain including the first putative transmembrane domain, was expressed in different cell lines. Carbohydrate content analysis revealed that complex type-specific Golgi apparatus (GA) oligosaccharides were present on pig Duox2-Q686X, whereas human truncated Duox2 carried only high mannose-type sugar chains characteristic of the ER. Further characterization using surface biotinylation and flow cytometry assays indicated that pig Duox2-Q686X was present at the plasma membrane, whereas human Duox2-Q686X remained inside the cell. The replacement of the last 90 residues of the human Duox2-Q686X with the pig equivalent region allowed the chimerical peptide to reach the Golgi apparatus. Pig mutants containing the complete first intracellular loop with or without the second transmembrane domain accumulated in the ER. These findings show that 1) the human Duox2-Q686X region encompassing residues 596-685 prevents mutant exportation from the ER and 2) there is a pig Duox2 retention domain in the first intracellular loop. In addition, missense mutations of four cysteines (Cys-351, -370, -568, or -582) completely inhibited the emergence of pig Duox2-Q686X from the ER compartment, indicating their importance in Duox2 maturation.

Effect of iodide on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity and Duox2 protein expression in isolated porcine thyroid follicles.

Thyroperoxidase requires H(2)O(2) to catalyze the biosynthesis of thyroxine residues on thyroglobulin. Iodide inhibits the generation of H(2)O(2), and consequently the synthesis of thyroid hormones (Wolff-Chaikoff effect). The H(2)O(2) generator is a calcium-dependent nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase involving the flavoprotein Duox2. NADPH oxidase activity and Duox2 require cAMP to be expressed in pig thyrocytes. We studied the effect of iodide on NADPH oxidase activity, the DUOX2 gene, and Duox2 protein expression in pig thyroid follicles cultured for 48 h with forskolin or a cAMP analog. Iodide inhibited the cellular release of H(2)O(2) and NADPH oxidase activity, effects prevented by methimazole. Northern blot studies showed that iodide did not reduce DUOX2 mRNA levels but did reduce those of TPO and NIS. Western blot analyses using a Duox2-specific antipeptide showed that Duox2 has two N-glycosylation states, which have oligosaccharide motifs accounting for about 15 kDa and 25 kDa, respectively, of the apparent molecular mass. Cyclic AMP increased the amount of the highly glycosylated form of Duox2, an effect antagonized by iodide in a methimazole-dependent manner. These data suggest that an oxidized form of iodide inhibits the H(2)O(2) generator at a posttranscriptional level by reducing the availability of the mature Duox2 protein.

Identification of a truncated dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in two rat thyroid cell lines. Insulin and forskolin regulation of DUOX2 mRNA levels in FRTL-5 cells and porcine thyrocytes.

The Duox2 flavoprotein is strongly expressed in the thyroid gland, where it plays a critical role in the synthesis of thyroid hormones likely by providing thyroperoxidase with H(2)O(2). A truncated DUOX2 mRNA was isolated from the rat thyroid cell line FRTL-5. The cDNA sequence predicted an open reading frame of 1458 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 486 amino acids corresponding to the carboxyl fragment of the Duox2 flavoprotein. The truncated form of DUOX2 mRNA, expressed in another rat thyroid cell line, the PC Cl3 cell line, was absent from Fischer rat thyroid glands. Although it was expressed in both cell lines to a greater extent than normal mRNA, it failed to support protein synthesis in an in vitro translation system. Insulin increased the levels of both normal and truncated DUOX2 mRNA in FRTL-5 cells grown in TSH-free medium containing a low concentration of serum. The stimulating effect of insulin on DUOX2 mRNA expression was reproduced in pig thyroid follicles in primary culture. The presence of insulin in the culture medium converted forskolin from a stimulator to an inhibitor in FRTL-5 cells maintained in low serum conditions, but not in porcine thyrocytes in primary culture.