Biomedical subjects

Per Artursson

Publications and source records attributed to Per Artursson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Identification of cell adhesion molecules in the human follicle-associated epithelium that improve nanoparticle uptake into the Peyer's patches.

The aim of this study was to identify cell adhesion molecules that could serve as targets of the human follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) overlying Peyer's patches and to assess nanoparticle uptake levels across this epithelium. We first studied the expression of the mouse M-cell marker beta(1)-integrin and used a model of human FAE derived from intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and Raji B-cells to identify additional potential targets by cDNA array. The protein expression of potential targets in the model FAE and in human ileal FAE tissues was quantified by immunofluorescence. Integrin targeting was studied by investigating the transport of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-coated (integrin-binding), Arg-Gly-Glu (RGE)-coated (nonintegrin-binding), and uncoated nanoparticles across ileal specimens mounted in Ussing chambers. Both beta(1)-integrin and the cell adhesion molecule CD9 were more abundantly expressed in the model and human FAE compared with the Caco-2 control cells or villus epithelium (VE). Uncoated nanoparticles were not taken up across either FAE or VE. General integrin targeting with RGD improved the nanoparticle transport dramatically across the FAE and to a lower extent across the VE. Compared with RGE, RGD improved transport 4-fold across the FAE. There was no difference in the transport of RGD- and RGE-coated nanoparticles across the VE. In conclusion, beta(1)-integrin and CD9 were identified as targets in human FAE. The difference in RGD- and RGE-mediated transport across the FAE, but not the VE, suggests that a specific integrin interaction was the dominating mechanism for improved nanoparticle uptake across the FAE., whereas charge interaction contributed substantially to the improved VE uptake.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed2006

Targeted gene delivery with trisaccharide-substituted chitosan oligomers in vitro and after lung administration in vivo.

The aim of this study was to improve the gene delivery efficacy of chitosan oligomer polyplexes by introducing a trisaccharide branch that targets cell-surface lectins. For this purpose, chitosan oligomers were substituted by a trisaccharide with the N-acetylglucosamine residue at the free end, and the ability of the trisaccharide-substituted chitosan oligomers (TCO) polyplexes to transfect various cell lines in vitro and lung tissue after in vivo administration to mice was investigated. Live-cell confocal microscopy showed improved cellular uptake in HEK 293 cells (11-fold, p<0.001) for the TCO polyplexes compared with the linear chitosan oligomers. Colloidal stability was also enhanced with the substituted form, which suggests that the trisaccharide branch stabilised the polyplexes by means of a steric stabilisation mechanism. Interestingly, gene expression levels in the human liver hepatocyte (HepG2) cells were 10-fold higher with the TCO polyplexes than those mediated by polyethyleneimine. A similar improvement was obtained in a human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE14o-). Transfection with the TCO was significantly inhibited (by 30-80%), for all the cell lines tested, in the presence of the free trisaccharide branch, confirming lectin-mediated uptake. Finally, in vivo studies showed that, 24 h after lung administration to mice, luciferase gene expression was 4-fold higher with the TCO than with the corresponding linear chitosan oligomers.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Contribution of solid-state properties to the aqueous solubility of drugs.

This study investigates the influence of the solid-state properties melting point (T(m)), enthalpy of melting (DeltaH(m)) and entropy of melting (DeltaS(m)) of a drug on its intrinsic solubility (S(0)). For this purpose, 26 chemically and structurally diverse drugs covering the oral drug space were selected and the S(0), T(m), DeltaH(m) and DeltaS(m) were determined experimentally. The influence of T(m), DeltaH(m) and DeltaS(m) on S(0) was studied using regression analysis. The overall improvement of the predictions were 0.3 log units, however, five compounds (astemizole, glyburide, fenbufen, gliclazide and griseofulvin) were improved by more than one log unit. T(m) and DeltaH(m) had a larger effect than DeltaS(m) on the solubility predictions. The well-known general solubility equation (GSE) and the Dannenfelser semi-empirical equation for the calculation of DeltaS(m) were evaluated using our data set. While predictions of drug solubility obtained using the GSE were acceptable, the use of the experimental DeltaS(m) values instead of the constant 56.5 J mol(-1)K(-1) improved the accuracy of the prediction. The Dannenfelser equation underestimated the DeltaS(m) for most compounds with on average 15 J mol(-1)K(-1). Our results show that solid-state properties should be considered for improved performance of future models for prediction of drug solubility. In addition our study provides accurate experimental data on intrinsic solubility for 26 compounds, supplying a useful external data set for validation of drug solubility models.

Entropy↗

PubMed2006

Predominant contribution of organic anion transporting polypeptide OATP-B (OATP2B1) to apical uptake of estrone-3-sulfate by human intestinal Caco-2 cells.

Human organic anion transporting polypeptide OATP-B (OATP2B1) is a pH-sensitive transporter expressed in the apical membranes of small intestinal epithelial cells. In this study, we have examined the contribution of OATP-B to the uptake of [3H]estrone-3-sulfate in Caco-2 cells in comparison with those of its homologs OATP-D (OATP3A1) and OATP-E (OATP4A1). Immunocytochemical study revealed that OATP-B is expressed in the apical membranes of Caco-2 cells. The uptake of [3H]estrone-3-sulfate by Caco-2 cells was Na+-independent and inhibited by several organic anions. It showed biphasic saturation kinetics with Km values of 1.81 microM and 1.40 mM. The uptake of [3H]estrone-3-sulfate by human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably expressing OATP-B (HEK293/OATP-B) was also Na+-independent and inhibited by several organic anions. The Km value for estrone-3-sulfate uptake by OATP-B (1.56 microM) was close to that for the high-affinity component observed in Caco-2 cells. The mRNA expression level of OATP-B was higher than that of OATP-D or OATP-E in Caco-2 cells and in human jejunum biopsies from healthy volunteers. The values of [3H]estrone-3-sulfate uptake normalized to OATP-B mRNA expression were similar in Caco-2 cells and HEK293/OATP-B cells. The specific activity of OATP-B per mRNA expression was much higher than that of OATP-D and OATP-E. [3H]Estrone-3-sulfate uptake by membrane vesicles prepared from HEK293/OATP-B cells exhibited an overshoot phenomenon in the presence of an inwardly directed H+ gradient, suggesting that an H+ gradient is the driving force of estrone-3-sulfate transport by OATP-B. These results suggest that OATP-B is predominantly responsible for the apical uptake of estrone-3-sulfate in Caco-2 cells.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Regional levels of drug transporters along the human intestinal tract: co-expression of ABC and SLC transporters and comparison with Caco-2 cells.

A vast number of drugs are subjected to active or facilitated transport and multiple transport mechanism may contribute to the net flux during drug absorption. The main objective of this study was to quantify the regional mRNA expression and determine the co-expression of drug transporters from the ABC (Pgp, BCRP, MRP2, MRP3) and SLC (PEPT1, MCT1, OATPB, OCTN2, OCT1) families along the human intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon). A second objective was to compare the transporter expression between the different intestinal regions and Caco-2 cells. Eight out of nine of the investigated transporters exhibited significant regional differences in expression. OATPB was the only transporter that did not show a region-dependency in the expression along the human intestinal canal. The expression of Pgp, BCRP, OCTN2 and MCT1 differed along the small intestine, but the expression differences were greater than five-fold only for Pgp. The rank order of transcript prevalence was identical in the ileum and the jejunum. Between the ileum and colon, seven transcripts were differentially expressed, and MCT1, OCTN2 and MRP3 were expressed at higher levels in the colon than in the small intestine. The expression of transporters in Caco-2 was closest to the expression pattern in the small intestine, although the expression of OATPB, BCRP and MRP2 differed more than five-fold between the Caco-2 cells and ileum. In conclusion, this study provides quantitative data on the expression of transporters from the ABC and SLC families along the human intestine, which can be useful in the interpretation of clinical studies where more than one intestinal transporter contribute to the net transport and in the computer modelling of drug absorption.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

PubMed2006

Gene expression profiles in mouse lung tissue after administration of two cationic polymers used for nonviral gene delivery.

PURPOSE: This study compared gene expression profiles in mouse lungs after administration of the cationic polymers polyethyleneimine (PEI) or chitosan alone or formulated with a luciferase reporter plasmid (PEI-pLuc, chitosan-pLuc). METHODS: The polymers and formulations were administered intratracheally to Balb/c mice at doses judged to be nontoxic according to intracellular dehydrogenase activity and tissue morphology. RNA was isolated from the lungs 24 or 72 h after administration, and a dedicated stress and toxicology cDNA array was used to monitor the in vivo response to the gene delivery system in the lung tissue. RESULTS: The gene expression profiles differed between the PEI and chitosan groups with regard to both the total number and the type of expressed genes. Chitosan-pLuc upregulated genes that protect the cell from oxidative stress and inflammation, such as heme oxygenase-1 and catalase, whereas PEI-pLuc upregulated genes involved in inflammatory processes, such as the cyclooxygenases 1 and 2, indicating possible involvement in the development of adverse reactions. However, both polymers activated genes involved in reaction to stress, such as DNA damage repair. Furthermore, in the PEI group, chaperone genes and members of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway were also upregulated, suggesting a possible explanation for the better performance of PEI in gene delivery systems. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that gene expression profiling is a useful and sensitive tool for the evaluation of tissue responses after administration of polymers or gene delivery systems. The results also suggest a possible explanation for the differences in gene delivery performance between the two polymers in gene delivery systems.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Impact of extracellular protein binding on passive and active drug transport across Caco-2 cells.

AIM: The objective of the study is to evaluate the mechanism behind alterations in passive and active transport of drugs in the presence of basolaterally applied extracellular protein using the Caco-2 cell model. METHODS: The permeation across Caco-2 monolayers of two groups of compounds, transported either solely by passive diffusion or partly also by active transport in the secretory direction, was studied at two donor concentrations in the absence or presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA, 0-4%). Each group contained compounds with high or low protein binding (PB) capabilities and high or low absorption in humans (fraction absorbed, f(a)). The unbound fraction (f(u)) of each compound was determined by ultrafiltration. RESULTS: The transport rate of the passively permeating compounds was the same in both apical-to-basolateral (absorptive) and basolateral-to-apical (secretory) directions in the absence of BSA. Basolaterally applied BSA increased the transport rate in the absorptive direction and decreased it in the secretory direction for all compounds, in direct proportion to the extent of PB. The efflux ratios for the actively transported compounds were reduced in the presence of BSA. CONCLUSIONS: Basolaterally applied BSA, which mimics in vivo PB, alters both passive and active drug transport in the Caco-2 cell model. Using C(u) in the calculations of transport rate allowed elucidation of the different mechanisms behind these alterations. Our data also suggest that active secretory transport for highly protein-bound compounds might have less effect in vivo than predicted from traditional Caco-2 cell models (without BSA).

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

Characterization of antigen and bacterial transport in the follicle-associated epithelium of human ileum.

The follicle-associated epithelium (FAE), covering Peyer's patches, provides a route of entry for antigens and microorganisms. Animal studies showed enhanced antigen and bacterial uptake in FAE, but no study on barrier function of human FAE has been reported. Our aim was to characterize the normal barrier properties of human FAE. Specimens of normal ileum were taken from 30 patients with noninflammatory colonic disease. Villus epithelium (VE) and FAE were identified and mounted in Ussing chambers. Permeability to 51Cr-EDTA, transmucosal flux of the protein antigen, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and transport of fluorescent Escherichia coli (chemically killed K-12 and live HB101) were measured. Uptake mechanisms were studied by confocal- and transmission electron microscopy, and by using pharmacological inhibitors in an in vitro coculture model of FAE and in human ileal FAE. HRP flux was substantially higher in FAE than in VE, and was reduced by an amiloride analog. Electron microscopy showed HRP-containing endosomes. Transport of E. coli K-12 and HB101 was also augmented in FAE and was confirmed by confocal microscopy. In vitro coculture experiments and electron microscopy revealed actin-dependent, mainly transcellular, uptake of E. coli K-12 into FAE. 51Cr-EDTA permeability was equal in FAE and VE. Augmented HRP flux and bacterial uptake but similar paracellular permeability, suggest functional variations of transcellular transport in the FAE. We show for the first time that FAE of human ileum is functionally distinct from regular VE, rendering the FAE more prone to bacterial-epithelial cell interactions and delivery of antigens to the mucosal immune system.

Actins↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of surface-modified nanoparticles for in vivo biointeraction. A sedimentation field flow fractionation study.

Sedimentation field flow fractionation (SdFFF) is an emerging high-performance analytical tool for separation and determination of size and adsorption characteristics of colloidal particles. This study demonstrates how SdFFF can be used to characterize nanoparticles prepared for in vivo applications including (1) the quantification of polymer uptake on nanoparticles where surface coverage is crucial and (2) the coupling of cell adhesive peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp motif (RGD). Quantitative information about polymer adhesion in order to prepare a bioinert surface and an accurate determination of ligand uptake are both of obvious importance for the understanding of, for example, relations between the number of attached molecules for biointeraction and an observed therapeutic effect. In addition, the present work highlights the necessity to perform careful characterization of commercially available particulate starting materials, in terms of size and polydispersity, prior to biological experimentation.

Fractionation, Field Flow↗

PubMed2005

pH-Dependent passive and active transport of acidic drugs across Caco-2 cell monolayers.

The aim of this study was to investigate pH-dependent passive and active transport of acidic drugs across Caco-2 cells. Therefore, the bidirectional pH-dependent transport of two acidic drugs, indomethacin and salicylic acid, across Caco-2 cells was studied in the physiological pH range of the gastrointestinal tract. The transport of both drugs decreased with increased pH, as expected from the pH-partition hypothesis. Net absorption occurred when the basolateral pH exceeded the apical pH. Concentration dependence and transporter inhibition studies indicated passive transport for indomethacin and a mixture of pH-dependent passive and active influx for salicylic acid. Unexpectedly, active and passive drug transport results were indistinguishable in temperature dependency studies. The transport of salicylic acid (apical pH 5.0; basolateral pH 7.4) was partly blocked by inhibitors of the proton-dependent transporters MCT1 (SLC16A1) and OATP-B (SLC21A9, SLCO2B1). This study shows that the asymmetry in bidirectional transport of acidic drugs is affected by both passive and active components in the presence of pH gradients across Caco-2 cells. Thus, combined studies of concentration-dependency and transport-inhibition are preferred when acidic drug transport is studied in a pH gradient. The findings of this in vitro study can be extrapolated to in vivo situations involving an acidic microclimate.

Biological Transport, Active↗

PubMed2005

Exploring the role of different drug transport routes in permeability screening.

The influence of different drug transport routes in intestinal drug permeability screening assays was studied. Three experimental models were compared: the small-intestine-like 2/4/A1 cell model, which has a leaky paracellular pathway, the Caco-2 cell model, which has a tighter paracellular pathway, and artificial hexadecane membranes (HDMs), which exclusively model the passive transcellular pathway. The models were investigated regarding their ability to divide passively and actively transported compounds into two permeability classes and to rank compounds according to human intestinal absorption. In silico permeability models based on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) molecular descriptors were also developed and validated using external test sets. The cell-based models classified 80% of the acceptably absorbed compounds (FA >/= 30%) correctly, compared to 60% correct classifications using the HDM model. The best compound ranking was obtained with 2/4/A1 (r(s) = 0.74; r(s) = 0.95 after removing actively transported outliers). The in silico model based on 2/4/A1 permeability gave results of similar quality to those obtained when using experimental permeability, and it was also better than the experimental HDM model at compound ranking (r(s) = 0.85 and 0.47, respectively). We conclude that the paracellular transport pathway present in the cell models plays a significant role in models used for intestinal permeability screening and that 2/4/A1 in vitro and in silico models are promising alternatives for drug discovery permeability screening.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2005

Caco-2 permeability of weakly basic drugs predicted with the double-sink PAMPA pKa(flux) method.

The aim of this study was to analyze pH-dependent permeability of cationic drugs in Caco-2 cell monolayers using the pK(a)(flux) method and to correlate the results with those obtained in PAMPA (parallel artificial membrane permeability assay). The pH-dependent permeability of verapamil and propranolol was studied in Caco-2 cell monolayers. The data were subsequently processed using software developed for the PAMPA pK(a)(flux) method. Literature values for an additional nine cationic drugs were also analyzed. Double-Sink PAMPA data were also obtained for the same cationic drugs, to compare with the Caco-2 data. The Algorithm Builder program was then used to develop a predictive model of Caco-2 permeability based on PAMPA permeability and calculated Abraham molecular descriptors. From the relationship between permeability and pH it was shown that in PAMPA only the uncharged form of the drugs permeated across the membrane barrier, while charged and ionized forms of the drugs were significantly permeable in Caco-2. The charged-form permeability, P(i), was therefore determined and subsequently subtracted from all permeability coefficients in Caco-2 prior to the comparison with PAMPA. The resulting intrinsic permeability coefficients (P(o)) obtained in Caco-2 were successfully related to those derived from the PAMPA model. In this study we have shown that permeability coefficients obtained in PAMPA can predict the passive transcellular permeability in Caco-2.

Caco-2 Cells↗

PubMed2005

A miniaturized nebulization catheter for improved gene delivery to the mouse lung.

BACKGROUND: The available methods for administration of gene delivery systems to the lungs of small animals via nebulization have several drawbacks. These include lack of control over the delivered dose and a negative impact on the stability of the formulation. This paper describes a new nebulization catheter device for the administration of plasmid-based gene delivery systems (polyplexes) as aerosols to the mouse lung in vivo. METHODS: The physical stability of naked pDNA and polyplexes formulated with chitosan oligomers and PEI was examined following nebulization with the catheter device. We also examined the in vitro transfection efficiency of the polyplexes recovered after nebulization. Lung distribution and gene expression after administration of the selected gene delivery systems to the mouse lung were also investigated. RESULTS: In contrast to previously described nebulization methods, the structural integrity of the unprotected naked pDNA was maintained following nebulization by the catheter device, which indicates relatively mild nebulization conditions. In addition, the nebulization procedure did not affect the physical stability of the formulated polyplexes. Small volumes of the pDNA aerosol (10-20 microl) were delivered in a highly controlled and reproducible manner. The aerosol droplet size varied with the molecular weight of the polycations. Aerosol delivery via this method resulted in improved lung distribution of pDNA polyplexes and a six-fold increase in the efficiency of gene delivery in vivo over that seen with the commonly used intratracheal instillation method. CONCLUSION: The use of the nebulization catheter device provides a promising alternative for aerosol gene delivery to the mouse lung.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed2005

Orally active antiviral tripeptide glycyl-prolyl-glycinamide is activated by CD26 (dipeptidyl peptidase IV) before transport across the intestinal epithelium.

The tripeptide amide glycyl-prolyl-glycinamide (GPG-amide) is a new antiretroviral drug candidate, but its absorption mechanism is unknown. In this investigation, the transport and metabolism of GPG-amide were studied in a model of the human intestinal epithelium, Caco-2 cell monolayers. The results show that when the tripeptide amide came into contact with the apical enterocyte membrane, it was degraded by CD26 (dipeptidyl peptidase IV) to glycylproline and the antiretrovirally active metabolite glycinamide. Glycinamide retained antiretroviral activity in vitro after transport through the Caco-2 cell monolayers. The transport of glycinamide across Caco-2 cell monolayers occurred via passive diffusion with an apparent permeability coefficient of about 2 x 10(-6) cm s(-1), which suggests that it is absorbed by the oral route in sufficient amounts to be considered for oral administration. In conclusion, the tripeptide GPG-amide acts as a prodrug that is activated by CD26 to release the orally active antiretroviral compound glycinamide.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2004

Association between the number of coadministered P-glycoprotein inhibitors and serum digoxin levels in patients on therapeutic drug monitoring.

BACKGROUND: The ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is recognized as a site for drug-drug interactions and provides a mechanistic explanation for clinically relevant pharmacokinetic interactions with digoxin. The question of whether several P-gp inhibitors may have additive effects has not yet been addressed. METHODS: We evaluated the effects on serum concentrations of digoxin (S-digoxin) in 618 patients undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring. P-gp inhibitors were classified as Class I, with a known effect on digoxin kinetics, or Class II, showing inhibition in vitro but no documented effect on digoxin kinetics in humans. Mean S-digoxin values were compared between groups of patients with different numbers of coadministered P-gp inhibitors by a univariate and a multivariate model, including the potential covariates age, sex, digoxin dose and total number of prescribed drugs. RESULTS: A large proportion (47%) of the digoxin patients undergoing therapeutic drug monitoring had one or more P-gp inhibitor prescribed. In both univariate and multivariate analysis, S-digoxin increased in a stepwise fashion according to the number of coadministered P-gp inhibitors (all P values < 0.01 compared with no P-gp inhibitor). In multivariate analysis, S-digoxin levels were 1.26 +/- 0.04, 1.51 +/- 0.05, 1.59 +/- 0.08 and 2.00 +/- 0.25 nmol/L for zero, one, two and three P-gp inhibitors, respectively. The results were even more pronounced when we analyzed only Class I P-gp inhibitors (1.65 +/- 0.07 for one and 1.83 +/- 0.07 nmol/L for two). CONCLUSIONS: Polypharmacy may lead to multiple drug-drug interactions at the same site, in this case P-gp. The S-digoxin levels increased in a stepwise fashion with an increasing number of coadministered P-gp inhibitors in patients taking P-gp inhibitors and digoxin concomitantly. As coadministration of digoxin and P-gp inhibitors is common, it is important to increase awareness about P-gp interactions among prescribing clinicians.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

PubMed2004

Contribution of the paracellular route to the pH-dependent epithelial permeability to cationic drugs.

The aim of this work was to investigate the contribution of the paracellular route to the pH-dependent permeability to cationic drugs in three models expressing different drug permeabilities: hexadecane membranes (HDMs), Caco-2, and 2/4/A1 cell monolayers. The high- and low-permeability drugs alfentanil and cimetidine were used as model drugs. The paracellular permeability was calculated: 1. from the assumption that the ionized form (P(mi)) permeates a cell monolayer only by the paracellular route, and 2. on basis of the pore-restricted diffusion. For both drugs, sigmoidal relationships between membrane permeability and pH were observed in all models. The P(mi) was in excellent agreement with the paracellular permeability of cimetidine in the two cell models, whereas no significant P(mi) of the drugs could be observed in HDM. The results showed that the paracellular route has a significant role in the permeability of small basic hydrophilic drugs, such as cimetidine in leaky, small intestinal-like epithelia such as 2/4/A1. By contrast, in tighter epithelia such as Caco-2 and in artificial membranes such as HDM, the permeability of the ionized forms of the drugs and the paracellular permeability are lower or insignificant, respectively. These findings will have implications in the experimental design and data interpretation of pH-dependent drug transport experiments in cell culture models as well as in artificial membrane models such as HDM and parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA).

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2004

Accuracy of calculated pH-dependent aqueous drug solubility.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the extent to which the Henderson-Hasselbalch (HH) relationship can be used to predict the pH-dependent aqueous solubility of cationic drugs. The pH-dependent solubility for 25 amines, carrying a single positive charge, was determined with a small-scale shake flask method. Each sample was prepared as a suspension in 150 mM phosphate buffer. The pH-dependent solubility curves were obtained using at least 10 different pH values. The intrinsic solubility, the solubility at the pKa and the solubility at pH values reflecting the pH of the bulk and acid microclimate in the human small intestine (pH 7.4 and 6.5, respectively) were determined for all compounds. The experimental study revealed a large diversity in slope, from -0.5 (celiprolol) to -8.6 (hydralazine) in the linear pH-dependent solubility interval, which is in sharp contrast to the slope of -1 assumed by the HH equation. In addition, a large variation in the range of solubility between the completely uncharged and completely charged drug species was observed. The range for disopyramide was only 1.1 log units, whereas that for amiodarone was greater than 6.3 log units, pointing at the compound specific response to counter-ion effects. In conclusion, the investigated cationic drugs displayed compound specific pH-dependent solubility profiles, indicating that that the HH equation in many cases will only give rough estimations of the pH-dependent solubility of drugs in divalent buffer systems.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗

PubMed2004

Exploring the quantitative relationship between the level of MDR1 transcript, protein and function using digoxin as a marker of MDR1-dependent drug efflux activity.

A limited number of gene expression studies have investigated the quantitative relationships between the amount of transcript, level of protein or activity/function, with disparate conclusions regarding these relationships. Collectively these studies indicate that the relevance of quantitative transcript analysis as a predictor of phenotype has to be evaluated on a gene-by-gene or even a case-by-case basis. The purpose of this study was to define a suitable marker for MDR1-dependent drug efflux, and to quantitatively investigate the relationships between the amount of transcript, protein and drug efflux in the frequently used Caco-2 cell model. The substrate specificity of digoxin, a commonly used marker for MDR1, was investigated using transgenic MDCK II or LLC-PK1 cell lines expressing the efflux proteins MDR1, BCRP and MRP2, since these proteins are localised to the apical part of the enterocyte plasma membrane and exhibit comparatively high transcript levels in the human small intestine. Relationships between levels of transcript, protein and function were investigated quantitatively using real-time RT-PCR, ECL western blot analysis and basolateral-to-apical and apical-to-basolateral efflux ratios. Our results indicate that digoxin is a specific marker for MDR1-dependent drug efflux in the Caco-2 cell drug absorption model and that MDR1 transcript abundance is at least as valid as MDR1 protein abundance as a predictor of MDR1 efflux activity.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗