Transporters in the choroid plexus (CP) regulate transport of numerous compounds of physiological and therapeutic interest between blood and CSF and thus likely play a key role in determining CNS levels of drugs, toxins and metabolites. Here, high CP expression was noted for the organic anion transporters, Oat1 (SLC22A6 or NKT) and Oat3 (SLC22A8) which are also the principal Oats in the renal proximal tubule, as well as SLC22A17, hypothesized to be involved in iron transport. Because Oat1 and Oat3 have overlapping substrate specificity, ex vivo preparations of CP from Oat1((-/-)) and Oat3((-/-)) mice were used to isolate the individual transport function of each, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrganic anion transporter 1 (Oat1), first identified as NKT, is a multispecific transporter responsible for the handling of drugs and toxins in the kidney and choroid plexus, but its normal physiological role appears to be in small molecule metabolite regulation. Metabolites transported by Oat1 and which are altered in the blood and urine of the murine Oat1 knockout, may serve as templates for further drug design. This may lead to better tissue targeting of drugs or design of Oat1 inhibitors that prolong the half-life of current drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUntargeted metabolomics on the plasma and urine from wild-type and organic anion transporter-1 (Oat1/Slc22a6) knockout mice identified a number of physiologically important metabolites, including several not previously linked to Oat1-mediated transport. Several, such as indoxyl sulfate, derive from Phase II metabolism of enteric gut precursors and accumulate in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Other compounds included vitamins (pantothenic acid, 4-pyridoxic acid), urate, and metabolites in the tryptophan and nucleoside pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe organic anion transporters OAT1 (SLC22A6, originally identified by us as NKT) and OAT3 (SLC22A8) are critical for handling many toxins, metabolites, and drugs, including antivirals (Truong, D. M., Kaler, G.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
October 2004
The organic anion and cation transporters (OATs and OCTs) are a large family (SLC22) of transmembrane proteins that are able to transport a variety of compounds including drugs, environmental toxins, and endogenous metabolites. OATs are expressed in various tissues, primarily kidney and liver, but also in placenta, small intestine, and choroid plexus, which are all epithelial tissues that transport xenobiotics. The upper airway, particularly the nose, is also a site of frequent exposure to environmental toxins.
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