Investigating ABCB1-Mediated Drug-Drug Interactions: Considerations for In vitro and In vivo Assay Design.

Background: ABCB1 is a key ABC efflux transporter modulating the pharmacokinetics of a large percentage of drugs. ABCB1 is also a site of transporter mediated drug-drug interactions (tDDI). It is the transporter most frequently tested for tDDIs both in vitro and in the clinic.

The use of microdialysis techniques in mice to study P-gp function at the blood-brain barrier.

An integrated assay system involving dual/triple-probe microdialysis techniques in rats was developed earlier for testing interactions with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) at the blood-brain barrier using quinidine/PSC-833 as a P-gp substrate/inhibitor combination. The aim of the present study was to expand our assay system to mice using microdialysis with simultaneous sampling of blood and brain and to compare the result with a primary mouse brain endothelial cell monolayer (pMBMEC) assay. Brain penetration of quinidine was dose dependent in both anesthetized and awake mice after intraperitoneal drug administration.

Synthesis and ABCG2 inhibitory activity of novel fumitremorgin C analogs--specificity and structure activity correlations.

The Ko family of fumitremorgin C analogs are potent and selective ABCG2 inhibitors. However, the most potent Ko compounds carry an ester linkage in their side-chain that makes them chemically and metabolically less stable. We have synthesized 16 tricyclic and 28 tetracyclic novel analogs devoid of ester linkages and tested them for ABCG2 inhibition potency and specificity.

ABCG2 modulates chlorothiazide permeability--in vitro-characterization of its interactions.

We are showing that chlorothiazide, a diuretic, is an ABCG2 substrate. It is a Biopharmaceutics Classification System/Biopharmaceutics Drug Distribution and Classification System (BCS/BDDCS) Class IV drug with low bioavailability. Therefore, we tested if chlorothiazide interacts with major apically located intestinal efflux transporters.

ATP-binding cassette B1 transports seliciclib (R-roscovitine), a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor.

Seliciclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is a promising candidate to treat a variety of cancers. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown high oral bioavailability but limited brain exposure to the drug. This study shows that seliciclib is a high-affinity substrate of ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) because it activates the ATPase activity of the transporter with an EC(50) of 4.

Mouse Bsep ATPase assay: a nonradioactive tool for assessment of the cholestatic potential of drugs.

The mouse ortholog of the human bile salt export pump (BSEP) transporter was expressed in a baculovirus-infected insect cell (Sf9) system to study the effect of membrane cholesterol content on the transporter function. The transport activity of cholesterol-loaded mouse Bsep-HAM-Sf9 vesicles was determined in a vesicular transport assay with taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDC), a known BSEP substrate. Mouse Bsep transports TCDC at a high rate that can be sensitively detected in the ATPase assay.