Overlap and Specificity in the Substrate Spectra of Human Monoamine Transporters and Organic Cation Transporters 1, 2, and 3

Human monoamine transporters (MATs) are cation transporters critically involved in neuronal signal transmission. While inhibitors of MATs have been intensively studied, their substrate spectra have received far less attention. Polyspecific organic cation transporters (OCTs), predominantly known for their role in hepatic and renal drug elimination, are also expressed in the central nervous system and might modulate monoaminergic signaling. Using HEK293 cells overexpressing MATs or OCTs, we compared uptake of 48 compounds, mainly phenethylamine and tryptamine derivatives including matched molecular pairs, across noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin transporters and OCTs (1, 2, and 3). Generally, MATs showed surprisingly high transport activities for numerous analogs of neurotransmitters, but their substrate spectra were limited by molar mass. Human OCT2 showed the broadest substrate spectrum, and also the highest overlap with MATs substrates. Comparative kinetic analyses revealed that the radiotracer meta-iodobenzylguanidine had the most balanced uptake across all six transporters. Matched molecular pair analyses comparing MAT and OCT uptake using the same methodology could provide a better understanding of structural determinants for high cell uptake by MATs or OCTs. The data may result in a better understanding of pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics of small molecular organic cations and, possibly, in the development of more specific radiotracers for MATs.

Survey on request form content and result reporting in therapeutic drug monitoring service among laboratories in Czechia and Slovakia

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate current practice and policies of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) service requesting and result reporting in Czechia and Slovakia. Materials and methods: All 149 laboratories that measure plasma drug concentrations were given an online questionnaire during a regular external quality assessment TDM cycle. The questionnaire consisted of 17 questions. The optimal TDM practice was defined as the application of all elements (age, body weight, time of sampling, date of the first administration, time of the last dose administration, the dose, the dosing interval, the route of administration, information on reason of testing, and information on other co–administered drugs) needed for reporting a recommendation for further drug dosing (positive response to question number 16). Results: The response rate was 69%, 103 out of 149 laboratories measuring drug concentrations. Only 12% (12 out of 103 laboratories) of the laboratories implemented all elements needed for optimal TDM practice and reported a recommendation. Both paper and electronic request forms were used by 77 out of 103 (75%) laboratories. A total of 69 out of 103 laboratories (67%) specified the type of sampling tube on their request form. Cystatin C was used for prediction of renal drug elimination by 24% (25 out of 103) of participants. Conclusions: Small number of laboratories implemented all elements needed for optimal TDM practice and report a recommendation on further dosing. Further efforts in education on optimal TDM practice as well as harmonization of service are desirable.

P27 The juvenile pig as animal model for unraveling renal drug elimination processes in children

BackgroundOver the years pigs were promoted as potential animal model for humans due to their high degree of anatomical and physiological similarities with humans. Gasthuys et al. demonstrated that the maturation of the kidney function in terms of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in growing pigs was comparable to humans, but no data are currently available on renal plasma flow, renal tubular secretion and reabsorption.1 The aim of this pilot study was to unravel the contribution of distinct renal elimination processes in juvenile pigs and to compare with reported human values.MethodsEight seven-week-old pigs were intravenously administered a single bolus of a cocktail of following renal markers: iohexol (64.7 mg/kg body weight (BW), GFR), para-aminohippuric acid (PAH, 10 mg/kg BW, effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and anion secretion), pindolol (0.05 mg/kg BW, cation secretion) and fluconazole (0.5 mg/kg, tubular reabsorption). Plasma and urinary concentrations were determined for PAH, pindolol and fluconazole at several time points. Only plasma concentrations were assessed for iohexol. PK modelling was performed with Phoenix® WinNonlin®.ResultsThe clearance of iohexol was 97.9 ± 16.1 ml/min/m² (mean ± SD). The ERPF, calculated as the renal clearance of PAH, was 9.5 ± 2.1 ml/min/kg. These GFR and ERPF values are approximately a factor 1.3 higher than the values observed in humans, namely 63.5–75.0 mL/min/m² and 6.5 ± 2.0 mL/min/kg.2,3 The net tubular secretion of PAH was 5.4 ± 1.8 mL/min/kg, which was comparable with the values obtained in humans (5.0 ± 1.8 mL/min/kg).3 Results for cation secretion and tubular reabsorption are not yet available (to be presented at the congress).ConclusionThe net tubular secretion of PAH was comparable between the juvenile pigs and humans. The GFR and ERPF were generally a factor 1.3 higher in juvenile pigs compared to humans.ReferencesGasthuys E., et al., Postnatal maturation of the glomerular filtration rate in conventional growing piglets as potential juvenile animal model for preclinical pharmaceutical research. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2017. 8.Schwartz GJ, Furth SL. Glomerular filtration rate measurement and estimation in chronic kidney disease. Pediatric Nephrology 2007;22(11):1839–1848.Gross AS, et al., Simultaneous administration of a cocktail of markers to measure renal drug elimination pathways: absence of a pharmacokinetic interaction between fluconazole and sinistrin, p-aminohippuric acid and pindolol. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2001. 51(6):547–555.Disclosure(s)This study was funded by the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (BOF16/DOC/285).

IL-1 receptor blockade alleviates endotoxin-mediated impairment of renal drug excretory functions in rats

The aim of our study was to investigate whether two potent anti-inflammatory agents, dexamethasone and anakinra, an IL-1 receptor antagonist, may influence acute kidney injury (AKI) and associated drug excretory functions during endotoxemia (LPS) in rats. Ten hours after LPS administration, untreated endotoxemic rats developed typical symptoms of AKI, with reduced GFR, impaired tubular excretion of urea and sodium, and decreased urinary excretion of azithromycin, an anionic substrate for multidrug resistance-transporting proteins. Administration of both immunosuppressants attenuated the inflammatory response, liver damage, AKI, and increased renal clearance of azithromycin mainly by restoration of GFR, without significant influence on its tubular secretion. The lack of such an effect was related to the differential effect of both agents on the renal expression of individual drug transporters. Only dexamethasone increased the urinary clearance of bile acids, in accordance with the reduction of the apical transporter (Asbt) for their tubular reabsorption. In summary, our data demonstrated the potency of both agents used for the prevention of AKI, imposed by endotoxins, and for the restoration of renal drug elimination, mainly by the improvement of GFR. The influence of both drugs on altered tubular functions and the expression of drug transporters was differential, emphasizing the necessity of knowledge of transporting pathways for individual drugs applied during sepsis. The effect of anakinra suggests a significant contribution of IL-1 signaling to the pathogenesis of LPS-induced AKI.