Published papers

The purpose of this study was to compare the transdermal transfer profiles of brand and generic tulobuterol patch formulations and to evaluate possible changes of in vivo kinetics resulting from increased transdermal transfer by means of pharmacokinetic analysis using reported in vitro drug release rate data and plasma drug concentration profiles. On the assumption that the transdermal transfer rate constant (k2) would be constant (independent of formulation), the drug release rate constant from patch formulation (k1) was predicted to be almost equal to the k2 value (k1≈k2) in the brand formulation, but 2- to 4-fold higher than the k2 value (k1>k2) in the two generic formulations. Under normal conditions, there would be no marked difierence in the plasma concentration profiles among the formulations. However, under conditions where transdermal transfer is increased (that is, higher k2), the plasma tulobuterol concentration was predicted to increase more rapidly, with higher C max, and then to decrease more rapidly in the elimination phase after applying the generic formulations compared with the brand formulation. These difierent behaviors would be seen because the transdermal transfer of the generic formulations would be afiected by k2, whereas k1 is still rate-determining for the brand formulation. These results suggest that bronchial asthma patients with risk factors for impaired skin barrier function, including atopic dermatitis, long-term treatment with steroids, and advanced age, should be carefully monitored for reduced treatment efficacy or adverse drug reactions after application of rapid-release generic tulobuterol patch formulations. © 2011 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.

Inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 is the major cause of drug-drug interactions (DDI). We have previously reported that the genetic variation of CYP3A4 significantly affected the inhibitory profiles of typical competitive inhibitors. In addition to competitive inhibition, some clinically significant DDI are attributable to mechanism-based inhibition (MBI). However, the differences in the MBI kinetics among CYP3A4 genetic variants remain to be characterized. In this study, we quantitatively investigated the inhibition kinetics of MBI inhibitors, erythromycin and clarithromycin, on the CYP3A4 variants CYP3A4.1, 4.2, 4.7, 4.16, and 4.18. The activity of CYP3A4 was assessed using testosterone 6β-hydroxylation with recombinant CYP3A4. Both erythromycin and clarithromycin decreased the activity of CYP3A4 in a timedependent manner. The maximum inactivation rate constants, kinact,max, of erythromycin for CYP3A4.2 and CYP3A4.7 were 0.5-fold that for CYP3A4.1, while that for CYP3A4.16 and CYP3A4.18 were similar to that for CYP3A4.1. The KI values of erythromycin for CYP3A4.2, 4.7, 4.16, and 4.18 were 1.2-, 0.4-, 2.2- and 0.72-fold those of CYP3A4.1, respectively. Similar results were obtained for clarithromycin. In conclusion, the inhibitory profiles of MBI inhibitors, as well as competitive inhibitors, may possibly differ among CYP3A4 variants. This difference may contribute to interindividual differences in the extent of DDI based on MBI. © 2013 by the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (JSSX).

Objective: The fraction of drug absorbed (Fa) from the intestine is an important parameter to characterize the pharmacokinetics of a drug. We aimed to search for an experimental system that provides the best parameters for estimating the effective permeability (Peff) used for the bottom-up prediction of Fa. Materials and methods: The absorption kinetics of 12 passively absorbed drugs were simulated by a compartment absorption transit (CAT) model using absorption parameters from four different experimental systems: human intestinal epithelial cell (HIEC) monolayer, Caco-2 monolayer, parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA), and in situ rat intestinal perfusion. All absorption parameters were obtained from the literature. The in vitro apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) and rat in situ Peff were converted to human Peff using a bottom-up approach for each region, based on the morphological features of the human intestine. The simulated Fa values were compared to the respective observed values. Furthermore, plasma concentration profiles of the drugs were simulated by convolution using the time-course of the absorption rate simulated using the Peff values calculated from the HIEC Papp. Results: The Fa values were best predicted by using the Peff values calculated from HEIC, within a 1.3-fold range of observed Fa in 11 out of 12 drugs. The simulated Cmax values of pharmacokinetic simulation using HIEC Papp fell within a 1.5-fold range of observed values for all the drugs examined. Conclusion: The HIEC monolayer was identified as the most suitable permeation parameter for estimating Fa and Cmax using a morphological feature-based bottom-up approach.

Purpose. Ritodrine is known to undergo extensive presystemic sulfation in the intestinal mucosa, and its bioavailability is as low as 30%. Accordingly, inhibition of intestinal sulfation may lead to an increase in the bioavailability of ritodrine. In this study, we aimed to investigate the activities of ritodrine sulfation by SULT1A1, which is expressed predominantly in the liver, and SULT1A3, which is expressed predominantly in the intestine, as well as the inhibitory effects of beverages on their activities. Methods. We investigated ritodrine sulfation by using recombinant human sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 and SULT1A3 in an in vitro study. Next, we investigated the inhibitory effects of grapefruit juice, orange juice, green tea, and black tea on ritodrine sulfation. Results. Sulfation of ritodrine by SULT1A3 was much higher than that by SULT1A1, suggesting that the bioavailability of ritodrine may be limited by intestinal SULT1A3. The ritodrine sulfation activities of SULT1A1 and SULT1A3 were significantly inhibited by all beverages examined at a concentration of 10%. Green tea and black tea exhibited potent inhibition; even at a concentration of 5%, they both inhibited SULT1A1 by 100% and SULT1A3 by ≥95%. Conclusion. Our results suggest that concomitant ingestion of beverages such as green tea and black tea may increase the bioavailability of orally administered ritodrine, and perhaps other β2-agonists, and lead to an increase in the clinical effects or adverse reactions. © 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

The inhibition of intestinal breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), which restricts the absorption of xenobiotics, may increase the systemic availability of its substrates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of herbal extracts and their constituents on BCRP-mediated transport. The inhibitory effects of 9 herbal extracts and 23 isoflavonoids, including soybean-derived isoflavones, on BCRP-mediated methotrexate (MTX) transport were evaluated using BCRP-expressing membrane vesicles. The structure-in-hibitory potency relationship was investigated by multiple factor analysis. Extracts of soybean, Gymnema sylvestre, black cohosh and passion flower and rutin strongly inhibited BCRP-mediated transport of MTX at 1 mg/ml, while inhibition by chlorella, milk thistle and Siberian ginseng extracts was weak. Among the 23 isoflavonoids examined, all of which inhibited BCRP-mediated transport, coumestrol showed the most potent inhibition (IC50=63 nM). The inhibitory potencies of 6 isoflavonoid glucosides were 10-to 100-fold lower than those of the corresponding aglycones. The addition of a 5-hydroxyl or 6-methoxyl moiety tended to potentiate the inhibition. The inhibitory potency of daidzein was decreased 100-fold by 7-glucuronidation, but was virtually unaffected by 4′-sulfation. Thus, some herbal and dietary supplements and isoflavonoids may increase the systemic availability of BCRP substrates when concomitantly given orally.

Sulfotransferase (SULT) 1A1 and SULT1A3 play important roles in the presystemic inactivation of β2 agonists in the liver and intestine, respectively. The study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of grapefruit juice, orange juice, green tea, black tea and oolong tea and their constituents on the activities of SULT1A1 and SULT1A3. The activities of both SULT1A1 and SULT1A3 were significantly inhibited by all the beverages investigated at a concentration of 10%. The beverage constituents were tested in concentration ranges considered to be physiologically relevant. The grapefruit constituent, quercetin, completely inhibited SULT1A1, while quercetin and naringin both partially inhibited SULT1A3. The orange constituents, tangeretin and nobiletin, also completely inhibited SULT1A1. The tea constituents, (-)-epicatechin gallate and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, both almost completely inhibited SULT1A1 and SULT1A3. Moreover, the theaflavin and thearubigin fractions of black tea both completely inhibited SULT1A1 and strongly inhibited SULT1A3. The inhibitory action of green tea on SULT1A3 was competitive, while that of black tea and oolong tea was mixed competitive/non-competitive. Mechanism-based inhibition was not observed with any beverage. In conclusion, various beverages, especially teas, inhibit the function of SULT1A3, and therefore may have the potential to increase the bioavailability of orally administered substrates of SULT1A3, such as β2 agonists. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The aim of this study was to develop a pharmacokinetic model to describe the transplacental transfer of drugs, based on the human placental perfusion study. The maternal and fetal sides of human placentas were perfused with salicylic acid together with antipyrine, a passive diffusion marker. The drug concentration in the placental tissue was determined at the end of perfusion. A compartment model consisting of maternal space, fetal intravascular space, and placental tissue was fitted to the observed concentration profiles of salicylic acid in the maternal and fetal effluents. The developed model could adequately explain the concentration profiles of salicylic acid in the effluents with influx clearances from maternal and fetal perfusates to placental tissue of 0.0407 and 0.0813 ml/min/g cotyledon and efflux rate constants from placental tissue to maternal and fetal perfusates (k2 and k3) of 0.0238 and 0.176 min-1, respectively. The kinetics of antipyrine was adequately described by assuming rapid equilibrium between fetal perfusate and placental tissue compartments. The influx plasma clearance from the maternal side (K″1) in humans was estimated by taking into account the protein binding. The K″1/k2 value of salicylic acid was 1.07 ml/g cotyledon and was larger than that of antipyrine (0.642 ml/g cotyledon). We evaluated the transplacental transfer kinetics of salicylic acid by human placental perfusion study with various perfusion protocols. Based on the data obtained, we developed a pharmacokinetic model, which should enable us to estimate the influx profile of drugs into umbilical arterial blood from the maternal plasma concentration profile. Copyright © 2007 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Human organic anion transporter 4 (OAT4) is the only member of the OAT family that is expressed in the placenta and also expressed in kidney. Although OAT4 has been shown to transport certain organic anions as well as other members of the OAT family, fewer numbers of substrates have been identified for OAT4 compared with OAT1 and OAT3, suggesting that the substrate specificity of OAT4 is greater than other OAT members. However, the substrate specificity of OAT4 remains to be investigated in detail. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of various drugs on the OAT4-mediated transport of estrone-3-sulfate, a typical substrate of OAT4, by using human embryonic kidney cells stably transfected with OAT4 (HEK-OAT4). HEK-OAT4 cells exhibited concentration- dependent uptake of estrone-3-sulfate, with a Km value of 20.9±3.53 μM. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and probenecid potently inhibited estrone-3-sulfate uptake. We also searched for the potential inhibitors of OAT4 and identified candesartan, candesartan cilexetil, losartan, losartan carboxyl (EXP3174) and valsartan as inhibitors of OAT4, with K i values of 88.9, 135.2, 24.8, 13.8 and 19.6 μM, respectively. The above angiotensin II receptor antagonists and leukotriene receptor antagonists share a common structural feature, that is the tetrazole group. Although pranlukast is devoid of anionic motifs other than the tetrazole group, it potently inhibited the OAT4-mediated uptake of estrone-3-sulfate, indicating that a tetrazole group may be one important structural feature in substrate recognition by OAT4. © 2006 The Authors.

We investigated the effects of natural flavones, quercetin and morin, and their pentamethyl, pentaethyl, pentapropyl, pentabutyl and pentaallyl ethers, on the function of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) assessed by an increase in the uptake of [3H]vincristine by human myelogenous leukemia (K562) cells and adriamycin-resistant human myelogenous leukemia (K562/ADM) cells. Pentamethyl, pentaethyl, pentapropyl and pentaallyl ethers of morin and quercetin (20 μM) all increased the uptake of [3H]vincristine by K562/ADM cells, while quercetin, morin and their pentabutyl ethers had no effect. Pentamethylquercetin, pentaallylquercetin and pentaethylmorin remarkably increased the uptake of [3H]vincristine by K562/ADM cells by 10.6, 10.8 and 14.4-fold, respectively. These inhibitory potencies for P-gp were more potent than typical P-gp inhibitors, cyclosporine A and verapamil. Taking into consideration that these flavonoid derivatives possess antitumor promoter activity, they may become candidates of effective multidrug resistance-reversing agents in cancer chemotherapy. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

We investigated the effects of the ethyl acetate extract of grapefruit juice (GFJ), that of orange juice (OJ) and their components on the uptake of [3H]vincristine into adriamycin-resistant human myelogenous leukemia cells. Its uptake was increased by the extracts of GFJ and OJ up to 7- and 3-fold, respectively, as well as verapamil and cyclosporin A. OJ components, i.e. 3,3',4',5,6,7,8-heptamethoxyflavone, nobiletin and tangeretin, also increased the uptake of [3H]vincristine in a concentration-dependent manner. Although GFJ components, dihydroxybergamottin and bergamottin, significantly increased the uptake, their potencies were considerably weaker than those of OJ components. These data suggest that OJ components inhibit P-gp-mediated efflux of [3H]vincristine, resulting in the intracellular accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs. These components may become candidates of multi-drug resistance reversing agents in cancer chemotherapy. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Sulfotransferase 1A3 (SULT1A3) is a phase II detoxifying enzyme of xenobiotics predominantly expressed in the intestinal epithelium. Recent increase in the use of herbal extracts as dietary supplements may lead to an increase in the possibility of dietary supplement-drug interactions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of 18 herbal extracts on SULT1A3 activity and the possibility of interaction between medicinal drugs and herbal extracts. We examined the inhibitory potencies of 18 herbal extracts on the sulfation of dopamine, a typical substrate of SULT1A3, and ritodrine, a β 2 stimulant, by human recombinant SULT1A3. The sulfation of dopamine was inhibited by extracts of banaba, green tea, Rafuma, grape seed, peanut seed coat, gingko biloba leaf, St. John's wort, gymnema and milkthistle. The IC 50 values of these herbal extracts were lower than the putative gastrointestinal concentration when the recommended dose was ingested. On the other hand, chlorella extract and rutin showed no inhibitory effects and wheat, mulberry and siberian ginseng had IC 50 values exceedingly higher than the putative gastrointestinal concentration. The inhibitory profiles of herbal extracts for the sulfation of ritodrine were comparable to those for the sulfation of dopamine. In conclusion, the extracts of herbs such as banaba and green tea potently inhibited SULT1A3 activity. These extracts may increase the bioavailability of drugs whose bioavailabilities were limited by the function of SULT1A3 on the intestinal epithelium. © 2009 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.

We recently reported a case of increase in the blood level of tacrolimus following intake of pomelo in a renal transplant recipient. To clarify the mechanism of this increase in the blood level of tacrolimus, we investigated the effect of pomelo juice extract on the activities of CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, in comparison with that of extract of grapefruit juice (GFJ). The 10% ethyl acetate extracts of the juice of three pomelos of different origins (Banpeiyu, pomelo I; Hirado Buntan, pomelo II; and Tosa Buntan, pomelo III) and GFJ significantly inhibited 6β-hydroxylation of testosterone in human liver microsomes by 76.4, 67.2, 37.5, and 83.9%, respectively. The extract of pomelo I was as potent as that of GFJ. The metabolism of tacrolimus itself was also inhibited by the extract of pomelo I, as well as that of GFJ. Furthermore, the inhibition of both 6β-hydroxylation of testosterone and metabolism of tacrolimus by pomelo I and GFJ was preincubation time-dependent. On the other hand, the extract of pomelo I had little effect on the transcellular transport of tacrolimus or [3H]digoxin across a monolayer of LLC-GA5-COL150 cells (a porcine kidney epithelial cell line, LLC-PK1, transfected with human MDR1 cDNA and over-expressing human P-glycoprotein). In conclusion, pomelo constituents inhibit the activity of CYP3A4 and may thereby produce an increase in the blood level of tacrolimus.

Disopyramide, a class la antiarrhythmic agent, has been reported to induce torsades de pointes (TdP) associated with excessive QT prolongation in electrocardiogram (ECG), especially when concomitantly administered with erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic agent. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of erythromycin on action potential duration (APD) and potassium currents in rat ventricular myocytes in comparison with disopyramide. We have evaluated the relationship between in-vitro potassium current inhibition and in-vivo QT prolongation observed in a previous study. Action potentials and membrane potassium currents, including delayed rectifier current (IK) and transient outward current (Ito), were recorded using a whole-cell patch clamp method in enzymatically-dissociated ventricular cells. Erythromycin and disopyramide prolonged APD in a concentration-dependent manner. Disopyramide (10-100 μM) and erythromycin (100 μM) led to increases in the APD at 90% repolarization level. Disopyramide reduced IK (IC50 = 37.2 ± 0.17 μM) and Ito (IC50 = 20.9 ± 0.13 μM) while erythromycin reduced IK (IC50 = 60.1 ± 0.29 μM) but not Ito. The observed prolongation of APD might be ascribed to the inhibition of potassium currents. Erythromycin produced the prolongation of APD and the inhibition of potassium currents with a lag time after addition of the drugs, which suggested that erythromycin might not reach potassium channels from outside the ventricular cells. The potency of disopyramide was almost equivalent under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. However, potency of erythromycin in-vitro was far weaker than that in-vivo reported in a previous study, presumably due to a difference in the uptake of erythromycin into ventricular myocytes between in-vivo and in-vitro conditions. Therefore, when drug-induced risks of QT prolongation are to be evaluated, the difference of potencies between in-vitro and in-vivo should be taken into consideration.

Purpose. P-Glycoprotein (Pgp) plays an important role in drug disposition and excretion in various tissues such as the brain, intestine, and kidney. Moreover, we have demonstrated that Pgp is expressed on the brush-border membranes of trophoblast cells in the placenta and restricts drug transfer from the maternal circulation to the fetus. However, the transport kinetics of physiologically expressed Pgp has scarcely been investigated. Methods. In this study, we assessed the functional kinetics of transport mediated by Pgp that is physiologically expressed in normal tissue by using human placental brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMVs). Digoxin and vinblastine were used as typical substrates of Pgp. Results. The uptakes of [3H] digoxin and [3H] vinblastine into BBMVs were significantly increased in the presence of an ATP-regenerating system. The ATP-dependent uptakes of [3H]digoxin and [3H] vinblastine into BBMVs exhibited saturable kinetics. The Michaelis constants (Kt values) were 2.65 ± 1.80 μM and 21.9 ± 3.37 μM, respectively. In the presence of a Pgp inhibitor such as verapamil, cyclosporine A, or progesterone, the ATP-dependent uptakes of [3H]digoxin and [3H] vinblastine into BBMVs were significantly reduced. Anti-Pgp monoclonal antibody C219 completely inhibited the uptake of [3H] digoxin. Conclusions. The transport kinetics of [3H]digoxin and [3H]vinblastine by physiologically expressed Pgp were successfully evaluated by using BBMVs prepared from normal human placenta. The present method enabled us to evaluate the function of physiologically expressed Pgp and is superior to the use of cultured transfectants in terms of the yield of vesicles. The present method may also be applicable to investigating the influence of various factors such as the genotype of the MDR1 gene or various pathophysiologic states of neonates on the function of Pgp.

Human monocarboxylate transporter 6 (MCT6) has recently been isolated, and its tissue distribution has been established at the mRNA level, but its functional properties remain unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the transport properties of MCT6. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, MCT6 transported [3H]bumetanide in a pH- and membrane potential-sensitive but not proton gradient-dependent manner, with the Kt value of 84 μM. Furthermore, MCT6 transported various drugs such as probenecid and nateglinide. Neither [14C]L-lactic acid nor [3H]L- tryptophan, typical substrates of other MCT isoforms, was transported by MCT6. Four loop diuretics, i.e., furosemide, piretanide, azosemide, and torasemide, thiazides, probenecid, glibenclamide, and nateglinide inhibited the MCT6-mediated uptake of [3H]bumetanide. In contrast, short-chain carboxylic acids, such as L-lactic acid and succinic acid did not inhibit the MCT6-mediated uptake of bumetanide. These results suggest that the substrate specificity of MCT6 is distinct from those of other MCTs. Bumetanide would be a good tool for investigating the functional properties of MCT6. It is probable that MCT6 is involved in the disposition of various drugs, including bumetanide. Copyright © 2005 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

The aim of this study is to investigate the placental transport mechanism of cationic compounds by comparison of the uptake of an organic cation into human placental basal membrane vesicles (BLMVs) with that into organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3)-expressing cells. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that OCT3 is the only OCT isoform expressed in the human placenta. The function of OCT3 was investigated by measuring the uptake of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) into human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells stably expressing OCT3 (HEK/OCT3 cells). The OCT3-mediated uptake of MPP+ was sodium- and chloride-independent and saturable, with a Michaelis constant (Km) of 82.5 μM. The OCT3-mediated uptake was inhibited by various cationic drugs in a concentration-dependent manner but not by anionic compounds, such as p-aminohippuric acid and captopril, or a zwitterion, carnitine. Western blotting analysis of membrane vesicles prepared from human term placenta revealed that OCT3 is expressed only in BLMVs but not in microvillous membrane vesicles. The uptake of MPP+ into BLMVs was membrane potential-dependent and saturable, with a Km value of 51.8 μM, which is similar to that in HEK293/OCT3 cells. The inhibitory spectrum of various compounds on MPP+ uptake by BLMVs was also similar to that in HEK293/OCT3 cells. These results suggest that OCT3 is expressed on the basal membrane of human trophoblast cells and plays an important role in the placental transport of cationic compounds. Copyright © 2005 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

We investigated transport characteristics of adenosine across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice. Uptake clearance across the BBB was measured by using an in situ mouse brain perfusion technique and cultured mouse brain capillary endothelial cell line (MBEC4 cells). Nucleoside transporter was cloned by RT-PCR and expressed on Xenopus laevis oocyte. Both in situ and in vitro studies revealed that the adenosine uptake is concentration-dependent, Na +-independent and S-(p-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBMPR)-sensitive. The Kt values of in situ and in vitro studies were 31.7 ± 13.8 μM and 11.9 ± 2.84 μM, respectively. A good correlation was found for the inhibitory effects of nucleoside analogs to adenosine uptake between in situ and in vitro studies. RT-PCR revealed the expression of RNA of mouse equilibrative nucleoside transporter (mENT1) in mouse brain capillary and MBEC4 cells. In mENT1 expressed on X. laevis oocyte, Kt value of adenosine transport was 6.9 ± 2.7 μM (and comparable to those in situ and in vitro studies). In conclusion, we characterized the adenosine transport across the BBB in mice by using in situ brain perfusion technique and MBEC4 cells and found that these transports share common characteristics with mENT1-mediated transport. Transport of adenosine across the BBB in mice may be attributable to mENT1. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced nausea can be severe enough to lead to early treatment discontinuation. However, it is currently not possible to predict the occurrence of nausea before the initiation of SSRI treatment. In this study, we investigated the effect of genetic polymorphisms in the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2A, 3A, and 3B (5-HT3B) receptors, 5-HT transporter, and CYP2D6 genes on the incidence of paroxetine-induced nausea. A consecutive series of 72 Japanese patients with depressive or anxiety disorders were treated with paroxetine. Paroxetine-induced nausea was assessed by a pharmacist and was observed in 29.2% of the patients. A significant (nominal p=0.00286) association was found between the incidence of nausea and the -100_-102AAG insertion/deletion polymorphism of the 5-HT3B receptor gene. No significant associations were observed between the other genetic polymorphisms and the incidence of nausea. The -100_-102AAG deletion variant of the 5-HT3B receptor gene may a.ect paroxetine-induced nausea. © 2007 Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum.

We characterized the function of mouse organic cation transporter OCT2 (TC 2.A.19.1.5) in comparison with that of OCT1 (TC 2.A.19.1.1). Uptake of [3H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ([3H]MPP+) by Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mOCT1 (Slc22a1) or mOCT2 (Slc22a2) cRNA was attenuated by an increase of extracellular K+ concentration and under acidic extracellular conditions. The uptakes of [3H]MPP+ via mOCT1 and mOCT2 were saturable, with similar Michaelis constants (Kt) of 10 and 24 μM, respectively. mOCT2 also mediated the uptake of [14C]tetraethylammonium with a Kt value of 36 μM, which is similar to that of mOCT1. Quinine, tetraethylammonium, cimetidine, procainamide, choline, and N′-methylnicotinamide inhibited the uptake of [3H]MPP+ via mOCT1, as well as via mOCT2, and the inhibitory potencies for mOCT1 were comparable to but slightly higher than those for mOCT2. Thus, although the transport properties of mOCT2 are similar to those of mOCT1 in respect to the membrane-potential dependency, pH-sensitivity, and affinities for MPP+ and tetraethylammonium, several organic cations had weaker inhibitory effects on [3H]MPP+ uptake by mOCT2 than by mOCT1. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Purpose: Some reports have suggested that bucolome, an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 2C9, is useful for decreasing inter-patient variation in warfarin clearance. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the utility of the concomitant administration of bucolome and warfarin using an in silico approach. Methods: In vitro data regarding the enzymatic kinetics of (S)-warfarin and bucolome were collected from the literature. As a validation study, the geometric mean (GM) of the oral unbound clearance of (S)-warfarin and its inter-patient variation (assessed using the standard deviation of its natural logarithm (σ)) were predicted using a physiologically based population pharmacokinetic simulator (SimcypTM) and compared with clinical data. The utility of the concomitant administration was evaluated by comparing the GM and σ values predicted under various conditions (the prediction study). Results and Discussion: The σ values in the presence and absence of bucolome were predicted to be 0.73 and 0.68, respectively, suggesting that bucolome might increase the inter-patient variation, as clinically observed. In the prediction study, the σ value of the bucolome co-administered group was greater in almost all of the examined conditions. In conclusion, the concomitant administration of bucolome might not be useful for reducing the inter-patient variation of (S)-warfarin pharmacokinetics. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.