Involvement of human and canine MRP1 and MRP4 in benzylpenicillin transport

PLoS One. 2019 Nov 27;14(11):e0225702. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225702. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a dynamic and complex interface between blood and the central nervous system (CNS). It protects the brain by preventing toxic substances from entering the brain but also limits the entry of therapeutic agents. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters are critical for the functional barrier and present a formidable impediment to brain delivery of therapeutic agents including antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 and 4 (MRP1 and MRP4), two ABC transporters, in benzylpenicillin efflux transport using wild-type (WT) MDCKII cells and cells overexpressing those human transporters, as well as non-selective and selective inhibitors. We found that inhibiting MRP1 or MRP4 significantly increased [3H]benzylpenicillin uptake in MDCKII-WT, -MRP1 or -MRP4 cells. Similar results were also found in HepG2 cells, which highly express MRP1 and MRP4, and hCMEC/D3 cells which express MRP1. The results indicate that human and canine MRP1 and MRP4 are involved in benzylpenicillin efflux transport. They could be potential therapeutic targets for improving the efficacy of benzylpenicillin for treating CNS infections since both MRP1 and MRP4 express at human blood-brain barrier.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / metabolism*
  • Benzothiazoles / pharmacology
  • Biological Transport
  • Dogs
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Penicillin G / metabolism*
  • Pyrazoles / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Triazoles / pharmacology

Substances

  • ABCC4 protein, human
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Benzothiazoles
  • Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyrimidines
  • Triazoles
  • ceefourin 1
  • reversan
  • Penicillin G
  • multidrug resistance-associated protein 1

Grants and funding

Funded by YL: Programs of Scientific and Technological Talent Development/Ten-Hundred-Thousand Talent, Health Bureau of Kunming City, grant 2016-SW-(G)-19; JX: Motor City Golf Classic grant from the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.