Search

Decreased activity and expression of the G-protein coupled receptor GPR88 is linked to many behavior-linked neurological disorders. Published preclinical GPR88 allosteric agonists all have in vivopharmacokinetic properties that preclude their progression to the clinic, including high lipophilicity and poor brain penetration. Here, we describe our attempts to improve GPR88 agonists’ drug-like properties and our analysis of the trade-offs required to successfully target GPR88’s allosteric pocket. We discovered two new GPR88 agonists: One that reduced morphine-induced locomotor activity in a murine proof-of-concept study, and the atropoisomeric BI-9508, which is a brain penetrant and has improved pharmacokinetic properties and dosing that recommend it for future in vivostudies in rodents. BI-9508 still suffers from high lipophilicity, and research on this series was halted. Because of its utility as a tool compound, we now offer researchers access to BI-9508 and a negative control free of charge via Boehringer Ingelheim’s open innovation portal opnMe.com.

Transporters at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) play a pivotal role as gatekeepers for efflux or uptake of endogenous and exogenous molecules. The protein expression of a number of them has already been determined in the brains of rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans using quantitative targeted absolute proteomics (QTAP). The dog is an important animal model for drug discovery and development, especially for safety evaluations. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relevance of the transporter protein expression for drug distribution in the dog brain and CSF. We used QTAP to examine the protein expression of 17 selected transporters and receptors at the dog BBB and BCSFB. For the first time, we directly linked the expression of two efflux transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), to regional brain and CSF distribution using specific substrates. Two cocktails, each containing one P-gp substrate (quinidine or apafant) and one BCRP substrate (dantrolene or daidzein) were infused intravenously prior to collection of the brain. Transporter expression varied only slightly between the capillaries of different brain regions and did not result in region-specific distribution of the investigated substrates. There were, however, distinct differences between brain capillaries and choroid plexus. Largest differences were observed for BCRP and P-gp: both were highly expressed in brain capillaries, but no BCRP and only low amounts of P-gp were detected in the choroid plexus. Kp,uu,brainand Kp,uu,CSFof both P-gp substrates were indicative of drug efflux. Also, Kp,uu,brainfor the BCRP substrates was low. In contrast, Kp,uu,CSFfor both BCRP substrates was close to unity, resulting in Kp,uu,CSF/Kp,uu,brainratios of 7 and 8, respectively. We conclude that the drug transporter expression profiles differ between the BBB and BCSFB in dogs, that there are species differences in the expression profiles, and that CSF is not a suitable surrogate for unbound brain concentrations of BCRP substrates in dogs.

Although Oatp1a1 (rat organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1a1) was the transporter found responsible for the hepatocellular entry of enalapril (EN) into the rat liver, the canalicular transporter involved for excretion of EN and the metabolite, enalaprilat (ENA), was unknown. The Eisai hyperbilirubinemic rat (EHBR) that lacks Mrp2 (multidrug resistance-associated protein 2) was used to appraise the role of Mrp2 in the excretion of [(3)H]EN and its metabolite [(3)H]ENA in single-pass rat liver preparations. Although the total and metabolic clearances and hepatic extraction ratios at steady-state were virtually unaltered for EN in EHBR compared with published values of Sprague-Dawley rats, the biliary clearances of EN and ENA were significantly reduced almost to zero (P < 0.05). Involvement of human OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and MRP2 in EN transport was further assessed in single- or double-transfected mammalian cells. Human embryonic kidney 293 cells that expressed OATP1B1 or OATP1B3 showed that OATP1B3 transport of EN (20-500 muM) was of low affinity, whereas transport of EN by OATP1B1 was associated with the K(m) of 262 +/- 35 muM, a value similar to that for Oatp1a1 (214 muM). The transcellular transport of EN via human OATP1B1 and MRP2, investigated with the double-transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II cells in the Transwell system, showed that the sinusoidal to canalicular flux of EN in the OATP1B1/MRP2/MDCK cells was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of mock/MDCK and OATP1B1/MDCK cells. EN was transported by Oatp1a1 and Mrp2 in rats and OATP1B1/OATP1B3 and MRP2 in humans.

The organic anion transporter SLC21A6 (also known as OATP2, OATP-C, or LST-1) is involved in the hepatocellular uptake of a variety of endogenous and xenobiotic substances and drugs. We analyzed 81 human liver samples by immunoblotting and found one with a strongly reduced amount of SLC21A6 protein suggesting mutations in the SLC21A6 gene. The SLC21A6 cDNA from this sample contained five base pair changes in one allele; three of the mutations resulted in amino acid substitutions designated SLC21A6-N130D, SLC21A6-P155T, and SLC21A6-L193R. The former two were polymorphisms (SLC21A6*1b and SLC21A6*4), whereas SLC21A6-L193R represents the first naturally occurring mutation identified in one allele of the SLC21A6 gene, which affects protein maturation and organic anion transport. We introduced each of the mutations into the SLC21A6 cDNA and established stably transfected MDCKII cells expressing the respective mutant SLC21A6 protein. Immunofluorescence microscopy and uptake measurements were used to study localization and transport properties of the mutated proteins. Both proteins carrying the polymorphisms were sorted to the lateral membrane like wild-type SLC21A6, but their transport properties for the substrates cholyltaurine and 17beta-glucuronosyl estradiol were altered. Importantly, most of the mutant protein SLC21A6-L193R was retained intracellularly, and this single amino acid exchange abolished transport function.