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In order to achieve the goals of "carbon peaking" and "carbon neutrality", green finance and low-carbon economy are two important tools and approaches, so it is particularly important to evaluate the effect of green finance on low-carbon development in a scientific and objective manner. Based on the analysis of the mechanism of the impact of green finance on low-carbon development, this paper measures the level of development of low-carbon economy and the development system of green finance in this city based on the entropy value method using the carbon emission panel data of each province in China from 2017 to 2020.

Introduction: HER2-mutant NSCLC is associated with poor prognosis. SHR-A1811 is a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) consisting of a humanized HER2-directed monoclonal antibody, cleavable tetrapeptide-based linker, and DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor. Here, we report data from the phase 1 portion of a phase 1/2 study with SHR-A1811 in patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC (NCT04818333). Methods: In this single-arm, dose escalation and expansion phase 1 portion, patients with advanced activating HER2-mutant NSCLC who had failed platinum-based chemotherapy in the advanced or metastatic setting or could not tolerate chemotherapy were enrolled. SHR-A1811 was assessed at doses of 3.2, 4.8, 5.6, 6.4, and 8.0 mg/kg intravenously once every 21-day cycle. Dose escalation and determination of maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was guided by Bayesian logistic regression model with overdose control. Dose selected for expansion was determined based on data from dose-escalation phase. The primary endpoints were safety, MTD and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Results: At data cutoff (Nov 8, 2022), 50 patients were enrolled. All were stage IV with a median of 3 (range 1-8) prior systemic treatments, including HER2-targeted TKI (66%), immune checkpoint inhibitors (68%), and anti-angiogenic drugs (78%). 96% had a HER2 kinase domain mutation. One patient in 8.0 mg/kg dose cohort had dose-limiting toxicities (grade 4 febrile neutropenia and grade 4 thrombocytopenia). The 4.8 mg/kg dose cohort was expanded to 38 patients. The median follow-up duration was 5.6 months (95% CI 4.2-7.0). 62% of patients remained on treatment. Overall, objective response rate was 40.0% (95% CI 26.4-54.8); median duration of response was 8.3 months (95% CI 5.4-13.7); disease control rate was 86.0% (95% CI 73.3-94.2); median progression-free survival was 10.8 months (95% CI 6.7-15.0). All patients had treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). 42% of patients experienced grade ≥3 TRAEs, with the most common ones being decreased neutrophil count (30%), decreased white blood cell count (20%), anemia (16%), and thrombocytopenia (12%). Nine patients (18%) had serious AEs deemed related to SHR-A1811. Treatment discontinuation due to AEs was reported in two patients. One death was reported to be treatment related (interstitial lung disease). After single dosing, dose exposure (Cmax and AUClast) of SHR-A1811 increased in a dose-proportional manner. PK parameters of SHR-A1811 and total antibody were similar at all dose levels, with low plasma exposure of free topoisomerase I inhibitor observed. Conclusion: SHR-A1811 showed tolerable safety profile and durable antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with HER2-mutant NSCLC. Dose expansion at 4.8 mg/kg and 5.6 mg/kg is ongoing to establish the RP2D. Citation Format: Shun Lu, Hong Jian, Wei Hong, Zhengbo Song, Nong Yang, Sheng Hu, Zibin Liang, Yongsheng Wang, Yan Wang, Min Peng, Yan Yu, You Li, Jiapeng Shuang, Kaijing Zhao. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of SHR-A1811, an antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with advanced HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): a multicenter, open-label, phase 1/2 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT204.

Background: SHR-A1811 is an ADC comprised of a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab), a cleavable linker, and a DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. Here we assessed SHR-A1811 in HER2-expressing/mutated unresectable, advanced, or metastatic solid tumors. Methods: Pts were eligible if they had HER2 positive breast cancer (BC), HER2 positive gastric/GEJ carcinoma, HER2 low-expressing BC, HER2-expressing/mutated NSCLC, or other HER2-expressing/mutated solid tumors, and were refractory or intolerant to standard therapy. SHR-A1811 at doses of 1.0-8.0 mg/kg was given Q3W (IV). The primary endpoints were DLT, safety, and the RP2D. Results: From Sep 7, 2020 to Sep 28, 2022, 250 pts who had undergone a median of 3 prior treatment lines in the metastatic setting received at least one dose of SHR-A1811 in dose escalation, PK expansion, and indication expansion part. As of data cutoff on Sep 28, 2022, 1 pt experienced DLT. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 243 (97.2%) pts. Grade ≥3 TRAEs, serious TRAEs, and treatment-related deaths were reported in 131 (52.4%), 31 (12.4%), and 3 (1.2%) pts, respectively. Interstitial lung disease (AESI) was reported in 8 (3.2%) pts. Exposures of SHR-A1811, total antibody, and the payload were generally proportional to dose from 3.2 to 8.0 mg/kg. ORR was 61.6% (154/250, 95% CI 55.3-67.7) in all pts. Objective responses were observed in pts with HER2 positive BC (88/108, ORR 81.5%, 95% CI 72.9-88.3), HER2-low BC (43/77, ORR 55.8%, 95% CI 44.1-67.2), urothelial carcinoma (7/11), colorectal cancer (3/10), gastric/GEJ carcinoma (5/9), biliary tract cancer (5/8), NSCLC (1/3), endometrial cancer (1/2), and H&N cancer (1/1). Subgroup analyses of ORR are shown in Table 1. The 6-month PFS rate was 73.9% in all pts. Conclusions: SHR-A1811 was well-tolerated and showed promising antitumor activity in heavily pretreated advanced solid tumors. Table 1. Subgroup analyses of ORR No. of prior treatment lines in metastatic setting in all pts (N=250) HER2 positive BC (N=108) HER2-low BC (N=77) Other tumor types (N=65) ≤3 81.8% (45/55) 58.7% (27/46) 36.7% (18/49) >3 81.1% (43/53) 51.6% (16/31) 31.3% (5/16) Prior anti-HER2 therapies in pts with BC (N=185)* HER2 positive BC (N=108) HER2-low BC (N=77) All BC (N=185) Any 82.2% (88/107, 73.7-89.0) 68.8% (11/16, 41.3-89.0) 80.5% (99/123, 72.4-87.1) Trastuzumab 81.9% (86/105, 73.2-88.7) 75.0% (9/12, 42.8-94.5) 81.2% (95/117, 72.9-87.8) Pertuzumab 83.0% (39/47, 69.2-92.4) 100% (5/5, 47.8-100) 84.6% (44/52, 71.9-93.1) Pyrotinib 86.9% (53/61, 75.8-94.1) 71.4% (5/7, 29.0-96.3) 85.3% (58/68, 74.6-92.7) Lapatinib 80.0% (28/35, 63.1-91.6) 100% (1/1, 2.5-100) 80.6% (29/36, 64.0-91.8) T-DM1 82.4% (14/17, 56.6-96.2) 100% (3/3, 29.2-100) 85.0% (17/20, 62.1-96.8) Other HER2-ADC (except T-DM1)** 60.0% (9/15, 32.3-83.7) 50.0% (2/4, 6.8-93.2) 57.9% (11/19, 33.5-79.8) ORR in pts with tumor types other than BC (N=65) HER2 IHC3+ or IHC2+/ISH+ (N=36) HER2 IHC2+/ISH- or IHC1+ or unknown (N=29) All other tumor types (N=65) % (n/N) 38.9% (14/36) 31.0% (9/29) 35.4% (23/65) ORR was shown as % (n/N, 95% CI) or % (n/N). *ORR is calculated using the number of subjects previously treated with anti-HER2 cancer therapy in advanced/metastatic setting as denominator; 2-sided 95% CIs are estimated using Clopper-Pearson method. **Includes RC48-ADC, A166, DP303c, MRG002, ARX788, TAA013, DX126-262, PF-06804103, and BAT8001. Citation Format: Herui Yao, Min Yan, Zhongsheng Tong, Xinhong Wu, Min-Hee Ryu, Jee Hyun Kim, John Park, Yahua Zhong, Weiqing Han, Caigang Liu, Mark Voskoboynik, Qun Qin, Jian Zhang, Minal Barve, Ana Acuna-Villaorduna, Vinod Ganju, Seock-Ah Im, Changsheng Ye, Yongmei Yin, Amitesh C. Roy, Li-Yuan Bai, Yung-Chang Lin, Chia-Jui Yen, Hui Li, Ki Young Chung, Shanzhi Gu, Jun Qian, Yuee Teng, Yiding Chen, Yu Shen, Kaijing Zhao, Shangyi Rong, Xiaoyu Zhu, Erwei Song. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of SHR-A1811 in HER2-expressing/mutated advanced solid tumors: A global phase 1, multi-center, first-in-human study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT175.

Vonoprazan is characterized as having a long-lasting antisecretory effect on gastric acid. In this study we developed a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) model linking to stomach to simultaneously predict vonoprazan pharmacokinetics and its antisecretory effects following administration to rats, dogs, and humans based on in vitro parameters. The vonoprazan disposition in the stomach was illustrated using a limited-membrane model. In vitro metabolic and transport parameters were derived from hepatic microsomes and Caco-2 cells, respectively. We found the most predicted plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of vonoprazan in rats, dogs and humans were within twofold errors of the observed data. Free vonoprazan concentrations (fu × C2) in the stomach were simulated and linked to the antisecretory effects of the drug (I) (increases in pH or acid output) using the fomula dI/dt = k × fu × C2 × (Imax − I) − kd × I. The vonoprazan dissociation rate constant kd (0.00246 min−1) and inhibition index KI (35 nM) for H+/K+-ATPase were obtained from literatures. The vonoprazan-H+/K+-ATPase binding rate constant k was 0.07028 min−1· μM−1 using ratio of kd to KI. The predicted antisecretory effects were consistent with the observations following intravenous administration to rats (0.7 and 1.0 mg/kg), oral administration to dogs (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) and oral single dose or multidose to humans (20, 30, and 40 mg). Simulations showed that vonoprazan concentrations in stomach were 1000-fold higher than those in the plasma at 24 h following administration to human. Vonoprazan pharmacokinetics and its antisecretory effects may be predicted from in vitro data using the PBPK-PD model of the stomach. These findings may highlight 24-h antisecretory effects of vonoprazan in humans following single-dose or the sustained inhibition throughout each 24-h dosing interval during multidose administration.

Atorvastatin is a substrate of cytochrome P450 3a (CYP3a), organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs), breast cancer-resistance protein (BCRP), and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). We aimed to develop a semiphysiologically based pharmacokinetic (semi-PBPK) model involving both enzyme and transporters for predicting the contributions of altered function and expression of CYP3a and transporters to atorvastatin transport in diabetic rats by combining high-fat diet feeding and low-dose streptozotocin injection. Atorvastatin metabolism and transport parameters comes from in situ intestinal perfusion, primary hepatocytes, and intestinal or hepatic microsomes. We estimated the expressions and functions of these proteins and their contributions. Diabetes increased the expression of hepatic CYP3a, OATP1b2, and P-gp but decreased the expression of intestinal CYP3a, OATP1a5, and P-gp. The expression and function of intestinal BCRP were significantly decreased in 10-day diabetic rats but increased in 22-day diabetic rats. Based on alterations in CYP3a and transporters by diabetes, the developed semi-PBPK model was successfully used to predict atorvastatin pharmacokinetics after oral and intravenous doses to rats. Contributions to oral atorvastatin PK were intestinal OATP1a5 < intestinal P-gp < intestinal CYP3a < hepatic CYP3a < hepatic OATP1b2 < intestinal BRCP. Contributions of decreased expression and function of intestinal CYP3a and P-gp by diabetes to oral atorvastatin plasma exposure were almost attenuated by increased expression and function of hepatic CYP3a and OATP1b2. Opposite alterations in oral plasma atorvastatin exposure in 10- and 22-day diabetic rats may be explained by altered intestinal BCRP. In conclusion, the altered atorvastatin pharmacokinetics by diabetes was the synergistic effects of altered intestinal or hepatic CYP3a and transporters and could be predicted using the developed semi-PBPK.

Several reports demonstrated that rifampicin affected pharmacokinetics of victim drugs following oral more than intravenous administration. We aimed to establish a semi-physiologically based pharmacokinetic (semi-PBPK) model involving both enzyme and transporter turnover to simultaneously predict pharmacokinetic interaction of rifampicin with oral versus intravenous substrates of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/P‑glycoprotein (P-GP) in human. Rifampicin was chosen as the CYP3A /P-GP inducer. Thirteen victim drugs including P-GP substrates (digoxin and talinolol), CYP3A substrates (alfentanil, midazolam, nifedipine, ondansetron and oxycodone), dual substrates of CYP3A/P-GP (quinidine, cyclosporine A, tacrolimus and verapamil) and complex substrates (S-ketamine and tramadol) were chosen to investigate drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with rifampicin. Corresponding parameters were cited from literatures. Before and after multi-dose of oral rifampicin, the pharmacokinetic profiles of victim drugs for oral or intravenous administration to human were predicted using the semi-PBPK model and compared with the observed values. Contribution of both CYP3A and P-GP induction in intestine and liver by rifampicin to pharmacokinetic profiles of victim drugs was investigated. The predicted pharmacokinetic profiles of drugs before and after rifampicin administration accorded with the observations. The predicted pharmacokinetic parameters and DDIs were successful, whose fold-errors were within 2. It was consistent with observations that the DDIs of rifampicin with oral victim drugs were larger than those with intravenous victim drugs. DDIs of rifampicin with CYP3A or P-GP substrates following oral versus intravenous administration to human were successfully predicted using the developed semi-PBPK model.

Liver failure altered P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function and expression at blood-brain barrier (BBB), partly owing to hyperammonemia. We aimed to examine the effects of partial portal vein ligation (PVL) plus chronic hyperammonemia (CHA) on P-gp function and expression at rat BBB. Experimental rats included sham-operation (SH), PVL, CHA and PVL+CHA. The PVL+CHA rats were developed by ammonia-containing diet for 2 weeks after operation. The brain-to-plasma concentration ratios (Kp) and apparent unidirectional influx constants (Kin) of rhodamine123 and sodium fluorescein were measured to assess function of P-gp and BBB integrity, respectively. Human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (HCMEC/D3) were used to assess effects of ammonia on P-gp expression and function. It was found that PVL+CHA significantly decreased Kp and Kin of rhodamine123 without affecting brain distribution of fluorescein. The P-gp expressions in membrane protein in cortex and hippocampus were significantly increased in CHA and PVL +CHA rats, especially in PVL + CHA rats, while remarkably increased phosphorylated ERK1/2 was only found in PVL +CHA rats. Expressions of tight junction proteins claudin-5 and occluding in rat brain remained unchanged. In vitro data showed that NH4Cl increased reactive oxygen species, membrane expression and function of P-gp as well as phosphorylated ERK1/2 levels in HCMEC/D3. The NH4Cl-induced alterations were reversed by reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine and ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126. In conclusion, PVL+CHA increased function and membrane translocation of P-gp at rat BBB partly via ammonia. Reactive oxygen species/ERK1/2 pathway activation may be one of the reasons that ammonia upregulated P-gp expression and function at BBB.

Students’ autonomous learning of English pronunciation plays an important role in students’ acquisition of English pronunciation. This paper intends to demonstrate, through an empirical investigation, how the establishment of a pronunciation center can facilitate business English major students’ autonomous learning. The result shows that the implementation of the pronunciation center not only increases students’ interest and confidence in learning English pronunciation, but also promotes students’ self-reflection and enhances the interaction, negotiation and cooperation between teachers and students, which surely help the students achieve the sustainability of their autonomous learning of English pronunciation.

Objectives To investigate effects of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on expressions and functions of intestinal cytochrome P4503A (Cyp3a) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp). To develop a semi-physiologically based pharmacokinetic (semi-PBPK) model for assessing their contributions. Methods Verapamil pharmacokinetics was investigated following oral administration to rats receiving water containing 150 mm SCFAs for 3 weeks. Cyp3a activities in intestinal and liver mircosomes were assessed by norverapamil formation. In-situ single-pass perfusion was used to evaluate intestinal transport of verapamil and P-gp function. Functions and expressions of Cyp3a and P-gp were measured in mouse primary enterocytes following 48-h exposure to SCFAs. Contributions of intestinal P-gp and Cyp3a to verapamil pharmacokinetics were assessed using a semi-PBPK model. Key findings Short-chain fatty acids significantly increased oral plasma exposures of verapamil and norverapamil. SCFAs upregulated Cyp3a activity and expression, but downregulated P-gp function and expression in rat intestine, which were repeated in mouse primary enterocytes. PBPK simulation demonstrated contribution of intestinal Cyp3a to oral plasma verapamil exposure was minor, and the increased oral plasma verapamil exposure was mainly attributed to downregulation of intestinal P-gp. Conclusions Short-chain fatty acids oppositely regulated functions and expressions of intestinal Cyp3a and P-gp. The downregulation of P-gp mainly contributed to the increased oral plasma verapamil exposure by SCFAs.

Cinnamic acid and its analogues (pyragrel and ozagrel) undergo chain-shortened (β-oxidative) and reductive metabolism on acyl side chain. In this study, we characterized the β-oxidative and reductive metabolism on acyl side chain of cinnamic acid and its analogues using primary rat hepatocytes, hepatic mitochondrial, and microsomal systems. A compartmental model including parent compounds and metabolites was developed to characterize in vivo β-oxidative and reductive metabolism following an intravenous dose of parent compounds to rats. The fitted total in vivo clearance values were further compared with the in vitro values predicted by the well-stirred model. We showed that hepatic microsomal CYP450s did not catalyze β-oxidative or reductive metabolism of the three compounds. Similar to β-oxidation of fatty acids, β-oxidative metabolism on their acyl side chain occurred mainly in mitochondria, which was highly dependent on ATP, CoA and NAD(+). Fatty acids and NADH inhibited the β-oxidative metabolism. Reductive metabolism occurred in both mitochondria and microsomes. Reduction in mitochondria was ATP-, CoA-, and NAD(P)H-dependent and reversible, which was suppressed by enoyl reductase inhibitor triclosan. Reduction in microsomes was ATP-, CoA-, and NADPH-dependent but little affected by triclosan. Both plasma concentrations of β-oxidative metabolites and reductive metabolites were successfully fitted using the compartmental model. The estimated total in vivo clearance values were consistent with those predicted from hepatocytes and organelles, implicating significance of in vitro kinetics. These findings demonstrate the roles of hepatic mitochondria and microsomes in β-oxidative and reductive metabolism on acyl side chain of cinnamic acid and its analogues along with their metabolic characteristics.

Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT) is a natural lignan product which has drawn much attention due to its pharmacological properties including antitumor effect. The purpose of this study was to investigate interspecies differences in metabolism of DPT in hepatic microsomes from human (HLM), cynomolgus monkey (CyLM), rat (RLM), mouse (MLM) and dog (DLM). Incubation of DPT with hepatic microsomes from five species in the presence of NADPH resulted in formation of seven metabolites, five of which were compared with the synthetic standards. M2 was the most abundant metabolite in microsomes from all species. Rank order of intrinsic clearance for M2 formation was RLM > CyLM > MLM > HLM > DLM. In HLM, sulfaphenazole showed the strongest inhibition effect on M2 formation, but neither ticlopidine nor ketoconazole inhibited M2 formation in HLM. Results from cDNA-expressed human CYP450s experiments showed that clearance of M2 formation was much higher in CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 than that in CYP3A4. Contributions of the three CYP450 isoforms to M2 formation in HLM were estimated using relative activity factor (RAF) method or correction by amount of CYP450 isoforms in HLM. M2 formation in HLM was mainly attributed to CYP2C9, followed by CYP2C19. Involvement of CYP3A4 was minor.

We once reported that P-glycoprotein (P-GP) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) were oppositely regulated at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure (ALF) rats. This study aimed to investigate whether ALF affected function and expression of breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP) at the BBB of rats and the role of ammonia in the regulation. ALF rats were developed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of thioacetamide (300 mg/kg) for 2 days. Hyperammonemic rats were developed by NH4 Ac (i.p. 4.5 mmol/kg). BCRP function and expression were measured by brain distribution of specific substrates (prazosin and methotrexate) and western blot, respectively. MDCK-BCRP cells and primarily cultured rat brain microvessel endothelial cells (rBMECs) were employed to investigate possible mechanisms through which ammonia regulated BCRP function and expression. The results showed that both ALF and hyperammonemia significantly weakened function and expression of BCRP in the brain of rats. The function and expression of BCRP in MDCK-BCRP cells and rBMECs were strikingly decreased after exposure to NH4 Cl and H2 O2 , accompanied by remarkable increases in the levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The altered BCRP expression and function by ammonia and H2 O2 were restored by ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine and ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126. Markedly increased levels of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and ROS were found in the brains of ALF rats and hyperammonemic rats. All above results indicated ALF down-regulated expression and function of BCRP at BBB of rats partly via hyperammonemia. Activation of ROS-mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation may be one of the reasons that ammonia impaired BCRP expression and function at the BBB. The present study showed that the expression and function of breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP) at blood-brain barrier (BBB) of thioacetamide-induced ALF rats were down-regulated which partly attribute to hyperammonemia. Activation of ROS-mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation may be one of the reasons that ammonia suppressed BCRP expression and function. Impaired BCRP at BBB might enhanced pharmacological/toxic effects of corresponding substrates on CNS.

Generally, diabetes remarkably alters the expression and function of intestinal drug transporters. Nateglinide and bumetanide are substrates of monocarboxylate transporter 6 (MCT6). We investigated whether diabetes down-regulated the function and expression of intestinal MCT6 and the possible mechanism in diabetic rats induced by a combination of high-fat diet and low-dose streptozocin. Our results indicated that diabetes significantly decreased the oral plasma exposure of nateglinide. The plasma peak concentration and area under curve in diabetic rats were 16.9% and 28.2% of control rats, respectively. Diabetes significantly decreased the protein and mRNA expressions of intestinal MCT6 and oligopeptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) but up-regulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) protein level. Single-pass intestinal perfusion demonstrated that diabetes prominently decreased the absorption of nateglinide and bumetanide. The MCT6 inhibitor bumetanide, but not PEPT1 inhibitor glycylsarcosine, significantly inhibited intestinal absorption of nateglinide in rats. Coadministration with bumetanide remarkably decreased the oral plasma exposure of nateglinide in rats. High concentrations of butyrate were detected in the intestine of diabetic rats. In Caco-2 cells (a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line), bumetanide and MCT6 knockdown remarkably inhibited the uptake of nateglinide. Butyrate down-regulated the function and expression of MCT6 in a concentration-dependent manner but increased PPARγ expression. The decreased expressions of MCT6 by PPARγ agonist troglitazone or butyrate were reversed by both PPARγ knockdown and PPARγ antagonist 2-chloro-5-nitro-N-phenylbenzamide (GW9662). Four weeks of butyrate treatment significantly decreased the oral plasma concentrations of nateglinide in rats, accompanied by significantly higher intestinal PPARγ and lower MCT6 protein levels. In conclusion, diabetes impaired the expression and function of intestinal MCT6 partly via butyrate-mediated PPARγ activation, decreasing the oral plasma exposure of nateglinide.

Accumulating evidences have shown that diabetes is often accompanied with depression, thus it is possible that oral antidiabetic agent glyburide and antidepressive agent paroxetine are co-administered in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to assess interactions between glyburide and paroxetine in rats. Effect of paroxetine on pharmacokinetics of orally administered glyburide was investigated. Effect of naringin (NAR), an inhibitor of rat intestinal organic anion transporting polypeptides 1a5 (Oatp1a5), on pharmacokinetics of glyburide was also studied. The results showed that co-administration of paroxetine markedly reduced plasma exposure and prolonged Tmax of glyburide, accompanied by significant increase in fecal excretion of glyburide. Co-administration of naringin also significantly decreased plasma exposure of glyburide. Data from intestinal perfusion experiments showed that both paroxetine and naringin significantly inhibited intestinal absorption of glyburide. Caco-2 cells were used to investigate whether paroxetine and naringin affected intestinal transport of glyburide and fexofenadine (a substrate of Oatp1a5). The results showed that both paroxetine and naringin greatly inhibited absorption of glyburide and fexofenadine. All results gave a conclusion that co-administration of paroxetine decreased plasma exposure of glyburide in rats via inhibiting intestinal absorption of glyburide, which may partly be attributed to the inhibition of intestinal Oatp1a5 activity.

Antitumor evaluation in tumor-bearing mouse is time- and energy-consuming. We aimed to investigate whether in vivo antitumor efficacy could be predicted on the basis of in vitro pharmacodynamics using deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), an antitumor candidate in development, as a model compound. Proliferation kinetics of monolayer-cultivated NCI-H460 cells under various DPT concentrations were quantitatively investigated and expressed as calibration curves. Koch two-phase natural growth model combined with sigmoid Emax model, i.e., dM/dt = 2λ0λ1M/(λ1 + 2λ0M) - Emax C γ /(EC50γ + C γ )·M, was introduced to describe cell proliferation (M) against time under DPT treatment (C). Estimated in vitro pharmacodynamic parameters were: EC50, 8.97 nM; Emax , 0.820 day-1, and γ, 7.13. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic model including tumor compartment was introduced to predict DPT disposition in plasma, tumor tissue, and main normal tissues of NCI-H460 tumor-bearing mice following a single dose. The in vivo pharmacodynamic model and parameters were assumed the same as the in vitro ones, and linked with simulated tumor pharmacokinetic profiles by a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to build a PBPK-pharmacodynamic (PBPK-PD) model. After natural growth parameters (λ0 and λ1) were estimated, the objective in this study was to predict with the PBPK-PD model the tumor growth in NCI-H460 tumor-bearing mice during multidose DPT treatment, a use of the model similar to what others have reported. In our work, the model was successfully applied to predict tumor growth in SGC-7901 tumor-bearing mice. The resulting data indicated that in vivo antitumor efficacy might be predicted on the basis of in vitro cytotoxic assays via a PBPK-PD model approach. We demonstrated that the approach is reasonable and applicable and may facilitate and accelerate anticancer candidate screening and dose regimen design in the drug discovery process.

HIV infection is often associated with liver failure, which alters the pharmacokinetics of many drugs. In this study we investigated whether acute liver failure (ALF) altered the pharmacokinetics of the first-line anti-HIV agent zidovudine (AZT), a P-gp/BCRP substrate, in rats. ALF was induced in rats by injecting thioacetamide (TAA, 300 mg·kg -1 ·d -1 , ip) for 2 days. On the second day after the last injection of TAA, the pharmacokinetics of AZT was investigated following both oral (20 mg/kg) and intravenous (10 mg/kg) administration. ALF significantly increased the plasma concentrations of AZT after both oral and intravenous doses of AZT, but without affecting the urinary excretion of AZT. AZT metabolism was studied in rat hepatic microsomes in vitro , which revealed that hepatic UGT2B7 was the main enzyme responsible for the formation of AZT O-glucuronide (GAZT); ALF markedly impaired AZT metabolism in hepatic microsomes, which was associated with the significantly decreased hepatic UGT2B7 expression. Intestinal absorption of AZT was further studied in rats via in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion. Intestinal P-gp function and intestinal integrity were assessed with rhodamine 123 and FD-70, respectively. We found that ALF significantly downregulated intestinal P-gp expression, and had a smaller effect on intestinal BCRP. Further studies showed that ALF significantly increased the intestinal absorption of both rhodamine 123 and AZT without altering intestinal integrity, thus confirming an impairment of intestinal P-gp function. In conclusion, ALF significantly increases the oral plasma exposure of AZT in rats, a result partly attributed to the impaired function and expression of hepatic UGT2B7 and intestinal P-gp.

Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT) is a potential anti-tumor candidate prior to its clinical phase. The aim of the study was to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model consisting of 13 tissue compartments to predict DPT disposition in mouse, rat, monkey, and dog based on in vitro and in silico inputs. Since large interspecies difference was found in unbound fraction of DPT in plasma, we assumed that Kt:pl,u (unbound tissue-to-plasma concentration ratio) was identical across species. The predictions of our model were then validated by in vivo data of corresponding preclinical species, along with visual predictive checks. Reasonable matches were found between observed and predicted plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters in all four animal species. The prediction in the related seven tissues of mouse was also desirable. We also attempted to predict human pharmacokinetic profile by both the developed PBPK model and interspecies allometric scaling across mouse, rat and monkey, while dog was excluded from the scaling. The two approaches reached similar results. We hope the study will help in the efficacy and safety assessment of DPT in future clinical studies and provide a reference to the preclinical screening of similar compounds by PBPK model.

l-Corydalmine (l-CDL) was under development as an oral analgesic agent, exhibiting potent analgesic activity in preclinical models. The objective of this study was to compare metabolic profiles of l-CDL in liver microsomes from mouse, rat, monkey, dog and human. Six metabolites (M1-M6) were identified using LC-Q/TOF in liver microsomes from the five species. The metabolism of l-CDL included O-demethylation (M1-3) and hydroxylation (M4-6). The desmethyl metabolites were the major ones among the five species, which accounted for more than 84%. Data from chemical inhibition in human liver microsomes (HLM) and human recombinant CYP450s demonstrated that CYP2D6 exhibited strong catalytic activity towards M1 and M2 formations, while CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 also catalyzed M2 formation. Formations of M3 and hydroxyl metabolites (M4 and M5) were mainly catalyzed by CYP3A4. Further studies showed that M1 and M2 were main metabolites in HLM. The kinetics of M1 and M2 formations in HLM and recombinant CYP450s were also investigated. The results showed that M1 and M2 formations in HLM and recombinant CYP2D6 characterized biphasic kinetics, whereas sigmoid Vmax model was better used to fit M2 formation by recombinant CYP2C9 and CYP2C19. The contributions of CYP2D6 to M1 and M2 formations in HLM were estimated to be 75.3% and 50.7%, respectively. However, the contributions of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 to M2 formation were only 5.0% and 4.1%, respectively. All these data indicated that M1 and M2 were main metabolites in HLM, and CYP2D6 was the primary enzyme responsible for their formations.

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which may cause serious intestinal adverse reactions (enteropathy). In this study we investigated whether co-administration of ciprofloxacin affected the pharmacokinetics of diclofenac and diclofenac-induced enteropathy in rats. The pharmacokinetics of diclofenac was assessed in rats after receiving diclofenac (10 mg/kg, ig, or 5 mg/kg, iv), with or without ciprofloxacin (20 mg/kg, ig) co-administered. After receiving 6 oral doses or 15 intravenous doses of diclofenac, the rats were sacrificed, and small intestine was removed to examine diclofenac-induced enteropathy. β-Glucuronidase activity in intestinal content, bovine liver and E coli was evaluated. Following oral or intravenous administration, the pharmacokinetic profile of diclofenac displayed typical enterohepatic circulation, and co-administration of ciprofloxacin abolished the enterohepatic circulation, resulted in significant reduction in the plasma content of diclofenac. In control rats, β-glucuronidase activity in small intestinal content was region-dependent: proximal intestine

Accumulating evidences demonstrated that statins impaired glucose utilization. This study was aimed to investigate whether PXR was involved in the atorvastatin-impaired glucose utilization. Rifampicin/PCN served as PXR activator control. Glucose utilization, glucose uptake, protein levels of GLUT2, GCK, PDK2, PEPCK1 and G6Pase in HepG2 cells were measured. PXR inhibitors, PXR overexpression and PXR siRNA were applied to verify the role of PXR in atorvastatin-impaired glucose utilization in cells. Hypercholesterolemia rats induced by high fat diet feeding, orally received atorvastatin (5 and 10 mg/kg), pravastatin (10 mg/kg) for 14 days, or intraperitoneally received PCN (35 mg/kg) for 4 days. Results showed that glucose utilization was markedly inhibited by atorvastatin, simvastatin, pitavastatin, lovastatin and rifampicin. Neither rosuvastatin nor pravastatin showed the similar effect. Atorvastatin and pravastatin were selected for the following study. Atorvastatin and rifampicin significantly inhibited glucose uptake and down-regulated GLUT2 and GCK expressions. Similarly, overexpressed PXR significantly down-regulated GLUT2 and GCK expressions and impaired glucose utilization. Ketoconazole and resveratrol attenuated the impaired glucose utilization by atorvastatin and rifampicin in both parental and overexpressed PXR cells. PXR knockdown significantly up-regulated GLUT2 and GCK proteins and abolished the decreased glucose consumption and uptake by atorvastatin and rifampicin. Animal experiments showed that atorvastatin and PCN significantly elicited postprandial hyperglycemia, leading to increase in glucose AUC. Expressions of GLUT2 and GCK in rat livers were markedly down-regulated by atorvastatin and PCN. In conclusion, atorvastatin impaired glucose utilization in hepatocytes via repressing GLUT2 and GCK expressions, which may be partly due to PXR activation.