Abstract
We previously reported that both the concentrative (hCNT) and equilibrative (hENT) nucleoside transporters are expressed in the human liver (21). Here we report a study that investigated the expression of these transporters (transcripts and proteins) and their role in the hepatobiliary transport of nucleosides/nucleoside drugs using sandwich-cultured human hepatocytes. In the hepatic tissue, the rank order of the mRNA expression of the transporters was hCNT1 ≈ hENT1 > hENT2 ≈ hCNT2 > hCNT3. In sandwich-cultured hepatocytes, the mRNA expression of hCNT2 and hENT2 was comparable to that in hepatic tissue, whereas the expression of corresponding transporters in the two-dimensional hepatocyte cultures was lower. Colocalization studies demonstrated predominant localization of these transporters at the sinusoidal membrane and of hENT1, hCNT1, and hCNT2 at the canalicular membrane. In the sandwich-cultured hepatocytes, ENTs were the major contributors to the transport of thymidine (hENT1, 63%; hENT2, 23%) or guanosine (hENT1, 53%; hENT2, 24%) into the hepatocytes followed by hCNT1 (10%) for thymidine or hCNT2 (23%) for guanosine. Although ribavirin was predominately transported (89%) into the hepatocytes by hENT1, fialuridine (FIAU) was transported by both hENT1 (30%) and hCNTs (61%). The extensively metabolized natural nucleosides were not effluxed into the bile, whereas significant biliary-efflux was observed of FIAU (19%), ribavirin (30%), and formycin B (35%). We conclude that the hepatic activity of hENT1 and hCNT1/2 transporters will determine the in vivo hepatic distribution and therefore the efficacy and/or toxicity of nucleoside drugs used to treat hepatic diseases.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | G570-G580 |
Journal | American Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology |
Volume | 295 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2008 |
Keywords
- Biliary efflux
- Biliary excretion
- Hepatic diseases
- Human concentrative nucleoside transporters
- Human equilibrative nucleoside transporters
- Localization
- Nucleoside drugs
- Phosphorylation
- Protein expression
- mRNA
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology
- Physiology (medical)