Studies on the intestinal absorption characteristics of sulfasalazine, a breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) substrate.

Oral sulfasalazine (SASP) is now used clinically as a probe substrate of a breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) activity; however the intestinal absorption characteristics of SASP are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of SASP transport in the mouse intestine. The everted ileum was incubated with SASP in the absence or presence of the Bcrp inhibitor Ko134. The steady-state intestinal absorptive clearance was 0.14 µL/min/cm in the absence of Ko134 and increased by 4.8-fold in the presence of Ko134. These results indicate that Bcrp mediates the efflux of SASP in the intestine. The absorptive clearance of SASP did not change in a concentration-dependent manner in the range of 0.1 to 50 µM in wild-type mice. By contrast, the absorptive clearance of SASP decreased significantly in a concentration-dependent manner in the presence of Ko134. Similar results were obtained in Bcrp(-/-) mice. These results suggest the possible involvement of some influx transporters in the intestinal absorption of SASP. In conclusion, both the influx and efflux transporters are involved in the intestinal absorption of SASP, which would explain why the absorptive clearance did not appear to change at various SASP concentrations in wild-type mice.

Pharmacokinetic interaction study of sulphasalazine in healthy subjects and the impact of curcumin as an in vivo inhibitor of BCRP.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE An ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)/ABCG2, limits oral bioavailability of sulphasalazine. Here we examined the effect of curcumin, the principal curcuminoid of turmeric, on oral bioavailability of microdoses and therapeutic doses of sulphasalazine in humans. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Effects of curcumin were measured on the ATP-dependent sulphasalazine uptake by hBCRP-expressing membrane vesicles and on oral bioavailability of sulphasalazine in wild-type and Bcrp(-/-) mice. Eight healthy Japanese subjects received an oral dose of sulphasalazine suspension (100 µg) or tablets (2 g) alone or after curcumin tablets (2 g). Uptake of sulphasalazine was studied in HEK293 cells transfected with the influx transporter (OATP)2B1. KEY RESULTS Curcumin was a potent hBCRP inhibitor in vitro (K(i) 0.70 ± 0.41 µM). Curcumin increased the area under the curve (AUC)(0-8) of plasma sulphasalazine eightfold in wild-type mice at 300 and 400 mg·kg(-1), but not in Bcrp(-/-) mice. Curcumin increased AUC(0-24) of plasma sulphasalazine 2.0-fold at microdoses and 3.2-fold at therapeutic doses in humans. Non-linearity of the dose-exposure relationship was observed between microdoses and therapeutic doses of sulphasalazine. Sulphasalazine was a substrate for OATP2B1 (K(m) 1.7 ± 0.3 µM). Its linear index (dose/K(m)) at the therapeutic dose was high and may saturate OATP2B1. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Curcumin can be used to investigate effects of BCRP on oral bioavailability of drugs in humans. Besides the limited dissolution, OATP2B1 saturation is a possible mechanism underlying non-linearity in the dose-exposure relationship of sulphasalazine.