The extent of drug-drug interaction between amlodipine and activated charcoal is attenuated by food intake in rats.

Activated charcoal decreases gastrointestinal absorption of concomitantly administered drugs. The absorption of amlodipine (AML) was reported as almost completely attenuated by 25 g of activated charcoal under a fasted condition, but not affected by 2 g of activated charcoal under a fed condition. However, it is not clear whether this difference resulted from the food intake or the dose of activated charcoal. The aim of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effect of food intake on drug interactions caused by adsorption to activated charcoal in the gastrointestinal tract in rats. The rats were orally administered 0.08 mg/kg of AML, with or without 33 mg/kg of activated charcoal, under the fasted or fed condition and the plasma concentration profiles of AML were monitored. For the fed group, the standard breakfast used in clinical studies was smashed and administered at a dose of 11 g/kg. The AUC value of AML under the fasted condition was significantly decreased to 24.8% by coadministration of activated charcoal. On the other hand, activated charcoal moderately decreased the AUC value of AML to 74.8% under the fed condition. These results suggest that the extent of drug interactions caused by activated charcoal is attenuated by food intake.

Soluble Human Intestinal Lactoferrin Receptor: Ca(2+)-Dependent Binding to Sepharose-Based Matrices.

A soluble form of human intestinal lactoferrin receptor (shLFR) is identical to human intelectin-1 (hITLN-1), a galactofuranose-binding protein that acts as a host defense against invading pathogenic microorganisms. We found that recombinant shLFR, expressed in mammalian cells (CHO DG44, COS-1, and RK13), binds tightly to Sepharose 4 Fast Flow (FF)-based matrices in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. This binding of shLFR to Sepharose 4 FF-based matrices was inhibited by excess D-galactose, but not by D-glucose, suggesting that shLFR recognizes repeating units of α-1,6-linked D-galactose in Sepharose 4 FF. Furthermore, shLFR could bind to both Sepharose 4B- and Sepharose 6B-based matrices that were not crosslinked in a similar manner as to Sepharose 4 FF-based matrices. Therefore, shLFR (hITLN-1) binds to Sepharose-based matrices in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. This binding property is most likely related to the ability, as host defense lectins, to recognize sepharose (agarobiose)-like structures present on the surface of invading pathogenic microorganisms.