title: Regulation of drug transporter expression in human hepatocytes exposed to the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin-6.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 are proinflammatory cytokines known to alter expression of drug transporters in rodent liver. However, their effects toward human hepatic transporters remain poorly characterized. Therefore, this study was designed to analyze the effects of these cytokines on drug transporter expression in primary human hepatocytes. Exposure to 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha or 10 ng/ml IL-6 for 48 h was found to down-regulate mRNA levels of major sinusoidal influx transporters, including sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1, organic cation transporter (OCT) 1, and organic anion transporter 2. TNF-alpha and IL-6 concomitantly reduced NTCP and OATP1B1 protein expression and NTCP, OATP, and OCT1 transport activities. IL-6, but not TNF-alpha, was also found to decrease mRNA expression of the canalicular transporters multidrug resistance 1 gene, multidrug resistance gene-associated protein (MRP) 2, and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP); it concomitantly decreased MRP2 and BCRP protein expression. TNF-alpha, unlike IL-6, markedly reduced bile salt export pump mRNA levels and increased BCRP protein expression. Expression of the sinusoidal MRP3 efflux pump was found to be up-regulated at protein level by both TNF-alpha and IL-6. Taken together, these data show that TNF-alpha and IL-6 similarly altered expression of sinusoidal drug transporters and rather differentially that of canalicular efflux transporters. Such pronounced changes in hepatic transporter expression are likely to contribute to both cholestasis and alterations of pharmacokinetics caused by inflammation in humans.
authors.affiliation: Unité Propre de Recherche et de l'Enseignement Supérieur, Equipe d'Accueil, SeRAIC/Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U620, Institut Fédératif de Recherches 140, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Vee
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lecureur
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stieger
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fardel
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000089762:Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C000715087:ABCC2 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D000089762:Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha