Differential interaction of human renal p-glycoprotein with various metabolites and analogues of cyclosporine a. Charuk, Jeffrey H. M., Pui Y. Wong, and Reinhart A. F. Reithmeier. MRC Group in Membrane Biology, Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry, Room 7344, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1A8, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2C4, Telephone: 416-978-7739, FAX: 416-978-8765
APStracts 2:0017F, 1995.
The interactions of P-glycoprotein with several analogues and metabolites of cyclosporine A were studied to gain a better understanding of this immunosuppres-sant's mechanism of excretion and nephrotoxicity. The incorporation of [3H]-azidopine into human renal P-glycoprotein in the presence of varying concentrations of different cyclosporines was quantitated. Competitive [3H] -azidopine photolabelling and [3H]drug transport assays of CHRC5 multidrug-resistant cells were also conducted to evaluate the effects of the cyclosporines on P-glycoprotein function. Cyclosporines A (K0.5=20nM) and G (K0.5=40nM) blocked [3H]-azidopine photolabelling of renal P-glycoprotein at very low concentrations while higher concentrations of cyclosporine C (K0.5=500nM) and metabolites 1 17 and 21 (K0.5=200nM) were required to inhibit photolabelling. Metabolites H, and 8, were ineffective at inhibiting [3H]azidopine photolabelling of the human renal P-glycoprotein. Similarly, cyclosporines A, C and G also inhibited [3H]azidopine photolabelling of P-glycoprotein in multidrug -resistant C5 cells best, while the various metabolites were less effective. Cyclosporines A, C and G also enhanced the cellular accumulation of [3H]cyclosporine A and several other [3H]labelled compounds known to be transported by P -glycoprotein in multidrug-resistant C5 cells. The differential affinities of cyclosporine A metabolites for P-glycoprotein suggest there is considerable drug-binding site specificity. Our current hypothesis is that cyclosporine A may be more nephrotoxic than its metabolites by virtue of its superior ability to bind to and competitively inhibit the urinary excretion of an endogenous P -glycoprotein substrate. Our findings provide the basis for the future design and testing of new cyclosporine derivatives that have immunosuppressive activity yet may be less nephrotoxic because of their poor interaction with renal P-glycoprotein.

Received 3 November 1994; accepted in final form 6 February 1995.
APS Manuscript Number F395-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Fluid Electrolyte
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 23 February 1995.