Hepatobiliary transport mechanism for the cyclopentapeptide endothelin antagonist bq-123. Shin, Ho-Chul, Yukio Kato, Tadashi Yamada, Kayoko Niinuma, Akihiro Hisaka, and Yuichi Sugiyama. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, and Tsukuba Research Institute, Banyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Okubo 3, Tsukuba 300-33, Japan
APStracts 3:0266G, 1996.
The hepatobiliary transport of an anionic cyclopentapeptide endothelin antagonist, BQ-123 was studied in rats. Biliary excretion of [3H]BQ -123 was extensive in vivo (approximately 75% of intravenous infusion rates). Liver to plasma and bile to liver concentration ratios at steady-state were approximately 3 and 200, respectively, suggesting that both hepatic uptake and biliary excretion are concentrative processes. The biliary excretion clearance exhibited a saturation at a hepatic concentration higher than 100 nmol/g liver and was markedly reduced in Eisai hyperbilirubinemic rats (EHBR) having a hereditary defect of canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT). An ATP-dependent and saturable uptake of BQ-123 by isolated canalicular membrane vesicles (CMV) was observed in vitro. Impaired transport of BQ-123 was also confirmed in CMV prepared from EHBR. These results demonstrate that the biliary excretion process is ATP -driven primary active transport. It is proposed that cMOAT is mainly responsible for the biliary excretion of BQ-123.

Received 29 June 1995; accepted in final form 6 December 1996.
APS Manuscript Number G278-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 31 December 1996