Effect of probenecid on the formation and elimination kinetics of the sulphate and glucuronide conjugates of diflunisal

Renal Drug Transporters and Drug Interactions

Transporters in proximal renal tubules contribute to the disposition of numerous drugs. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of tubular secretion have been progressively elucidated during the past decades. Organic anions tend to be secreted by the transport proteins OAT1, OAT3 and OATP4C1 on the basolateral side of tubular cells, and multidrug resistance protein (MRP) 2, MRP4, OATP1A2 and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) on the apical side. Organic cations are secreted by organic cation transporter (OCT) 2 on the basolateral side, and multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins MATE1, MATE2/2-K, P-glycoprotein, organic cation and carnitine transporter (OCTN) 1 and OCTN2 on the apical side. Significant drug-drug interactions (DDIs) may affect any of these transporters, altering the clearance and, consequently, the efficacy and/or toxicity of substrate drugs. Interactions at the level of basolateral transporters typically decrease the clearance of the victim drug, causing higher systemic exposure. Interactions at the apical level can also lower drug clearance, but may be associated with higher renal toxicity, due to intracellular accumulation. Whereas the importance of glomerular filtration in drug disposition is largely appreciated among clinicians, DDIs involving renal transporters are less well recognized. This review summarizes current knowledge on the roles, quantitative importance and clinical relevance of these transporters in drug therapy. It proposes an approach based on substrate-inhibitor associations for predicting potential tubular-based DDIs and preventing their adverse consequences. We provide a comprehensive list of known drug interactions with renally-expressed transporters. While many of these interactions have limited clinical consequences, some involving high-risk drugs (e.g. methotrexate) definitely deserve the attention of prescribers.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of oseltamivir combined with probenecid

Oseltamivir is an inhibitor of influenza virus neuraminidase, which is approved for use for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza A and B virus infections. In the event of an influenza pandemic, oseltamivir supplies may be limited; thus, alternative dosing strategies for oseltamivir prophylaxis should be explored. Healthy volunteers were randomized to a three-arm, open-label study and given 75 mg oral oseltamivir every 24 h (group 1), 75 mg oseltamivir every 48 h (q48h) combined with 500 mg probenecid four times a day (group 2), or 75 mg oseltamivir q48h combined with 500 mg probenecid twice a day (group 3) for 15 days. Pharmacokinetic data, obtained by noncompartmental methods, and safety data are reported. Forty-eight subjects completed the pharmacokinetic analysis. The study drugs were generally well tolerated, except for one case of reversible grade 4 thrombocytopenia in a subject in group 2. The calculated 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for the geometric mean ratios between groups 2 and 3 and group 1 were outside the bioequivalence criteria boundary (0.80 to 1.25) at 0.63 to 0.89 for group 2 versus group 1 and 0.57 to 0.90 for group 3 versus group 1. The steady-state apparent oral clearance of oseltamivir carboxylate was significantly less in groups 2 (7.4 liters/h; 90% CI, 6.08 to 8.71) and 3 (7.19 liters/h; 90% CI, 6.41 to 7.98) than in group 1 (9.75 liters/h; 90% CI, 6.91 to 12.60) (P < 0.05 for both comparisons by analysis of variance). The (arithmetic) mean concentration at 48 h for group 2 was not significantly different from the mean concentration at 24 h for group 1 (42 +/- 76 and 81 +/- 54 ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.194), but the mean concentration at 48 h for group 3 was significantly less than the mean concentration at 24 h for group 1 (23 +/- 26 and 81 +/- 54 ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.012). Alternate-day dosing of oseltamivir plus dosing with probenecid four times daily achieved trough oseltamivir carboxylate concentrations adequate for neuraminidase inhibition in vitro, and this combination should be studied further.