Purpose: The organic anion transporter OATP1B3, encoded by SLCO1B3, is involved in the transport of steroid hormones. However, its role in testosterone uptake and clinical outcome of prostatic cancer is unknown. This study examined (a) the SLCO1B3 genotype in cancer cells as well as the uptake of testosterone by cells transfected with genetic variants of SLCO1B3; (b) the expression of OATP1B3 in normal prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostatic cancer; and (c) the role of SLCO1B3 haplotype on clinical outcome of Caucasian patients with androgen-independent prostatic cancer. Experimental Design: SLCO1B3 genotype was assessed in the NCI-60 panel of tumor cells by sequencing, whereas testosterone transport was analyzed in Cos-7 cells transfected with WT, 334G, and 699A SLCO1B3 variants. OATP1B3 expression in prostatic tissues was examined by fluorescence microscopy, and the relationship between SLCO1B3 haplotypes and survival was examined in patients. Results: Cells transfected with wild-type (334T/699G) SLCO1B3, or with a vector containing either the 334G or 699A variants, actively transported testosterone, whereas its uptake was impaired in cells transfected with a gene carrying both 334G and 699A single nucleotide polymorphisms. Prostatic cancer overexpresses OATP1B3 compared with normal or benign hyperplastic tissue; patients with SLCO1B3 334GG/699AA haplotype showed longer median survival (8.5 versus 6.4 years; P = 0.020) and improved survival probability at 10 years (42% versus 23%; P < 0.023) than patients carryingTT/AA and TG/GA haplotypes. Conclusions: The common SLCO1B3 GG/AA haplotype is associated with impaired testosterone transport and improved survival in patients with prostatic cancer.

The interaction of imatinib mesilate with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was examined using pig kidney epithelial LLC-PK1 cells versus L-MDR1 cells, which overexpress human P-gp on the apical membrane. The basal-to-apical transport of imatinib mesilate in L-MDR1 cells significantly exceeded that in the parental LLC-PK1 cells. The intracellular accumulation of imatinib mesilate after its basal application to LLC-PK1 and L-MDR1 cells was 35% and 15%, respectively. A P-gp modulator, cyclosporin A, inhibited the basal-to-apical transport in L-MDR1 cells. The intracellular accumulation of imatinib mesilate in L-MDR1 cells was also increased by cyclosporin A. The rhodamine 123 efflux assay showed that the efflux of rhodamine 123 in K562/DXR cells, which overexpress human P-gp, could be blocked markedly by imatinib mesilate in a dose-dependent fashion. The K i values for the inhibition of P-gp function by cyclosporin A and imatinib mesilate were estimated to be 6.1 and 18.3 M, respectively, using a calcein-AM efflux assay. These observations demonstrate that imatinib mesilate is a substrate as well as a modulator of human P-gp, suggesting that imatinib mesilate drug interactions may occur via P-gp. It is necessary to consider the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of imatinib mesilate with other drugs via P-gp.

To explore retrospectively the relationships between paclitaxel pharmacokinetics and three known, non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SLCO1B3, the gene encoding organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B3. Accumulation of [(3)H]paclitaxel was studied in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with cRNA of Oatp1b2, OATP1A2, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, and NTCP. The 334T>G (Ser112Ala), 699G>A (Met233Ile), and 1564G>T (Gly522Cys) loci of SLCO1B3 were screened in 475 individuals from five ethnic groups and 90 European Caucasian cancer patients treated with paclitaxel. Only OATP1B3 was capable of transporting paclitaxel to a significant extent (P=0.003). The 334T>G and 699G>A SNPs were less common in the African-American and Ghanaian populations (P<0.000001). Paclitaxel pharmacokinetics were not associated with the studied SNPs or haplotypes (P>0.3). The studied SNPs in SLCO1B3 appear to play a limited role in the disposition of paclitaxel, although their clinical significance in other ethnic populations remains to be investigated.

Purpose: The peptides derived from ideal cancer-testis antigens, including LY6K, CDCA1, and IMP3 (identified using genome-wide cDNA microarray analyses), were used in immunotherapy for head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). In this trial, we analyzed the immune response to and safety and efficacy of vaccine therapy.Experimental Design: A total of 37 patients with advanced HNSCC were enrolled in this trial of peptide vaccine therapy, and the OS, PFS, and immunologic response were evaluated using enzyme-linked ImmunoSpot (ELISPOT) and pentamer assays. The peptides were subcutaneously administered weekly with IFA. The primary endpoints were evaluated on the basis of differences between HLA-A Ã 2402-positive [A24(þ)] patients treated with peptide vaccine therapy and -negative [A24(À)] patients treated without peptide vaccine therapy among those with advanced HNSCC.Results: Our cancer vaccine therapy was well tolerated. The OS of the A24(þ) vaccinated group (n ¼ 37) was statistically significantly longer than that of the A24(À) group (n ¼ 18) and median survival time (MST) was 4.9 versus 3.5 months, respectively; P < 0.05. One of the patients exhibited a complete response. In the A24(þ) vaccinated group, the ELISPOT assay identified LY6K-, CDCA1-, and IMP3-specific CTL responses in 85.7%, 64.3%, and 42.9% of the patients, respectively. The patients showing LY6K-and CDCA1-specific CTL responses demonstrated a longer OS than those without CTL induction. Moreover, the patients exhibiting CTL induction for multiple peptides demonstrated better clinical responses.Conclusions: The immune response induced by this vaccine may improve the prognosis of patients with advanced HNSCC.

The effect of acute renal failure (ARF) induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) of rat kidney on the expression of organic anion transporters (OATs) was examined. The level of serum indoxyl sulfate (IS), a uremic toxin and substrate of OATs in renal tubules, shows a marked increase with the progression of ARF. However, this increase was significantly attenuated by ingestion of cobalt. The level of mRNA and protein of both rOAT1 and rOAT3 were markedly depressed in the ischemic kidney. The uptake of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and estrone sulfate (ES) by renal slices of ischemic rats was significantly reduced compared to control rats. Renal slices taken from ischemic rats treated with cobalt displayed significantly elevated levels of ES uptake. Cobalt intake did not affect PAH uptake, indicating the functional restoration of rOAT3 but not rOAT1. The expression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase was markedly depressed in the ischemic kidney, suggesting that the inward Na(+) gradient in renal tubular cells had collapsed, thereby reducing the outward gradient of alpha-ketoglutarate, a driving force of both rOATs. The decreased expression of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase was significantly restored by cobalt treatment. Our results suggest that the downregulation of renal rOAT1 and rOAT3 could be responsible for the increase in serum IS level of ischemic rats. Cobalt treatment has a significant protective effect on ischemia-induced ARF, being accompanied by the restoration of rOAT3 and/or Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase function.

The 808G>T SNP in OCT2 ameliorated CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity without alteration of disposition, whereas the rs2289669 G>A SNP in MATE1 had no effect on CDDP toxicity.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine whether brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer could be detected noninvasively using positron emission tomography (PET) with 64Cu-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-trastuzumab.MethodsPET was performed on five patients with brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer, at 24 or 48 h after the injection of approximately 130 MBq of the probe 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab. Radioactivity in metastatic brain tumors was evaluated based on PET images in five patients. Autoradiography, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis were performed in one surgical case to confirm HER2 specificity of 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab.ResultsMetastatic brain lesions could be visualized by 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab PET in all of five cases, which might indicated that trastuzumab passes through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The HER2 specificity of 64Cu-DOTA-trastuzumab was demonstrated in one patient by autoradiography, immunohistochemistry, and LC-MS/MS.ConclusionsCu-DOTA-trastuzumab PET could be a potential noninvasive procedure for serial identification of metastatic brain lesions in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.Trial registrationUMIN000004170

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of genetic polymorphisms in the metabolic and cellular transport pathway of methotrexate (MTX) on the clinical outcome of MTX monotherapy in Japanese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Fifty-five patients were treated with MTX monotherapy at a dose of 4-10 mg/week. The total concentration of MTX-polyglutamates (MTX-PGs) was measured at steady-state in red blood cells (RBCs) by high performance liquid chromatography. The genotype at 16 polymorphic sites in 11 genes (ABCB1, ABCG2, ABCC2, RFC1, PCFT, SLCO1B1, MTHFR, GGH, ATIC, MTR, and MTRR) was analyzed. No significant association between the total concentration of MTX-PGs in RBCs and clinical outcome was found. However, patients with the ABCB1 3435TT genotype had a significantly lower mean disease activity score (DAS) 28 than did patients with the ABCB1 3435CC genotype (p = 0.02). Similarly, patients with the ABCB1 2677AA/AT/TT genotypes had a significantly lower mean DAS28 than did patients with the ABCB1 2677GG/GA/GT genotypes (p = 0.04). The patients with the MTHFR 1298AA genotype had a significantly lower mean DAS28 than those with the MTHFR 1298AC/CC genotypes (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the ABCB1 3435C>T, ABCB1 2677G>A/T, and MTHFR 1298A>C polymorphisms influenced the efficacy of MTX monotherapy.