In mice, the mdr1a and mdr1b genes encode drug-transporting proteins that can cause multidrug resistance in tumor cells by lowering intracellular drug levels. These P-glycoproteins are also found in various normal tissues such as the intestine. Because mdr1b P-glycoprotein is not detectable in the intestine, mice with a homozygously disrupted mdr1a gene [mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice] do not contain functional P-glycoprotein in this organ. We have used these mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice to study the effect of gut P-glycoprotein on the pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel. The area under the plasma concentration-time curves was 2-and 6-fold higher in mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice than in wild-type (wt) mice after i.v. and oral drug administration, respectively. Consequently, the oral bioavailability in mice receiving 10 mg paclitaxel per kg body weight increased from only 11% in wt mice to 35% in mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice. The cumulative fecal excretion (0-96 hr) was markedly reduced from 40% (after i.v. administration) and 87% (after oral administration) of the administered dose in wt mice to below 3% in mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice. Biliary excretion was not significantly different in wt and mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice. Interestingly, after i.v. drug administration of paclitaxel (10 mg͞kg) to mice with a cannulated gall bladder, 11% of the dose was recovered within 90 min in the intestinal contents of wt mice vs. <3% in mdr1a(؊͞؊) mice. We conclude that Pglycoprotein limits the oral uptake of paclitaxel and mediates direct excretion of the drug from the systemic circulation into the intestinal lumen.

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The non-ionic surfactants Cremophor EL (CrEL; polyoxyethyleneglycerol triricinoleate 35) and polysorbate 80 (Tween) 80; polyoxyethylene-sorbitan-20-monooleate) are widely used as drug formulation vehicles, including for the taxane anticancer agents paclitaxel and docetaxel. A wealth of recent experimental data has indicated that both solubilisers are biologically and pharmacologically active compounds, and their use as drug formulation vehicles has been implicated in clinically important adverse effects, including acute hypersensitivity reactions and peripheral neuropathy.CrEL and Tween 80 have also been demonstrated to influence the disposition of solubilised drugs that are administered intravenously. The overall resulting effect is a highly increased systemic drug exposure and a simultaneously decreased clearance, leading to alteration in the pharmacodynamic characteristics of the solubilised drug. Kinetic experiments revealed that this effect is primarily caused by reduced cellular uptake of the drug from large spherical micellar-like structures with a highly hydrophobic interior, which act as the principal carrier of circulating drug. Within the central blood compartment, this results in a profound alteration of drug accumulation in erythrocytes, thereby reducing the free drug fraction available for cellular partitioning and influencing drug distribution as well as elimination routes. The existence of CrEL and Tween 80 in blood as large polar micelles has also raised additional complexities in the case of combination chemotherapy regimens with taxanes, such that the disposition of several coadministered drugs, including anthracyclines and epipodophyllotoxins, is significantly altered. In contrast to the enhancing effects of Tween 80, addition of CrEL to the formulation of oral drug preparations seems to result in significantly diminished drug uptake and reduced circulating concentrations. The drawbacks presented by the presence of CrEL or Tween 80 in drug formulations have instigated extensive research to develop alternative delivery forms. Currently, several strategies are in progress to develop Tween 80- and CrEL-free formulations of docetaxel and paclitaxel, which are based on pharmaceutical (e.g. albumin nanoparticles, emulsions and liposomes), chemical (e.g. polyglutamates, analogues and prodrugs), or biological (e.g. oral drug administration) strategies. These continued investigations should eventually lead to more rational and selective chemotherapeutic treatment.

A B S T R A C T PurposeMethotrexate plasma concentration is related to its clinical effects. Our aim was to identify the genetic basis of interindividual variability in methotrexate pharmacokinetics in children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients and MethodsWe performed a genome-wide analysis of 500,568 germline single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify how inheritance affects methotrexate plasma disposition among 434 children with ALL who received 3,014 courses of methotrexate at 2 to 5 g/m 2 . SNPs were validated in an independent cohort of 206 patients. ResultsAdjusting for age, race, sex, and methotrexate regimen, the most significant associations were with SNPs in the organic anion transporter polypeptide, SLCO1B1. Two SNPs in SLCO1B1, rs11045879 (P ϭ 1.7 ϫ 10 Ϫ10 ) and rs4149081 (P ϭ 1.7 ϫ 10 Ϫ9 ), were in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other (r 2 ϭ 1) and with a functional polymorphism in SLCO1B1, T521C (rs4149056; r 2 Ͼ 0.84). rs11045879 and rs4149081 were validated in an independent cohort of 206 patients (P ϭ .018 and P ϭ .017), as were other SLCO1B1 SNPs residing in different LD blocks. SNPs in SLCO1B1 were also associated with GI toxicity (odds ratio, 15.3 to 16.4; P ϭ .03 to .004). ConclusionA genome-wide interrogation identified inherited variations in a plausible, yet heretofore lowpriority candidate gene, SLCO1B1, as important determinants of methotrexate's pharmacokinetics and clinical effects.

It is suggested that health care professionals and consumers should be aware of the potential for adverse interactions with these herbs, question their patients on their use of them, especially among patients whose disease is not responding to treatments as expected, and urge patients to avoid herbs that could confound their cancer care.

Purpose: To compare the preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetic properties of paclitaxel formulated as a Cremophor-free, albumin-bound nanoparticle (ABI-007) and formulated in Cremophorethanol (Taxol). Experimental Design: ABI-007 andTaxol were given i.v. to Harlan Sprague-Dawley male rats to determine pharmacokinetic and drug disposition. Paclitaxel pharmacokinetic properties also were assessed in 27 patients with advanced solid tumors who were randomly assigned to treatment with ABI-007 (260 mg/m 2 , 30 minutes; n = 14) or Taxol (175 mg/m 2 , 3 hours; n = 13), with cycles repeated every 3 weeks. Results:The volume of distribution at steady state and clearance for paclitaxel formulated as Cremophor-free nanoparticle ABI-007 were significantly greater than those for paclitaxel formulated with Cremophor (Taxol) in rats. Fecal excretion was the main elimination pathway with both formulations. Consistent with the preclinical data, paclitaxel clearance and volume of distribution were significantly higher for ABI-007 than for Taxol in humans [21.13 versus 14.76 L/h/m 2 (P = 0.048) and 663.8 versus 433.4 L/m 2 (P = 0.040), respectively]. Conclusions: Paclitaxel formulated as ABI-007 differs from paclitaxel formulated asTaxol, with a higher plasma clearance and a larger volume of distribution. This finding is consistent with the absence of paclitaxel-sequestering Cremophor micelles after administration of ABI-007. This unique property of ABI-007 could be important for its therapeutic effectiveness.Paclitaxel, a naturally occurring hydrophobic diterpenoid product extracted from the bark of the western yew (Taxus brevifolia; ref. 1), exerts its anticancer effects by promotion of tubulin polymerization, stabilization of microtubules, blockade of cells at the G 2 -M interface, and induction of apoptosis (2, 3). Paclitaxel is used as standard therapy for ovarian, breast, and non -small cell lung cancer and has recognized antitumor activity in several other malignancies (4).Currently, paclitaxel is marketed commercially in a formulation that contains a solvent system of Cremophor and dehydrated ethanol USP (Taxol, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Princeton, NJ; ref. 4). However, the amount of Cremophor in paclitaxel per administration is relatively high and has been associated with serious toxicities, including severe, sometimes fatal, hypersensitivity reactions (5 -8). Consequently, patients who receive Taxol must be premedicated with steroids and antihistamines to reduce the risk of such reactions, and special non -di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate tubing and in-line filters are required for i.v. administration (4). Therefore, the toxicologic and pharmacologic behavior of Cremophor in the context of chemotherapeutic treatment with paclitaxel is important.ABI-007 (Abraxane, American BioScience, Inc., Santa Monica, CA), a Cremophor-free, albumin-bound, nanoparticle paclitaxel (mean diameter, f130 nm), was developed to retain the therapeutic benefits of paclitaxel but eliminate the toxicities associated with Cremophor in the Taxo...

The MS-275 oral formulation on the daily schedule was intolerable at a dose and schedule explored. The q14-day schedule is reasonably well tolerated. Histone deacetylase inhibition was observed in peripheral-blood mononuclear-cells. Based on PK data from the q14-day schedule, a more frequent dosing schedule, weekly x 4, repeated every 6 weeks is presently being evaluated.

Methotrexate is used to treat autoimmune diseases and malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Inter-individual variation in clearance of methotrexate results in heterogeneous systemic exposure, clinical efficacy, and toxicity. In a genome-wide association study of children with ALL, we identified SLCO1B1 as harboring multiple common polymorphisms associated with methotrexate clearance. The extent of influence of rare versus common variants on pharmacogenomic phenotypes remains largely unexplored. We tested the hypothesis that rare variants in SLCO1B1 could affect methotrexate clearance and compared the influence of common versus rare variants in addition to clinical covariates on clearance. From deep resequencing of SLCO1B1 exons in 699 children, we identified 93 SNPs, 15 of which were nonsynonymous (NS). Three of these NS SNPs were common, with a minor allele frequency (MAF) >5%, one had low frequency (MAF 1%-5%), and 11 were rare (MAF <1%). NS SNPs (common or rare) predicted to be functionally damaging were more likely to be found among patients with the lowest methotrexate clearance than patients with high clearance. We verified lower function in vitro of four SLCO1B1 haplotypes that were associated with reduced methotrexate clearance. In a multivariate stepwise regression analysis adjusting for other genetic and non-genetic covariates, SLCO1B1 variants accounted for 10.7% of the population variability in clearance. Of that variability, common NS variants accounted for the majority, but rare damaging NS variants constituted 17.8% of SLCO1B1's effects (1.9% of total variation) and had larger effect sizes than common NS variants. Our results show that rare variants are likely to have an important effect on pharmacogenetic phenotypes.