Simultaneous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), probenecid, and other drugs has been reported to delay the plasma elimination of methotrexate in patients. Previously, we have reported that inhibition of the uptake process cannot explain such drug-drug interactions using rats. The present study quantitatively evaluated the possible role of the transporters in such drug-drug interactions using human kidney slices and membrane vesicles expressing human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The uptake of methotrexate by human kidney slices was saturable with a K m of 45 to 49 M. Saturable uptake of methotrexate by human kidney slices was markedly inhibited by p-aminohippurate and benzylpenicillin, but only weakly by 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. These transport characteristics are similar to those of a basolateral organic anion transporter (OAT) 3/SLC22A8. NSAIDs and probenecid inhibited the uptake of methotrexate by human kidney slices, and, in particular, salicylate, indomethacin, phenylbutazone, and probenecid were predicted to exhibit significant inhibition at clinically observed plasma concentrations. Among ABC transporters, such as BCRP/ABCG2, multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) 2/ABCC2, and MRP4/ABCC4, which are candidates for the luminal efflux of methotrexate, ATPdependent uptake of methotrexate by MRP4-expressing membrane vesicles was most potently inhibited by NSAIDs. Salicylate and indomethacin were predicted to inhibit MRP4 at clinical plasma concentrations. Diclofenac-glucuronide significantly inhibited MRP2-mediated transport of methotrexate in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas naproxen-glucuronide had no effect. Inhibition of renal uptake (via OAT3) and efflux processes (via MRP2 and MRP4) explains the possible sites of drug-drug interaction for methotrexate with probenecid and some NSAIDs, including their glucuronides.Drug-drug interactions involving metabolism and/or excretion processes prolong the plasma elimination half-lives leading to the accumulation of drugs in the body and potentiate pharmacological/adverse effects. Recent progress in molecular biological research has shown that many types of transporters play important roles in the tissue uptake and/or subsequent secretion of drugs in the liver and kidney, and such transporters exhibit a broad substrate specificity with a degree of overlap, suggesting the possibility of transportermediated drug-drug interactions with other substrates (Shitara et al., 2005;Li et al., 2006). Methotrexate (MTX) is an analog of natural folate and has been widely and successfully used for the treatment of neoplastic diseases and autoimmune diseases, including rheu-

To develop potent and metabolically stable agonists for protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), we prepared 2-furoylated (2f) derivatives of native PAR-2-activating peptides, 2f-LIGKV-OH, 2f-LIGRL-OH, 2f-LIGKV-NH 2 , and 2f-LIGRL-NH 2 , and systematically evaluated their activity in PAR-2-responsive cell lines and tissues. In both HCT-15 cells and NCTC2544 cells overexpressing PAR-2, all furoylated peptides increased cytosolic Ca 2ϩ levels with a greater potency than the corresponding native peptides, although a similar maximum response was recorded. The absolute potency of each peptide was greater in NCTC2544, possibly due to a higher level of receptor expression. Furthermore, the difference in potency between the 2-furoylated peptides and the native peptides was enhanced when evaluated in the rat superior mesenteric artery and further increased when measuring PAR-2-mediated salivation in ddY mice in vivo. The potency of 2f-LIGRL-NH 2 , the most powerful peptide, relative to SLIGKV-OH, was about 100 in the cultured cell Ca 2ϩ signaling assays, 517 in the vasorelaxation assay, and 1100 in the salivation assay. Amastatin, an aminopeptidase inhibitor, augmented salivation caused by native peptides, but not furoylated peptides. The PAR-2-activating peptides, including the furoylated derivatives, also produced salivation in the wild-type C57BL/6 mice, but not the PAR-2-deficient mice. Our data thus demonstrate that substitution of the N-terminal serine with a furoyl group in native PAR-2-activating peptides dramatically enhances the agonistic activity and decreases degradation by aminopeptidase, leading to development of 2f-LIGRL-NH 2 , the most potent peptide. Furthermore, the data from PAR-2-deficient mice provide ultimate evidence for involvement of PAR-2 in salivation and the selective nature of the 2-furoylated peptides.

Quantitative prediction of the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on drug disposition has become important for the optimal design of clinical studies in patients. In this study, clinical data of 151 compounds under CKD conditions were extensively surveyed, and alterations in pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated. In CKD patients, the unbound hepatic intrinsic clearance decreased to a similar extent for drugs eliminated via hepatic metabolism by cytochrome P450, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and other mechanisms. Renal clearance showed a similar decrease to glomerular filtration rate, irrespective of the contribution of tubular secretion. The scaling factor (SF) obtained from the interquartile range of the relative change in each parameter was applied to the well-stirred model to predict clearance in patients. Hepatic and renal clearance could be successfully predicted for approximately half and two-thirds, respectively, of the applied compounds, showing the high utility of SFs. SFs were also introduced to a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model, and the plasma concentration profiles of 12 model compounds with different elimination pathways were predicted for CKD patients. The PBPK model combined with SFs provided good predictability for plasma concentration. The developed PBPK model with information on SFs would accelerate translational research in drug development by predicting pharmacokinetics in CKD patients.

Abstract-Effects of FUT-175

We investigated the inhibitory effects of a novel amphiphilic ascorbic derivative, disodium isostearyl 2-O-Lascorbyl phosphate (VCP-IS-2Na), synthesized from a hydrophilic ascorbic derivative, sodium-2-O-L-ascorbyl phosphate (VCP-Na), on melanogenesis in cultured human melanoma cells, normal human melanocytes, and three-dimensional cultured human skin models. Melanin synthesis in melanoma cells treated with VCP-IS-2Na at 300 m mM and melanocytes treated with VCP-IS-2Na at 100 m mM decreased to 23% and 52% of that in non-treated cells, respectively, and the cell viability was not affected. VCP-IS-2Na also significantly suppressed the cellular tyrosinase activity of melanoma cells and melanocytes. Melanin synthesis in human skin models was evaluated by macro-and microscopic observations of its pigmentation and quantitative measurements of melanin. Treatment of the human skin models with 1.0% VCP-IS-2Na did not inhibit cell viability, while melanin synthesis was decreased to 21% of that in the control. In contrast, L-ascorbic acid (VC) and VCP-Na did not seem to inhibit melanin synthesis and cellular tyrosinase activity. These results indicate that VCP-IS-2Na may be an effective whitening agent for the skin, and we expect the application of VCP-IS-2Na in the cosmetic industry.Key words disodium isostearyl 2-O-L-ascorbyl phosphate; amphiphilic ascorbate; melanogenesis; human tyrosinase; threedimensional human skin model Chem.