Elevated blood concentrations of calcineurin inhibitors during diarrheal episode in pediatric liver transplant recipients: involvement of the suppression of intestinal cytochrome P450 3A and P-glycoprotein

Pediatr Transplant. 2005 Jun;9(3):315-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2005.00315.x.

Abstract

We encountered two cases of pediatric living-related liver transplant recipients who showed increases in blood concentration of cyclosporine or tacrolimus, a dual substrate for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), during a diarrheal episode. To investigate the effect of intestinal inflammation on the metabolic and efflux pump activities, we conducted the experiments using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal damage model. Intestinal epithelial CYP3A activity was assessed by nifedipine oxidation using intestinal epithelial microsomes in rat. Drug efflux by P-gp was tested using digoxin flux with the excised intestine perfusion system in rats. Intraperitoneal injection of LPS (0.3 mg/kg) significantly reduced the intestinal epithelial CYP3A activity by 41% (p < 0.01). In the proximal jejunal segment of the rats treated with LPS, mucosal to serosal flux of digoxin was significantly enhanced compared to that of control (p < 0.05). Efflux of digoxin, which was taken up by intestinal epithelium, to mucosal perfusate was significantly blunted in the jejunum treated with LPS (p < 0.05), which indicates that the LPS treatment reduced the P-gp activity in rat small intestine. These findings suggest that the suppression of CYP3A and P-gp activities may be involved in the mechanism of elevated blood concentrations of cyclosporine and tacrolimus during enteritis-induced diarrhea. To prevent a drug-induced adverse effect, dose of a drug, which is a substrate of CYP3A or P-gp, should be reduced during such an episode.

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Calcineurin Inhibitors*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cyclosporine / administration & dosage
  • Cyclosporine / blood*
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism*
  • Diarrhea, Infantile / blood*
  • Diarrhea, Infantile / physiopathology
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / administration & dosage
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / blood*
  • Infant
  • Lipopolysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Liver Transplantation* / physiology
  • Living Donors
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Tacrolimus / administration & dosage
  • Tacrolimus / blood*

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Calcineurin Inhibitors
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Cyclosporine
  • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
  • CYP3A protein, human
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • Tacrolimus