Introduction: Nous avons déjà montré que l’insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC) entraîne une régulation négative du cytochrome P450 (CYP450) dans le foie et l’intestin de rat. La présente étude cherche à déterminer l’effet de l’IRC sur l’expression des enzymes du CYP450 dans le cerveau de rat. L’expression génique, protéique ainsi que l’activité des isoenzymes du CYP450 ont été analysées dans différentes régions du cerveau (hippocampe, cervelet, cortex et parenchyme cérébral) afin de déterminer l’effet de l’insuffisance rénale chronique sur le métabolisme cérébral des médicaments par le CYP450. Méthodes: Le cerveau entier de rats atteints d’IRC (induite par une néphrectomie sub-totale 5/6) et de rats témoins (laparotomie blanche) a été disséqué en 4 parties (cortex, cervelet, hippocampe et parenchyme cérébral). L’expression protéique et celle de l’ARNm des isoformes 1A, 2C11, 2D, 3A et 4A du cytochrome P450 a été étudiée respectivement par immunobuvardage de type Western et PCR en Temps Réel. L’activité du CYP3A a été mesurée par le métabolisme du DFB en DFH sur des préparations de microsomes de cerveau. Une technique de culture cellulaire d’astrocytes a été mise au point et a permis d’évaluer l’expression des enzymes dans ces cellules suite à l’incubation des astrocytes avec le sérum de rats atteints d’insuffisance rénale chronique. Résultats: Chez les rats atteints d’IRC, les niveaux géniques de CYP1A, 2C et 3A sont diminués d’au moins 40% (p < 0,05) dans presque toutes les parties étudiées. Les niveaux d’ARNm du CYP2D demeurent inchangés. De plus, une diminution significative d’au moins 45% (p < 0,05) de l’expression protéique des CYP1A, 2C et 3A est observée dans presque toutes les structures étudiées. L’activité enzymatique de CYP3A est diminuée significativement dans le cerveau de rats IRC, ainsi que l’expression des enzymes du CYP2C11 dans les astrocytes en culture lorsqu’incubés avec du sérum de rat urémique. Conclusions: Ces études démontrent que le cerveau est également affecté par l’IRC. Ceci se traduit par une diminution de l’expression protéique, génique, ainsi que de l’activité des enzymes du CYP450. Cette diminution pourrait expliquer une augmentation des effets secondaires dans le système nerveux central en IRC. / Background: It has been shown that chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with a downregulation of liver and intestinal cytochrome P450 (CYP450) in the rat. The present study aimed to investigate the repercussions of CRF on Brain. CYP450 isoenzymes mRNA and protein expression, as well as activity in different brain regions (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and rest of brain parenchyma), have been studied in order to determine the effects of CRF on cerebral drug metabolism by CYP450. Methods: The entire brain of CRF rats (induced by 5/6th nephrectomy) and control rats (sham laparotomy) was dissected into 4 parts (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and rest of brain parenchyma). Protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A, CYP2C, CYP2D, CYP3A, and CYP4A were assessed by Western Blot assay and Real Time PCR, respectively. CYP3A activity was assessed using DFB metabolism into DFH in brain microsomal preparation. Protein and mRNA expression were also assessed in cultured astrocytes incubated with serum from CRF rats. Results: In CRF rats, mRNA levels of CYP1A, CYP2C, and CYP3A were decreased significantly by at least 40% (p < 0.05) in almost all studied brain regions. Protein expression of these isoforms was decreased by at least 45% (p < 0.05) in almost all structures. A significant decrease in CYP3A activity was observed in the brain. The incubation of astrocytes with CRF sera induced a decrease in the protein and mRNA expression of the CYP2C11. Conclusions: CRF is associated with a decrease in some major drug-metabolizing enzymes, which could explain an increase in bioavailability of drugs in the brain.

Une résistance aux agents anticancéreux utilisés dans le traitement du cancer du sein est souvent associée à un échec de traitement. Des variations dans le devenir des agents anticancéreux dans l’organisme, sont des facteurs pouvant expliquer des phénomènes de résistance. Notre but était d’évaluer l’impact des isoenzymes du CYP450s, dans le métabolisme local des agents anticancéreux. Notre premier objectif était de valider un gène rapporteur pour nos analyses de PCR en temps réel. Pour ce faire, nous avons criblé l’expression de 6 gènes rapporteurs dans 23 lignées cellulaires. NUP-214 a été démontré comme étant le gène rapporteur le plus stable avec un écart-type de seulement 0.55 Ct. Notre deuxième objectif était de déterminer le niveau d’expression des ARNm de 19 isoformes du CYP450 dans plusieurs lignées cellulaires du cancer du sein. Les ARNm des CYP450s ont démontré une très grande variabilité entre les lignées cellulaires. Les isoformes CYP1B1 et CYP2J2 démontrent l’expression la plus importante pour la majorité des lignées. Notre troisième objectif était d’évaluer la corrélation entre l’expression des isoformes des CYP450s et leur activité métabolique en utilisant les substrats spécifiques du CYP1B1 et 2J2, 7-éthoxyrésorufine et ébastine, respectivement. Une forte corrélation (r2=0.99) fut observée entre l’activité métabolique vis-à-vis l’ébastine et l’expression du CYP2J2. De même, le métabolisme du 7-éthoxyrésorufine était fortement corrélé (r2=0.98) avec l’expression du CYP1B1. En résumé, ces résultats suggèrent que le métabolisme local des agents anticancéreux pourrait significativement moduler le devenir des agents anticancéreux dans l’organisme, et pourrait être ainsi, une source de résistance. / Several types of cancer cells have shown an innate or accute resistance to anti-cancer agents which in turn causes a failure in treatment. This resistance has been suggested to be caused by the expression of membrane transporters in cancer cells, as well as inter-individual variability in metabolism. Our interest was to evaluate the implication of CYP450 enzymes in the local metabolism of cancer cells. Our first objective was to screen the expression level of six housekeeping genes (HKG) using 23 different cell lines to determine which gene was the most stable. We found that NUP-214 was the most stable HKG across the panel of cell lines tested, with a standard deviation of only 0.55 Ct. Our second objective was to determine the expression level of 19 CYP450 mRNA isoforms in various breast cancer cell lines by RT-PCR. The CYP450 mRNAs showed a large variability between the different cell lines analyzed, where CYP1B1 and 2J2 were strongly expressed in most cell lines. Our third objective was to determine if measurable metabolic activity was present and correlates with mRNA expression in these same breast cancer cell lines using the specific substrates 7-ethoxyresorufin and ebastine for CYP1B1 and 2J2 activities, respectively. The metabolism of 7-ethoxyresorufin showed an excellent correlation of 0.98 with CYP1B1 expression while ebastine demonstrates a strong correlation (r2=0.99) with 2J2 expression. Overall, these results suggest that local metabolism of anti-cancer agents could significantly affect drug disposition and be a source of chemoresistance.

The goal of the first project was to evaluate strategies for determining the in vitro intrinsic clearance (CLint) of dextrorphan (DR) as metabolized by the UGT2B7 enzyme to obtain dextrorphan glucuronide (DR-G). A direct injection liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was used to monitor products using the pseudo-first-order (PFO) model. Standard enzymatic incubations were also quantified using LC-MS. These data were fit utilizing both PFO and Michaelis-Menten (MM) models to determine estimates of kinetic parameters. The CLint was determined to be 0.28 (± 0.08) µL/min/mg protein for a baculovirus insect cell-expressed UGT2B7 enzyme. This is the first confirmation that dextrorphan is specifically metabolized by UGT2B7 and the first report of these kinetic parameters. Simulated chromatographic data were used to determine the precision and accuracy in the estimation of peak volumes in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC). Volumes were determined both by summing the areas in the second dimension chromatograms via the moments method and by fitting the second dimension areas to a Gaussian peak. When only two second dimension signals are substantially above baseline, the accuracy and precision are poor because the solution to the Gaussian fitting algorithm is indeterminate. The fit of a Gaussian peak to the areas of the second dimension peaks is better at predicting the peak volume when there are at least three second dimension injections above the limit of detection. Based on simulations where the sampling interval and sampling phase were varied, we conclude for well-resolved peaks that the optimum precision in peak volumes in 2D separations will be obtained when the sampling ratio is approximately two. This provides an RSD of approximately 2 % for the signal-to-noise (S/N) used in this work. The precision of peak volume estimation for experimental data was also assessed, and RSD values were in the 4-5 % range. We conclude that the poorer precision found in the 2D-LC experimental data as compared to 1D-LC is due to a combination of factors, including variations in the first dimension peak shape related to undersampling and loss in S/N due to the injection of multiple smaller peaks onto the second dimension column.

<p>Although, pulmonary drug delivery is a well established means for targeting of drugs to the lungs for the treatment of respiratory diseases as well as for the systemic delivery of volatile anesthetic agents, drug absorption kinetics in the lung have not been subjected to extensive research. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate drug absorption characteristics of the lung barrier, using the isolated and perfused rat lung model and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Physicochemically diverse drugs (i.e. atenolol, budesonide, cromolyn, cyanocobalamin, enalapril, enalaprilate, formoterol, imipramine, losartan, metoprolol, propranolol, talinolol, terbutaline, and the tetrapeptide TArPP) were used as model compounds. In connection to these investigations, a nebulization catheter device was successfully adapted and evaluated as a new technique for delivery of defined aerosol doses to the rat lung. In addition, a physicochemical profile of the inhaled drugs on the market worldwide during 2001 was made.</p><p>The pulmonary first-order absorption rate constant and bioavailability were found to correlate to the drug lipophilicity, the molecular polar surface area, and the apparent permeability of Caco-2 cell monolayers. In contrast to the intestinal mucosa and the blood-brain barrier, the pulmonary epithelium was highly permeable to drugs with a high molecular polar surface area. Accordingly, a small hydrophilic tetrapeptide (oral bioavailability ~0.5%) showed a complete bioavailability after pulmonary delivery to rats in vivo. Regional differences in bioavailability, absorption rate, and first-pass metabolism of the peptide was demonstrated after targeted delivery to different regions of the respiratory tract in rats in vivo. The high pulmonary bioavailability of the efflux transporter substrates losartan and talinolol provides functional evidence for an insignificant role of efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein in limiting the absorption of these drugs from the rat lung. </p><p>The results of this thesis demonstrate that the lung efficiently absorbs drugs with a wide range of lipophilicity. The pulmonary route should thus be regarded as a potential alternative for administration of drugs with low oral bioavailability. In addition, drug inhalation present an opportunity to attain a more rapid onset of drug action than can be attained by the oral route.</p>

Although, pulmonary drug delivery is a well established means for targeting of drugs to the lungs for the treatment of respiratory diseases as well as for the systemic delivery of volatile anesthetic agents, drug absorption kinetics in the lung have not been subjected to extensive research. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate drug absorption characteristics of the lung barrier, using the isolated and perfused rat lung model and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Physicochemically diverse drugs (i.e. atenolol, budesonide, cromolyn, cyanocobalamin, enalapril, enalaprilate, formoterol, imipramine, losartan, metoprolol, propranolol, talinolol, terbutaline, and the tetrapeptide TArPP) were used as model compounds. In connection to these investigations, a nebulization catheter device was successfully adapted and evaluated as a new technique for delivery of defined aerosol doses to the rat lung. In addition, a physicochemical profile of the inhaled drugs on the market worldwide during 2001 was made. The pulmonary first-order absorption rate constant and bioavailability were found to correlate to the drug lipophilicity, the molecular polar surface area, and the apparent permeability of Caco-2 cell monolayers. In contrast to the intestinal mucosa and the blood-brain barrier, the pulmonary epithelium was highly permeable to drugs with a high molecular polar surface area. Accordingly, a small hydrophilic tetrapeptide (oral bioavailability ~0.5%) showed a complete bioavailability after pulmonary delivery to rats in vivo. Regional differences in bioavailability, absorption rate, and first-pass metabolism of the peptide was demonstrated after targeted delivery to different regions of the respiratory tract in rats in vivo. The high pulmonary bioavailability of the efflux transporter substrates losartan and talinolol provides functional evidence for an insignificant role of efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein in limiting the absorption of these drugs from the rat lung. The results of this thesis demonstrate that the lung efficiently absorbs drugs with a wide range of lipophilicity. The pulmonary route should thus be regarded as a potential alternative for administration of drugs with low oral bioavailability. In addition, drug inhalation present an opportunity to attain a more rapid onset of drug action than can be attained by the oral route.

This thesis presents novel approaches for structural investigation of glucuronides using chemical derivatization in combination with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MSn). Today, LC-ESI-MSn is the dominant technique for quantitative as well as qualitative analyses of metabolites, due to its high sensitivity and selectivity. However, for compounds without an easily ionizable group, e.g., steroids, the sensitivity is limited. In the work presented in this thesis, a derivatization procedure forming a basic oxime significantly increased the detection sensitivity for the altrenogest glucuronide. Furthermore, in structural evaluations of glucuronides, the limitation of LC-MSn becomes evident due to the initial neutral loss of 176 u, i.e. monodehydrated glucuronic acid, which often makes it impossible to elucidate the structures of the conjugates. To solve this problem, the main part of the work described in this thesis was devoted to chemical derivatization as a means of facilitating the determination of the site of conjugation. For the first time, the isomeric estriol glucuronides were evaluated using a combination of three reagents 2-chloro-1-methylpyridinium iodide (CMPI), 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl- aminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC), and 2-picolylamine (PA). Interestingly, the derivatization gave a selective fragmentation pattern leading to differentiation of the isomers. Another derivatization reagent, 1,2-dimethylimidazole-4-sulfonyl chloride (DMISC), was also tested for the first time in structural investigations. The isomeric glucuronides of morphine, formoterol, and hydroxypropranolol were evaluated. They can all be conjugated in aliphatic as well as aromatic positions. DMISC was proven to be useful in two ways. Firstly, the morphine and formoterol glucuronides that contained a free phenol could be differentiated from those that were conjugated in the aromatic position based on different reactivity. Secondly, for the aromatic O-glucuronide of 4’-hydroxypropranolol, DMISC was proven to react with the amine. This product gave a different fragmentation pattern compared to the corresponding derivative of the aliphatic glucuronide.

No description available.

Introduction: Nous avons déjà montré que l’insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC) entraîne une régulation négative du cytochrome P450 (CYP450) dans le foie et l’intestin de rat. La présente étude cherche à déterminer l’effet de l’IRC sur l’expression des enzymes du CYP450 dans le cerveau de rat. L’expression génique, protéique ainsi que l’activité des isoenzymes du CYP450 ont été analysées dans différentes régions du cerveau (hippocampe, cervelet, cortex et parenchyme cérébral) afin de déterminer l’effet de l’insuffisance rénale chronique sur le métabolisme cérébral des médicaments par le CYP450. Méthodes: Le cerveau entier de rats atteints d’IRC (induite par une néphrectomie sub-totale 5/6) et de rats témoins (laparotomie blanche) a été disséqué en 4 parties (cortex, cervelet, hippocampe et parenchyme cérébral). L’expression protéique et celle de l’ARNm des isoformes 1A, 2C11, 2D, 3A et 4A du cytochrome P450 a été étudiée respectivement par immunobuvardage de type Western et PCR en Temps Réel. L’activité du CYP3A a été mesurée par le métabolisme du DFB en DFH sur des préparations de microsomes de cerveau. Une technique de culture cellulaire d’astrocytes a été mise au point et a permis d’évaluer l’expression des enzymes dans ces cellules suite à l’incubation des astrocytes avec le sérum de rats atteints d’insuffisance rénale chronique. Résultats: Chez les rats atteints d’IRC, les niveaux géniques de CYP1A, 2C et 3A sont diminués d’au moins 40% (p < 0,05) dans presque toutes les parties étudiées. Les niveaux d’ARNm du CYP2D demeurent inchangés. De plus, une diminution significative d’au moins 45% (p < 0,05) de l’expression protéique des CYP1A, 2C et 3A est observée dans presque toutes les structures étudiées. L’activité enzymatique de CYP3A est diminuée significativement dans le cerveau de rats IRC, ainsi que l’expression des enzymes du CYP2C11 dans les astrocytes en culture lorsqu’incubés avec du sérum de rat urémique. Conclusions: Ces études démontrent que le cerveau est également affecté par l’IRC. Ceci se traduit par une diminution de l’expression protéique, génique, ainsi que de l’activité des enzymes du CYP450. Cette diminution pourrait expliquer une augmentation des effets secondaires dans le système nerveux central en IRC. / Background: It has been shown that chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with a downregulation of liver and intestinal cytochrome P450 (CYP450) in the rat. The present study aimed to investigate the repercussions of CRF on Brain. CYP450 isoenzymes mRNA and protein expression, as well as activity in different brain regions (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and rest of brain parenchyma), have been studied in order to determine the effects of CRF on cerebral drug metabolism by CYP450. Methods: The entire brain of CRF rats (induced by 5/6th nephrectomy) and control rats (sham laparotomy) was dissected into 4 parts (cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and rest of brain parenchyma). Protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A, CYP2C, CYP2D, CYP3A, and CYP4A were assessed by Western Blot assay and Real Time PCR, respectively. CYP3A activity was assessed using DFB metabolism into DFH in brain microsomal preparation. Protein and mRNA expression were also assessed in cultured astrocytes incubated with serum from CRF rats. Results: In CRF rats, mRNA levels of CYP1A, CYP2C, and CYP3A were decreased significantly by at least 40% (p < 0.05) in almost all studied brain regions. Protein expression of these isoforms was decreased by at least 45% (p < 0.05) in almost all structures. A significant decrease in CYP3A activity was observed in the brain. The incubation of astrocytes with CRF sera induced a decrease in the protein and mRNA expression of the CYP2C11. Conclusions: CRF is associated with a decrease in some major drug-metabolizing enzymes, which could explain an increase in bioavailability of drugs in the brain.

Introduction : Les modèles murins sont grandement utilisés dans l’étude des maladies rénales et des pathologies associées. La concentration de la créatinine sérique est un bon indicateur de la filtration glomérulaire et en présence d’insuffisance rénale chronique (IRC), les concentrations de créatinine sérique (et la clairance) reflètent la sévérité de l’IRC. De plus, il a été démontré que l’IRC modifie le métabolisme des médicaments en diminuant l’activité et l’expression des enzymes hépatiques du cytochrome P450 (CYP450). Afin d’étudier la modulation du P450 par l’IRC avec un modèle murin et de confirmer nos résultats chez le rat, nous devons 1) développer un modèle d’IRC chez la souris, 2) mettre au point une technique de dosage des marqueurs de l’IRC et, 3) évaluer l’expression protéique du CYP450 en présence IRC. Matériel et Méthode : Trois modèles chirurgicaux d’IRC chez la souris ont été développés. Une méthode du dosage de la créatinine par chromatographie liquide à haute performance (CLHP) a été mise au point chez la souris et l’expression protéique du P450 a été mesurée par immunobuvardage de type Western. Résultats : Plusieurs paramètres de CLHP comme le pH, la concentration et le débit de la phase mobile modifient le pic d’élution et le temps de rétention de la créatinine. Concernant le modèle expérimental, on observe une perte de poids et une augmentation de la concentration plasmatique de la créatinine chez les souris avec une IRC. De plus, l’expression protéique de plusieurs isoformes du cytochrome P450 est modulée par l’IRC. Nous observons une diminution du CYP 2D de 42% (p < 0,01), du CYP 3A11 de 60% et du CYP 1A de 37% (p <0,01) par rapport aux souris témoins. On ne dénote aucun changement significatif au niveau de l’isoforme 2E1. Conclusion : Il est possible d’induire une insuffisance rénale chronique chez la souris suite à une néphrectomie. La technique de dosage de la créatinine par CLHP est précise et exacte et permet de caractériser la sévérité de l’IRC chez la souris. L’expression protéique du CYP450 est régulée à la baisse dans le foie des souris atteintes d’IRC. / Background: Mice models are widely used in renal studies. Seric creatinine concentration is used to evaluate glomerular filtration rate and is a good marker of chronic renal failure (CRF). It has been shown that CRF diminishes drug metabolism in the rat because of a downregulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoforms. To study CYP450 regulation in the mouse model, we needed to 1) develop a model of CRF in the mouse, 2) define a method of dosage of CRF markers, and 3) evaluate CYP450 protein expression in the liver of mice with CRF. Methods: Models of CRF were tested and sub-total nephrectomy was selected because of the efficacy and reproducibility to induce CRF. A high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the dosage of creatinine in mice sera was developed. Liver protein expression of CYP1A1, CYP3A11, CYP2D and CYP2E1 was assessed by Western Blot analysis. Results: HPLC parameters such as pH, mobile phase concentration and flow rate modified the elution profile. Weight loss and high seric creatinine concentrations are seen in mice with CRF. Furthermore, protein expression of CYP1A, CYP3A11 and CYP2D was decreased in liver microsomes of mice with CRF by 37%, 60% and 42%, respectively (p<0.01) compared to sham-operated mice. We found no significant difference in the expression of CYP2E1. Conclusions: CRF models are reproducible in the mouse. The HPLC method for creatinine determination is precise and accurate, and can assess the severity of CRF. Hepatic protein expression of CYP450 is modulated in presence of CRF as in the rat.

Une résistance aux agents anticancéreux utilisés dans le traitement du cancer du sein est souvent associée à un échec de traitement. Des variations dans le devenir des agents anticancéreux dans l’organisme, sont des facteurs pouvant expliquer des phénomènes de résistance. Notre but était d’évaluer l’impact des isoenzymes du CYP450s, dans le métabolisme local des agents anticancéreux. Notre premier objectif était de valider un gène rapporteur pour nos analyses de PCR en temps réel. Pour ce faire, nous avons criblé l’expression de 6 gènes rapporteurs dans 23 lignées cellulaires. NUP-214 a été démontré comme étant le gène rapporteur le plus stable avec un écart-type de seulement 0.55 Ct. Notre deuxième objectif était de déterminer le niveau d’expression des ARNm de 19 isoformes du CYP450 dans plusieurs lignées cellulaires du cancer du sein. Les ARNm des CYP450s ont démontré une très grande variabilité entre les lignées cellulaires. Les isoformes CYP1B1 et CYP2J2 démontrent l’expression la plus importante pour la majorité des lignées. Notre troisième objectif était d’évaluer la corrélation entre l’expression des isoformes des CYP450s et leur activité métabolique en utilisant les substrats spécifiques du CYP1B1 et 2J2, 7-éthoxyrésorufine et ébastine, respectivement. Une forte corrélation (r2=0.99) fut observée entre l’activité métabolique vis-à-vis l’ébastine et l’expression du CYP2J2. De même, le métabolisme du 7-éthoxyrésorufine était fortement corrélé (r2=0.98) avec l’expression du CYP1B1. En résumé, ces résultats suggèrent que le métabolisme local des agents anticancéreux pourrait significativement moduler le devenir des agents anticancéreux dans l’organisme, et pourrait être ainsi, une source de résistance. / Several types of cancer cells have shown an innate or accute resistance to anti-cancer agents which in turn causes a failure in treatment. This resistance has been suggested to be caused by the expression of membrane transporters in cancer cells, as well as inter-individual variability in metabolism. Our interest was to evaluate the implication of CYP450 enzymes in the local metabolism of cancer cells. Our first objective was to screen the expression level of six housekeeping genes (HKG) using 23 different cell lines to determine which gene was the most stable. We found that NUP-214 was the most stable HKG across the panel of cell lines tested, with a standard deviation of only 0.55 Ct. Our second objective was to determine the expression level of 19 CYP450 mRNA isoforms in various breast cancer cell lines by RT-PCR. The CYP450 mRNAs showed a large variability between the different cell lines analyzed, where CYP1B1 and 2J2 were strongly expressed in most cell lines. Our third objective was to determine if measurable metabolic activity was present and correlates with mRNA expression in these same breast cancer cell lines using the specific substrates 7-ethoxyresorufin and ebastine for CYP1B1 and 2J2 activities, respectively. The metabolism of 7-ethoxyresorufin showed an excellent correlation of 0.98 with CYP1B1 expression while ebastine demonstrates a strong correlation (r2=0.99) with 2J2 expression. Overall, these results suggest that local metabolism of anti-cancer agents could significantly affect drug disposition and be a source of chemoresistance.