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<p>Nucleoside transport into the cell plays a key role in providing building blocks for DNA and RNA synthesis, terminating adenosine signaling, and delivering nucleoside-analog drugs to their targets. Concentrative nucleoside transporters (CNTs) constitute one of the classes of membrane transporters responsible for the cellular uptake of nucleosides and nucleoside-derived drugs. We solved the first structure of a member of the CNT family, vcCNT, by X-ray crystallography, revealing the overall architecture of the transporter, delineating the locations of the nucleoside- and sodium-binding sites, and providing insight into the mechanism of transport. Next we examined the molecular origins of nucleoside and nucleoside-drug selectivity by solving structures of the transporter bound to different nucleosides and drugs and measuring their binding affinities for vcCNT to determine energetically important interactions. We then used this information to design a compound that is better transported by and subtype-selective for human CNTs. Finally, we probed the role of sodium in the ion-coupled transport of nucleosides using binding and transport studies and developed a hypothesis for the structural basis of sodium coupling. Taken together, these studies helped to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which CNTs selectively recognize nucleosides and pump them into the cell and provided insight into drug uptake by these transporters, laying a framework for the improvement of targeted nucleoside-drug delivery by CNTs.</p> / Dissertation

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Fluoroquinolones (FQ) are broad-spectrum charged antimicrobials exhibiting excellent tissue/fluid permeation. Thus, FQ disposition depends essentially on active transport and facilitative diffusion. Although most early transporter studies investigating renal elimination of FQs have focused on apical efflux of FQs from renal proximal tubule cell (RPTC) into urine, their basolateral uptake mechanism(s) from blood into RPTC (i.e., first step to tubular secretion) has not yet been explored in detail. Renally expressed SLC22 members: organic anion (OATs) and cation (OCTs) transporters are known to transport such small organic ionic substrates (molecular weight ~400 Da). Hence it is of interest to explore the role of these basolateral transporters in renal elimination of FQs, and to further quantitatively assess their impact in clinically observed FQ drug-drug interactions (DDI). An initial systematic review of clinical literature for FQs (n=18) demonstrated substantial differences among their renal clearance (CLren~46-fold) and unbound renal clearance (CLrenu~20-fold), and suggested that tubular secretion and reabsorption could be major determinants of FQ half-life, efficacy, and DDIs. FQs (n=13) identified from the above review were investigated by in-vitro transport studies using stably transfected cell lines, for potential interactions with organic cation [human (h) OCT1, hOCT2 and hOCT3] and anion [mouse (m) and hOAT3, hOAT1; and hOAT4] transporters. Further, kinetic inhibition studies were conducted to determine inhibition potency (Ki/IC50 values) for those FQs exhibiting significant OCT/OAT inhibition in preliminary interaction experiments. Gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, prulifloxacin, and sparfloxacin were determined to be competitive inhibitors of hOCT1 with Ki = 250±18, 161±19, 136±33, and 94±8 μM, respectively. Moxifloxacin competitively inhibited hOCT3-mediated uptake, Ki = 1,598±146 μM. Enoxacin, fleroxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, prulifloxacin, and sparfloxacin exhibited competitive inhibition for mOat3 with Ki = 396±15, 817±31, 515±22, 539±27, 1356±114, 299±35, 205±12 μM, respectively. Fleroxacin and pefloxacin were found to inhibit hOAT1 with IC50 = 2228±84 and 1819±144 respectively. Despite expression in enterocytes, hepatocytes, and RPTC, hOCT3 does not appear to contribute significantly to FQ disposition. However, due to hepatic and potential RPTC expression, hOCT1 could play an important role in elimination of these antimicrobials. Among renally expressed OATs in humans, hOAT1 and hOAT3 are likely to be involved in FQ elimination.

Charles University in Prague Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Student: Alice Mlčochová Supervisor: PharmDr. Martina Čečková, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: In vitro transport of abacavir across the monolayer of Caco-2 cells; interaction with etravirine and rilpivirine. Abacavir belongs among nucleoside reverse transciptase inhibitors (NRTIs) representing a basic component of combined antiretroviral therapy used in treatment of HIV-positive patients [1]. Etravirine and rilpivirine are newer non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) combined in cART together with NRTI. ATP-dependent transporters, so called ABC transporters, are able to affect pharmacokinetic properties of drugs, thus they are important site of drug-drug interactions affecting absorption, distribution and excretion level. P-glycoprotein (Pgp, ABCB1) and BCRP (ABCG2) belong among the most clinically important ABC transporters able to cause drug-drug interactions. The aim of this thesis was to introduce and optimize the method for evaluation of drug absorption using monolayers of Caco-2human intestine cell lines, whose integrity was verified by evaluating TEER (transepithelial electrical resistance). This model was also used for abacavir transport studies. Significant...

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology Student: Kateřina Erbenová Supervisor: PharmDr. Martina Čečková, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Study of interactions antiretroviral drug maraviroc with drug transporters ABCB1 and ABCG2. Maraviroc is inhibitor of CCR5 HIV virus entry into the cells representing one of the important components of antiretroviral therapy. To optimize the treatment strategies and minimize the therapeutic risks of maraviroc-containing combination antiretroviral therapy, it is important to know the interactions of this drug with other antiretrovirals. In particular, interaction on membrane transporters may affect pharmacokinetics and thereby the tissue concentrations of administered drugs, leading to insufficient efficacy of the therapy or increased toxicity. The aim of this study was to experimentally evaluate interaction of maraviroc with the two most important active drug transporters of the ABC transporter superfamily, ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) and ABCG2 (BCRP). Using in vitro methods employing cell lines we aimed to fulfil two main goals: (1) to evaluate the inhibitory effect of maraviroc on ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters and (2) to study if any of these transporters could transfer maraviroc as their substrate. The data...

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology Student: Lukáš Slatinský Supervisor: Assoc. prof. PharmDr. Martina Čečková, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Interactions of selected anticancer drugs of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway inhibitors group with the ABC drug transporters ABCB1 (Pgp, P-glycoprotein) and ABCG2 (BCRP, breast cancer resistance protein) are members of a transmembrane efflux ATP dependent transporter family, so called ATP-binding cassettes (ABC). Physiologicaly they are expressed in the cellular membrane and protect body tissues against potentially toxic xenobiotics including drugs. They represent also one of the tumor defense mechanisms when being able to efflux a wide variety of cytotoxic drugs out of the cancer cells leading to treatment failure. BRAF protein plays an important regulatory and signal role in MAPK/ERK pathway affecting cell division, differentiation and secretion. Mutations of BRAF lead to overactivity in MAPK/ERK pathway in many cancer cells and can be therefore targeted by anticancer therapy. Cobimetinib and dabrafenib are relatively new anticancer therapeutics inhibiting the signal pathway mentioned above and they are used in treatment of melanoma carrying the BRAF mutation. The aims of this project were to...

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