Current understanding of hepatic and intestinal OATP-mediated drug–drug interactions

Abstract

At present, many patients are medicated with various drugs, which are, at the same time, associated with an increased risk of drug–drug interactions (DDIs). Detailed analysis of mechanisms underlying DDIs is the basis of a better prediction of adverse drug events caused by drug interactions. In the last few decades, an involvement of transporters in such processes has been more and more recognized. Indeed, uptake transporters belonging to the organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) family have been shown to interact with a variety of drugs in clinical use. Particularly, the subfamily of OATP1B transporters has been extensively studied, identifying several clinical significant DDIs based on those hepatic uptake transporters. By contrast, the role of OATP2B1 in this context is rather underestimated. Therefore, in addition to known interactions based on OATP1B transporters, we have focused on DDIs probably based on OATP2B1 inhibition in the liver and those possibly owing to the inhibition of OATP2B1-mediated drug absorption in the intestine.

Keywords::

• ciclosporin
• drug–drug interactions
• gemfibrozil
• genetic variation
• intestine
• liver
• nuclear receptors
• OATP
• rifampin
• transporters

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GR 3375/1-1) and by the research project Greifswald Approach to Individualized Medicine (GANI_MED) funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Federal State of Mecklenburg – West Pomerania, Germany (03IS2061A). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.