0090-9556/04/3208-775-778$20.00
DMD 32:775-778, 2004
SHORT COMMUNICATION
THE MAIN ROLE OF UGT1A9 IN THE HEPATIC METABOLISM OF MYCOPHENOLIC ACID AND THE EFFECTS OF NATURALLY OCCURRING VARIANTS
Olivier Bernard, and
Chantal Guillemette
Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics, Oncology and Molecular Endocrinology Research Center, CHUL Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy (C.G., O.B.), Laval University, Québec, Canada
Mycophenolic acid (MPA), a standard immunosuppressive drug, is characterized by unexplained highly variable pharmacokinetics in transplant recipients. The primary metabolic pathway of MPA is glucuronidation; however, literature reports are inconsistent and the contribution of all human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) has never been systematically assessed. Sixteen heterologously expressed UGTs were studied for MPA 7-O-glucuronidation and compared with liver, kidney, and intestine microsomes. For direct measurement of MPA and mycophenolic acid 7-O-glucuronide (MPAG), we used a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry protocol. Metabolic studies demonstrated that the glucuronidation of MPA in humans occurs mainly in the liver at variable rates, as well as in the kidney and the intestine. Kinetic data normalized for UGT expression levels point to 1A8 and 1A9 as the main UGTs, as well as to low-activity enzymes, 1A1, 1A7, and 1A10. According to their expression profiles, 1A8 and 1A9 are proposed, respectively, as the main extra-hepatic and the only hepatic enzymes involved. The effects of naturally occurring 1A8 (*2 and *3) and 1A9 (*2 and *3) variants on MPA 7-O-glucuronidation were studied and data suggest that the C277Y of 1A8 and the M33T of 1A9 may influence MPAG levels. A number of low-activity alleles were also identified in 1A1 [*6 (G71R), *7 (Y486D), *27 (P229Q), and *35 (L233R)], 1A7 [*3 (K129K131R208), *4 (R208), *5 (S115), *8 (K129K131D139R208), and *9 (S115K129K131)], and 1A10 [*2 (E139K)]. Our study provides preliminary evidences that genetic factors, especially in the hepatic UGT1A9, may contribute to the variability of MPA pharmacokinetics observed in transplant patients.
Address correspondence to: Chantal Guillemette, Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, CHUL Research Center, T3-48, 2705 Boulevard Laurier, Québec, G1V 4G2, Canada. E-mail: chantal.guillemette{at}crchul.ulaval.ca
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. C. Olson, R. W. Dellinger, Q. Zhong, D. Sun, S. Amin, T. E. Spratt, and P. Lazarus
Functional Characterization of Low-Prevalence Missense Polymorphisms in the UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A9 Gene
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
October 1, 2009;
37(10):
1999 - 2007.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
H. Shiratani, M. Katoh, M. Nakajima, and T. Yokoi
Species Differences in UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Activities in Mice and Rats
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
September 1, 2008;
36(9):
1745 - 1752.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Nguyen, J. A. Bonzo, S. Chen, S. Chouinard, M. J. Kelner, G. Hardiman, A. Belanger, and R. H. Tukey
Disruption of the Ugt1 Locus in Mice Resembles Human Crigler-Najjar Type I Disease
J. Biol. Chem.,
March 21, 2008;
283(12):
7901 - 7911.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Ramirez, W. Liu, S. Mirkov, A. A. Desai, P. Chen, S. Das, F. Innocenti, and M. J. Ratain
Lack of Association between Common Polymorphisms in UGT1A9 and Gene Expression and Activity
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
December 1, 2007;
35(12):
2149 - 2153.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. K. Miles, F. K. Kessler, P. C. Smith, and J. K. Ritter
Characterization of Rat Intestinal Microsomal UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase Activity toward Mycophenolic Acid
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
September 1, 2006;
34(9):
1632 - 1639.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
O. Bernard, J. Tojcic, K. Journault, L. Perusse, and C. Guillemette
Influence of Nonsynonymous Polymorphisms of UGT1A8 and UGT2B7 Metabolizing Enzymes on the Formation of Phenolic and Acyl Glucuronides of Mycophenolic Acid
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
September 1, 2006;
34(9):
1539 - 1545.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. K. Miles, F. K. Kessler, L. J. Webb, P. C. Smith, and J. K. Ritter
Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Therapy to Restore Expression and Functionality of Multiple UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A Enzymes in Gunn Rat Liver
J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther.,
September 1, 2006;
318(3):
1240 - 1247.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. Thibaudeau, J. Lepine, J. Tojcic, Y. Duguay, G. Pelletier, M. Plante, J. Brisson, B. Tetu, S. Jacob, L. Perusse, et al.
Characterization of Common UGT1A8, UGT1A9, and UGT2B7 Variants with Different Capacities to Inactivate Mutagenic 4-Hydroxylated Metabolites of Estradiol and Estrone
Cancer Res.,
January 1, 2006;
66(1):
125 - 133.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. K. Miles, S. T. Stern, P. C. Smith, F. K. Kessler, S. Ali, and J. K. Ritter
AN INVESTIGATION OF HUMAN AND RAT LIVER MICROSOMAL MYCOPHENOLIC ACID GLUCURONIDATION: EVIDENCE FOR A PRINCIPAL ROLE OF UGT1A ENZYMES AND SPECIES DIFFERENCES IN UGT1A SPECIFICITY
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
October 1, 2005;
33(10):
1513 - 1520.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
N. Picard, D. Ratanasavanh, A. Premaud, Y. Le Meur, and P. Marquet
IDENTIFICATION OF THE UDP-GLUCURONOSYLTRANSFERASE ISOFORMS INVOLVED IN MYCOPHENOLIC ACID PHASE II METABOLISM
Drug Metab. Dispos.,
January 1, 2005;
33(1):
139 - 146.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
Copyright © 2004 by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.