Abstract
Tanshinol has desirable antianginal and pharmacokinetic properties and is a key compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza roots (Danshen). It is extensively cleared by renal excretion. This study was designed to elucidate the mechanism underlying renal tubular secretion of tanshinol and to compare different ways to manipulate systemic exposure to the compound. Cellular uptake of tanshinol was mediated by human organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) (Km, 121 μM), OAT2 (859 μM), OAT3 (1888 μM), and OAT4 (1880 μM) and rat Oat1 (117 µM), Oat2 (1207 μM), and Oat3 (1498 μM). Other renal transporters (human organic anion-transporting polypeptide 4C1 [OATP4C1], organic cation transporter 2 [OCT2], carnitine/organic cation transporter 1 [OCTN1], multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1 [MATE1], MATE2-K, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 [MRP2], MRP4, and breast cancer resistance protein [BCRP], and rat Oct1, Oct2, Octn1, Octn2, Mate1, Mrp2, Mrp4, and Bcrp) showed either ambiguous ability to transport tanshinol or no transport activity. Rats may be a useful model, to investigate the contribution of the renal transporters on the systemic and renal exposure to tanshinol. Probenecid-induced impairment of tubular secretion resulted in a 3- to 5-fold increase in the rat plasma area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to infinity (AUC0–∞) of tanshinol. Tanshinol exhibited linear plasma pharmacokinetic properties over a large intravenous dose range (2–200 mg/kg) in rats. The dosage adjustment could result in increases in the plasma AUC0–∞ of tanshinol of about 100-fold. Tanshinol exhibited very little dose-related nephrotoxicity. In summary, renal tubular secretion of tanshinol consists of uptake from blood, primarily by OAT1/Oat1, and the subsequent luminal efflux into urine mainly by passive diffusion. Dosage adjustment appears to be an efficient and safe way to manipulate systemic exposure to tanshinol. Tanshinol shows low propensity to cause renal transporter-mediated herb-drug interactions.
Footnotes
- Received November 7, 2014.
- Accepted February 20, 2015.
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Fund of China for Distinguished Young Scholars [Grant 30925044], the National Science and Technology Major Project of China “Key New Drug Creation and Manufacturing Program” [Grant 2009ZX09304-002], and the National Basic Research Program of China [Grant 2012CB518403].
Part of this work was previously presented as follows: Jia W-W et al. Renal organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) as a determinant of rat systemic exposure to tanshinol of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Poster presentation at the 2nd Annual Shanghai Symposium on Chemical and Pharmaceutical Solutions through Analysis (CPSA); 2011 Apr 13–16; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
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- Copyright © 2015 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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