P-glycoprotein is not involved in the differential oral potency of naloxone and naltrexone

Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2009 Oct;23(5):543-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1472-8206.2009.00724.x. Epub 2009 Jul 28.

Abstract

The poor oral bioavailability of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (NA) when compared with naltrexone (NX) may be related to a greater interaction of naloxone with the efflux drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp). We studied the involvement of P-gp in the transepithelial transport of the two opioid receptor antagonists, using a validated human in vitro Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The bidirectional transport of NA and NX (1, 50 and 100 microm) across the monolayers was investigated in the presence and absence of the specific P-gp inhibitor GF120918 (4 microm). NA and NX showed equal transport rates between the apical-to-basolateral (A-B) and the basolateral-to-apical (B-A) directions and neither the influx nor the efflux transport was affected by the P-gp inhibitor (P > 0.05). In conclusion, NA and NX are not P-gp substrates. The differential oral bioavailability of the two opioid antagonists is P-gp independent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / metabolism
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1 / physiology*
  • Acridines / pharmacology
  • Administration, Oral
  • Biological Availability
  • Biological Transport
  • Blotting, Western
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Electric Impedance
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Molecular Structure
  • Naloxone / administration & dosage
  • Naloxone / chemistry
  • Naloxone / pharmacokinetics*
  • Naltrexone / administration & dosage
  • Naltrexone / chemistry
  • Naltrexone / pharmacokinetics
  • Narcotic Antagonists / administration & dosage
  • Narcotic Antagonists / chemistry
  • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacokinetics*
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines / pharmacology

Substances

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1
  • Acridines
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Tetrahydroisoquinolines
  • Naloxone
  • Naltrexone
  • Elacridar