Differential <i>in vitro</i> interactions of the Janus kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib with human SLC drug transporters
Creators: name: Bruyère, Arnaud
name: Vée, Marc Le
name: Jouan, Elodie
name: Molez, Stephanie
name: Nies, Anne T.
name: Fardel, Olivier
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: 60506 Virology

description: Interactions of the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor ruxolitinib with solute carriers (SLCs) remain incompletely characterised. The present study was therefore designed to investigate this issue.The interactions of ruxolitinib with SLCs were analysed using transporter-overexpressing human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells. Substrate accumulation was detected by spectrofluorimetry, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry or scintillation counting.Ruxolitinib was found to potently inhibit the activities of organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2), multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (MATE1) and MATE2-K (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC<sub>50</sub>) &lt; 10 µM). It blocked OAT1, OAT4, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1 and OCT3, but in a weaker manner (IC<sub>50</sub> &gt; 10 µM), whereas OCT1 was not impacted. No time-dependent inhibition was highlighted. When applying the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria for transporters-related drug-drug interaction risk, OCT2 and MATE2-K, unlike MATE1 and OAT3, were predicted to be <i>in vivo</i> inhibited by ruxolitinib. Cellular uptake studies additionally indicated that ruxolitinib is a substrate for MATE1 and MATE2-K, but not for OAT3 and OCT2.Ruxolitinib <i>in vitro</i> blocked activities of most of SLC transporters. Only OCT2 and MATE-2K may be however clinically inhibited by the JAK inhibitor, with the caution for OCT2 that <i>in vitro</i> inhibition data were generated with an FDA-non recommended fluorescent substrate. Ruxolitinib MATEs-mediated transport may additionally deserve attention for its possible pharmacological consequences in MATE-positive cells. Interactions of the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor ruxolitinib with solute carriers (SLCs) remain incompletely characterised. The present study was therefore designed to investigate this issue. The interactions of ruxolitinib with SLCs were analysed using transporter-overexpressing human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells. Substrate accumulation was detected by spectrofluorimetry, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry or scintillation counting. Ruxolitinib was found to potently inhibit the activities of organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2), multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (MATE1) and MATE2-K (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC<sub>50</sub>) &lt; 10 µM). It blocked OAT1, OAT4, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1 and OCT3, but in a weaker manner (IC<sub>50</sub> &gt; 10 µM), whereas OCT1 was not impacted. No time-dependent inhibition was highlighted. When applying the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria for transporters-related drug-drug interaction risk, OCT2 and MATE2-K, unlike MATE1 and OAT3, were predicted to be <i>in vivo</i> inhibited by ruxolitinib. Cellular uptake studies additionally indicated that ruxolitinib is a substrate for MATE1 and MATE2-K, but not for OAT3 and OCT2. Ruxolitinib <i>in vitro</i> blocked activities of most of SLC transporters. Only OCT2 and MATE-2K may be however clinically inhibited by the JAK inhibitor, with the caution for OCT2 that <i>in vitro</i> inhibition data were generated with an FDA-non recommended fluorescent substrate. Ruxolitinib MATEs-mediated transport may additionally deserve attention for its possible pharmacological consequences in MATE-positive cells.