Contributions of Cathepsin A and Carboxylesterase 1 to the hydrolysis of Tenofovir Alafenamide in the Human Liver, and the Effect of CES1 Genetic Variation on Tenofovir Alafenamide Hydrolysis

Abstract

The prodrug tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) is a first‐line antiviral agent for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection. TAF activation involves multiple steps, and the first step is an ester hydrolysis reaction catalyzed by hydrolases. This study was to determine the contributions of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and cathepsin A (CatA) to TAF hydrolysis in the human liver. Our in vitroincubation studies showed that both CatA and CES1 catalyzed TAF hydrolysis in a pH‐dependent manner. At their physiological pH environment, the activity of CatA (pH 5.2) was 700‐1000‐fold higher than that of CES1 (pH 7.2). Given that the hepatic protein expression of CatA was approximately 200‐fold lower than that of CES1, the contribution of CatA to TAF hydrolysis in the human liver was estimated to be much greater than that of CES1, which is contrary to the previous perception that CES1 is the primary hepatic enzyme hydrolyzing TAF. The findings were further supported by a TAF incubation study with the CatA inhibitor telaprevir and the CES1 inhibitor bis‐(p‐nitrophenyl) phosphate. Moreover, an in vitrostudy revealed that the CES1 variant G143E (rs71647871) is a loss‐of‐function variant for CES1‐mediated TAF hydrolysis. In summary, our results suggest that CatA may play a more important role in the hepatic activation of TAF than CES1. Additionally, TAF activation in the liver could be affected by CES1 genetic variation, but the magnitude of impact appears to be limited due to the major contribution of CatA to hepatic TAF activation.