Transporters, enzymes, and enalapril removal in a rat (CC531-induced) liver metastatic model

Abstract

Temporal changes in physiological spaces, protein expression of transporters and enzymes, and enalapril removal were appraised in the metastatic liver tumor model developed from male Wag/Rij rats after the intraportal injection of CC531 colon adenocarcinoma cells; sham-operated preparations received PBS. Liver tissue spaces, investigated with multiple indicator dilution technique in liver perfusion studies, were unchanged at week 3 after tumor induction. At week 4, however, the sinusoidal blood volume and albumin Disse space in tumor-bearing livers were slightly lower compared with those of shams. Increased levels of the canalicular ATP transporters, P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2), and bile salt export pump (Bsep) at week 2 (P < 0.05), unchanged levels of Ntcp, Oatp1a1, Oatp1a4, and Mct2, but decreased levels of cytochrome P450 3a2 (Cyp3a2) and glutathione S-transferase (Gst4-4) at week 4 (P < 0.05) were observed in peritumor vs. sham-operated liver tissues with Western blotting. The steady-state extraction ratio of enalapril, a substrate that enters the liver rapidly via Oatp1a1 and primarily undergoes metabolism by the carboxylesterases, was unaffected by liver metastasis at week 4 regardless of its delivery via the portal vein or hepatic artery into the perfused liver preparations.