In Vivo Gene Expression Profile of Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells: From the Viewpoint of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics

Abstract

Orally administered drugs are absorbed and metabolized in the intestine. To accurately predict pharmacokinetics in the intestine, it is essential to understand the intestinal expression profiles of the genes related to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). However, in many previous studies, gene expression analysis in the intestine has been carried out using specimens from patients with cancer. In this study, to obtain more accurate gene expression profiles, biopsy samples were collected under endoscopic observation from the noninflammatory regions of 14 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and RNA-seq analysis was performed. Gene expression analysis of drug-metabolizing enzymes (cytochromes P450), non-cytochrome P450 enzymes, nuclear receptors, drug-conjugating enzymes (UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and sulfotransferases), and apical and basolateral drug transporters was performed in biopsy samples from the duodenum, ileum, colon, and rectum. The proportions of the cytochromes P450 expressed in the ileum were 25% (CYP3A4), 19% (CYP2C18), and 14% (CYP3A5). CYP3A4 and CYP2C19 were highly expressed in the duodenum and ileum, but not in the colon and rectum. In the ileum, apical transporters such as P-gp, peptide transporter 1, breast cancer resistance protein, MRP2, and ASBT were strongly expressed, and the expression levels of P-gp and ASBT in the ileum were higher than those in other regions. In the ileum, basolateral transporters such as OSTα, OSTβ, and MRP3 were strongly expressed. We succeeded in obtaining gene expression profiles of ADME-related genes in human intestinal epithelial cells in vivo. We expect that this information would be useful for accurate prediction of the pharmacokinetics of oral drugs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: To obtain gene expression profiles of ADME-related genes in human intestinal epithelial cells in vivo, biopsy samples were collected under endoscopic observation from the noninflammatory regions of 14 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and RNA-seq analysis was performed. Gene expression profiles of drug-metabolizing enzymes (cytochromes P450), non-cytochrome P450 enzymes, nuclear receptors, drug-conjugating enzymes (UDP-glucuronosyltransferases and sulfotransferases), and apical and basolateral drug transporters in biopsy samples from the duodenum, ileum, colon, and rectum were obtained in this study.