T. Aiba et al., EFFECTS OF PROBENECID AND CIMETIDINE ON THE RENAL EXCRETION OF 3'-AZIDO-3'-DEOXYTHYMIDINE IN RATS, The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 272(1), 1995, pp. 94-99
The mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects exerted by probenecid
and cimetidine on the renal excretion of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (
AZT) were investigated in rats in vivo. On i.v. administration, the fi
ndings indicated that both probenecid and cimetidine increased the pla
sma concentration of AZT and inhibited its renal excretion. To clarify
the mechanisms underlying the interaction of these drugs with AZT and
to elucidate the process of renal secretion of AZT, further investiga
tion was performed, in which [H-3]AZT (0.5 mu M) was injected rapidly
into the right renal artery, and its outflow profile from the right ur
eter was compared with that from the left ureter. In control experimen
ts, 56.6% of the administered AZT was secreted from the right kidney,
and it was calculated that the transcellular transit time of AZT in th
is process was 0.30 min. In the presence of 10 mM probenecid and of 10
mM cimetidine, the secretion of AZT was reduced to 15.3 and 32.3%, re
spectively, the inhibition induced by probenecid being more effective
than that induced by cimetidine. However, the transcellular transit ti
me of AZT increased to 0.53 and 1.21 min in the probenecid and cimetid
ine studies, respectively. Thus, cimetidine was more potent than probe
necid in its effects on the transit time. These findings indicate that
probenecid and cimetidine affect different steps in the renal secreti
on of AZT. It was therefore concluded that, on the renal plasma membra
ne, AZT is transported by anion transport systems, whereas on the brus
h border membrane, AZT is secreted by cation transport systems.