A mechanistic study on reduced toxicity of irinotecan by coadministered thalidomide, a tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor

作者:Yang, Xiao-Xia; Hu, Ze-Ping; Xu, An-Long; Duan, Wei; Zhu, Yi-n Zhu; Huang, Min; Sheu, Fwu-Shan; Zhang, Qiang; Bian, Jin-Song; Chan, Eli; Li, Xiaotian; Wang, Jian-Cheng; Zhou, Shu-Feng*
来源:Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2006, 319(1): 82-104.
DOI:10.1124/jpet.106.103606

摘要

Dose-limiting diarrhea and myelosuppression compromise the success of irinotecan (7-ethyl-10-[4-[1-piperidino]-1-piperidino] carbonyloxycamptothecin) (CPT-11)-based chemotherapy. A recent pilot study indicates that thalidomide attenuates the toxicity of CPT-11 in cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate whether coadministered thalidomide modulated the toxicities of CPT-11 and the underlying mechanisms using several in vivo and in vitro models. Diarrhea, intestinal lesions, cytokine expression, and intestinal epithelial apoptosis were monitored. Coadministered thalidomide (100 mg/kg i.p. for 8 days) significantly attenuated body weight loss, myelosuppression, diarrhea, and intestinal histological lesions caused by CPT-11 (60 mg/kg i.v. for 4 days). This was accompanied by inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukins 1 and 6 and interferon-alpha, and intestinal epithelial apoptosis. Coadministered thalidomide also significantly increased the systemic exposure of CPT-11 but decreased that of SN-38 (7-ethyl-10-hydroxycampothecin). It significantly reduced the biliary excretion and cecal exposure of CPT-11, SN-38, and SN-38 glucuronide. Thalidomide hydrolytic products inhibited hydrolysis of CPT-11 in rat liver microsomes but not in primary rat hepatocytes. In addition, thalidomide and its major hydrolytic products, such as phthaloyl glutamic acid ( PGA), increased the intracellular accumulation of CPT-11 and SN-38 in primary rat hepatocytes. They also significantly decreased the transport of CPT-11 and SN-38 in Caco-2 and parental MDCKII cells. Thalidomide and PGA also significantly inhibited P-glycoprotein (PgP/MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1)- and MRP2- mediated CPT-11 and SN-38 transport in MDCKII cells. These results provide insights into the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic mechanisms for the protective effects of thalidomide against CPT-11-induced intestinal toxicity.