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Published on: August 17, 2019
The Inhibitor Ko143 Is Not Specific for ABCG2
Lora D Weidner1, Sami S Zoghbi2, Shuiyu Lu2
1Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland (L.D.W., S.S.Z., S.L., V.W.P., R.B.I.); Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden (L.D.W., J.M.); and Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (S.S., S.V.A., M.M.G., M.D.H.) lora.deuitch@nih.gov.
Ko143 is a potent inhibitor of ABCG2 transporter, but it also affects ABCB1 and ABCC1 transporters at higher concentrations. This compound is also unstable in rat plasma, limiting its use in experiments.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter activity requires specific inhibitors.
- ABCG2 transporter plays a crucial role at the blood-brain barrier.
- Ko143 is a known inhibitor of ABCG2, but its specificity is not fully established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the selectivity of Ko143 as an ABCG2 inhibitor.
- To assess the stability of Ko143 in biological systems.
Main Methods:
- In vitro assays using human embryonic kidney cell lines transfected with ABCG2, ABCB1, or ABCC1.
- High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure Ko143 stability in rat plasma.
Main Results:
- Ko143 potently inhibits ABCG2.
- At concentrations ≥1 μM, Ko143 also affects ABCB1 and ABCC1 transport activity.
- Ko143 demonstrated instability in rat plasma.
Conclusions:
- Ko143 lacks ABCG2 specificity at higher concentrations.
- The instability of Ko143 in plasma further limits its utility.
- Caution is advised when using Ko143 in in vitro and in vivo studies involving ABC transporters.
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