Dihydrophenanthrenes from Juncus effusus as Inhibitors of OAT1 and OAT3

Organic anion transporters 1 (OAT1) and 3 (OAT3) play important roles in the renal elimination of a range of substrate molecules. Little is known about natural products that can modulate OAT1 and OAT3 activities. The medullae of Juncus effusus is often used for the treatment of dysuria in traditional Chinese medicine. To study the interactions of phytochemicals in J. effusus with human OAT1 and OAT3, a bioactivity guided phytochemical investigation led to seven new phenanthrenoids along with nine known compounds, including eight phenanthrenoids and a benzophenone from the dichloromethane soluble fraction of a methanol extract of the medullae of J. effusus. The structures were established by physical data analysis, including high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and 1D and 2D NMR. The compounds were evaluated for inhibition of OAT1 and OAT3 in vitro. Compounds 10 and 16 were inhibitors for OAT1, and compounds 1-3, 10, and 16 were inhibitors for OAT3 with IC₅₀ values less than 5.0 μM. Dihydrophenanthrene 1 markedly altered the pharmacokinetic parameters of the diuretic drug furosemide, a known substrate of both OAT1 and OAT3, in vivo.