Scutellarin is Highly Likely to be Responsible for Drug-Drug Interactions Mediated by Hepatic Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptide1B3

PURPOSE: Scutellarin, a flavonoid derived from the plant Erigeron breviscapus, is currently widely used to treat cerebrovascular diseases, liver-related diseases, and hyperlipidemia in china and other East Asian countries. This study was to investigate the effect of scutellarin on the uptake of rosuvastatin in HEK293T cells expressing human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (hOATP1B3) and rat OATP1B2 (rOATP1B2), respectively, and the effect of scutellarin on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin in rats. METHODS: The newly established HEK293T cells expressing hOATP1B3 and rOATP1B2 were used to examine the effects of scutellarin and positive controls on in vitro rosuvastatin transport. After co-feeding with scutellarin, the rosuvastatin area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0–24h)), the peak plasma drug concentration (C(max)), elimination half-life (t(1/2)), time to reach C(max) (t(max)), clearance (CL) and apparent clearance (CL/F) of rosuvastatin were determined in rats. RESULTS: Scutellarin inhibited hOATP1B3- and rOATP1B2-mediated rosuvastatin uptake (IC50: 45.54 ± 6.67 μM and 27.58 ± 3.97 μM) in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. After co-feeding with scutellarin, the AUC(0–24h) and C(max) of rosuvastatin in rats increased to 27.4% and 37.7%, respectively. The t(1/2) and t(max) of rosuvastatin showed no significant change. Moreover, scutellarin caused 29.2% and 28.1% decrease in the CL and CL/F of rosuvastatin. CONCLUSION: Scutellarin may inhibit the hOATP1B3- and rOATP1B2-mediated transport of rosuvastatin in vitro, and exerts a moderate inhibitory effect on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin in rats. Scutellarin is highly likely to participate in drug-drug interactions, as mediated by OATP1B3 in humans.