Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics

Abstract Deciphering the sources of variability in drug responses requires to understand the processes modulating drug pharmacokinetics. However, pharmacological research suffers from poor reproducibility across clinical, animal, and experimental models. Predictivity can be improved by using Organs-...

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Main Authors: Isy Petit, Quentin Faucher, Jean-Sébastien Bernard, Perrine Giunchi, Antoine Humeau, François-Ludovic Sauvage, Pierre Marquet, Nicolas Védrenne, Florent Di Meo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85653-4
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author Isy Petit
Quentin Faucher
Jean-Sébastien Bernard
Perrine Giunchi
Antoine Humeau
François-Ludovic Sauvage
Pierre Marquet
Nicolas Védrenne
Florent Di Meo
author_facet Isy Petit
Quentin Faucher
Jean-Sébastien Bernard
Perrine Giunchi
Antoine Humeau
François-Ludovic Sauvage
Pierre Marquet
Nicolas Védrenne
Florent Di Meo
author_sort Isy Petit
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Deciphering the sources of variability in drug responses requires to understand the processes modulating drug pharmacokinetics. However, pharmacological research suffers from poor reproducibility across clinical, animal, and experimental models. Predictivity can be improved by using Organs-on-Chips, which are more physiological, human-oriented, micro-engineered devices that include microfluidics. OoC are particularly relevant at the fundamental and preclinical stages of drug development by providing more accurate assessment of key pharmacokinetic events. We have developed a proximal tubule-on-a-chip model combining commercial microfluidic and chip technologies. Using the RPTEC/TERT1 cell line, we set up a dual-flow system with antiparallel flows to mimic the dynamics of blood and urine. We assessed transporters mRNA expression, cellular polarization and protein expression via immunofluorescence, and monitored the transcellular transport of prototypic xenobiotics by determining their efflux ratios. Our results show that flow exposure significantly modulate mRNA expression of drug membrane transporters. Dynamic conditions also enhance cell polarization, as evidenced by preferential basal and apical expressions of Na + /K + -ATPase, P-gp, OCT2, and MATE1 , as well as the cellular secretory profile. We demonstrated unidirectional transcellular transport of metformin with a higher efflux than influx ratio, inhibited with OCT2 inhibitor, thus confirming the relevance of our proximal tubule-on-a-chip set up for cation transport investigations. Our proximal tubule-on-a-chip can also be used to explore the interactions between transporters, xenobiotics, and endogenous metabolites, possibly involved in the variability of individual drug responses. This study provides additional evidence that OoC can help bridge the gaps between systemic and local pharmacokinetics.
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spelling doaj-art-cfdf4b852a454451b8699495f37a24ff2025-01-26T12:32:44ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-85653-4Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamicsIsy Petit0Quentin Faucher1Jean-Sébastien Bernard2Perrine Giunchi3Antoine Humeau4François-Ludovic Sauvage5Pierre Marquet6Nicolas Védrenne7Florent Di Meo8U1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesDivision of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht UniversityU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesU1248 Pharmacology & Transplantation, Inserm, Univ. LimogesAbstract Deciphering the sources of variability in drug responses requires to understand the processes modulating drug pharmacokinetics. However, pharmacological research suffers from poor reproducibility across clinical, animal, and experimental models. Predictivity can be improved by using Organs-on-Chips, which are more physiological, human-oriented, micro-engineered devices that include microfluidics. OoC are particularly relevant at the fundamental and preclinical stages of drug development by providing more accurate assessment of key pharmacokinetic events. We have developed a proximal tubule-on-a-chip model combining commercial microfluidic and chip technologies. Using the RPTEC/TERT1 cell line, we set up a dual-flow system with antiparallel flows to mimic the dynamics of blood and urine. We assessed transporters mRNA expression, cellular polarization and protein expression via immunofluorescence, and monitored the transcellular transport of prototypic xenobiotics by determining their efflux ratios. Our results show that flow exposure significantly modulate mRNA expression of drug membrane transporters. Dynamic conditions also enhance cell polarization, as evidenced by preferential basal and apical expressions of Na + /K + -ATPase, P-gp, OCT2, and MATE1 , as well as the cellular secretory profile. We demonstrated unidirectional transcellular transport of metformin with a higher efflux than influx ratio, inhibited with OCT2 inhibitor, thus confirming the relevance of our proximal tubule-on-a-chip set up for cation transport investigations. Our proximal tubule-on-a-chip can also be used to explore the interactions between transporters, xenobiotics, and endogenous metabolites, possibly involved in the variability of individual drug responses. This study provides additional evidence that OoC can help bridge the gaps between systemic and local pharmacokinetics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85653-4Organ-On-a-ChipPharmacokineticsDrug membrane transportersProximal tubule-On-a-ChipDrug-Drug InteractionsDrug-Endogenous metabolite Interactions
spellingShingle Isy Petit
Quentin Faucher
Jean-Sébastien Bernard
Perrine Giunchi
Antoine Humeau
François-Ludovic Sauvage
Pierre Marquet
Nicolas Védrenne
Florent Di Meo
Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
Scientific Reports
Organ-On-a-Chip
Pharmacokinetics
Drug membrane transporters
Proximal tubule-On-a-Chip
Drug-Drug Interactions
Drug-Endogenous metabolite Interactions
title Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
title_full Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
title_fullStr Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
title_full_unstemmed Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
title_short Proximal tubule-on-chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
title_sort proximal tubule on chip as a model for predicting cation transport and drug transporter dynamics
topic Organ-On-a-Chip
Pharmacokinetics
Drug membrane transporters
Proximal tubule-On-a-Chip
Drug-Drug Interactions
Drug-Endogenous metabolite Interactions
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85653-4
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