Glibenclamide is well known to interact with the sulphonylurea receptor (SUR) and has been shown more recently to inhibit the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR), both proteins that are members of the ABC [adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette] transporters. The effect of glibenclamide and two synthetic sulphonylcyanoguanidine derivatives (dubbed BM-208 and BM-223) was examined on P-glycoprotein, the major ABC transporter responsible for multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells. To this end, we employed different cell lines that do or do not express P-glycoprotein, as confirmed by Western blotting: first, a tumour cell line (VBL600) selected from a human T-cell line (CEM) derived from an acute leukaemia; second, an epithelial cell line derived from a rat colonic adenocarcinoma (CC531(mdr+)) and finally, a non tumour epithelial cell line derived from the proximal tubule of the opossum kidney (OK). Glibenclamide and the two related derivatives inhibited P-glycoprotein because firstly, they acutely increased [3H]colchicine accumulation in P-glycoprotein-expressing cell lines only; secondly BM-223 reversed the MDR phenomenon, quite similarly to verapamil, by enhancing the cytotoxicity of colchicine, taxol and vinblastine and thirdly, BM-208 and BM-223 blocked the photoaffinity-labelling of P-glycoprotein by [3H]azidopine. Furthermore, glibenclamide is itself a substrate for P-glycoprotein, since the cellular accumulation of [3H]glibenclamide was low and substantially increased by addition of P-glycoprotein substrates (e. g., vinblastine and cyclosporine) only in the P-glycoprotein-expressing cell lines. We conclude that glibenclamide and two sulphonylcyanoguanidine derivatives inhibit P-glycoprotein and that sulphonylurea drugs would appear to be general inhibitors of ABC transporters, suggesting an interaction with some conserved motif.

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Impaired glucose tolerance and overt diabetes mellitus are becoming increasingly common complications of cystic fibrosis (CF), most probably merely as a result of increased life expectancy. In order to understand the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD), knowledge on the possible expression and cell distribution of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein within the endocrine pancreas is required. In this report, we establish the first evidence for expression of CFTR protein in rat pancreatic islets by using independent techniques. First reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification showed that CFTR mRNA is present in isolated islets of Langerhans. Furthermore, the analysis of flow cytometry-separated islet cells indicated that the level of CFTR transcripts is significantly higher in the non-beta than in beta-cell populations. The expression of CFTR protein in rat islet cells was also demonstrated by Western blotting and the level of expression was also found significantly higher in the non-beta than in beta-cell populations. Last, in situ immunocytochemistry studies with two monoclonal antibodies recognizing different CFTR epitopes indicated that CFTR expression occurs mainly in glucagon-secreting alpha-cells.

The uptake of radioactive iodide or chloride by plasma membrane vesicles of bovine thyroid was studied by a rapid filtration technique. A Na(+)-I- cotransport was demonstrated. When this Na(+)-I- cotransport is inactive (i.e., at 4 degrees C and in the absence of Na+), an uptake of iodide above chemical equilibrium could be induced, driven by the membrane potential. The latter was set up by allowing potassium to diffuse into the membrane vesicles in the presence of valinomycin and of an inward K+ gradient. This potential difference (positive inside) induced the uptake of iodide (or other anion present). The data support the existence of two anionic channels. The first one, observed at low near-physiological iodide concentration (micromolar range), which exhibits a high permeability and specificity for iodide (hence called the iodide channel), has a Km of 70 microM. The other one appears similar to the epithelial anion channel as described by Landry et al. (J. Gen. Physiol. 90: 779-798, 1987); it is still about fourfold more permeable to iodide than to chloride and presents a Km of 33 mM. Under physiological conditions the latter channel would mediate chloride transport, and the iodide channel, which is proposed to be restricted to the apical plasma membrane domain of the thyrocyte, transports iodide from the cytosol to the colloid space.

The expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in the thyroid has not been documented to date, although a role for CFTR in the thyroid follicular epithelium is suggested both clinically, by the occurrence of subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and physiologically, by the presence of low-conductance, adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-activated Cl channels in the follicular cells. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with nested primers derived from exons 13 and 14 of the human CF gene, we have now documented the presence of CFTR mRNA in the human thyroid. Western blot analyses using six antibodies directed against different domains of human CFTR showed that a 165-kDa band was present in membrane extracts from bovine and human thyroid. This protein has the predicted size of mature CFTR and was not detected with preimmune serum or preadsorbed antiserum. By immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase, CFTR was located in the follicular cells, with a diffuse, intracellular labeling pattern. Quantitative analysis revealed that 64% of the follicles were CFTR positive, but only 16% of the follicular cells were stained per follicle. The number of CFTR-positive cells was inversely proportional to the size of the follicle. These results 1) demonstrate the expression of CFTR at the mRNA and protein levels in human and bovine thyroid follicular cells and 2) suggest that CFTR expression could be instrumental in follicular enlargement.