ABSTRACT:Previous studies implicated P-glycoprotein (P-gp) as the major transport protein responsible for the biliary excretion of fexofenadine (FEX). However, FEX biliary excretion was not impaired in P-gp-or breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp)-knockout mice or multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2)-deficient rats. The present study tested the hypothesis that species differences exist in the transport protein primarily responsible for FEX biliary excretion between mice and rats. Livers from Mrp2-knockout (Mrp2KO) mice and Mrp2-deficient (TR ؊ ) rats were perfused in a single-pass manner with 0.5 M FEX. N-(4-[2-(1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl]-phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide (GF120918) (10 M) was employed to inhibit P-gp and Bcrp. FEX is a nonsedating H 1 receptor antagonist used clinically for the treatment of seasonal allergies. FEX is metabolically stable; less than 5% of the dose is eliminated by metabolism in humans (Cvetkovic et al., 1999). FEX is eliminated primarily via biliary excretion. In mice, biliary and renal clearances account for 50 to 70% and 10 to 20% of FEX total body clearance, respectively (Tahara et al., 2005).In vitro studies have demonstrated that cellular uptake of FEX is mediated by the 1A2 and 2B1 isoforms of human organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP1A2 and OATP2B1, respectively); cellular efflux of FEX is mediated by human P-gp (Cvetkovic et al., 1999). FEX concentrations in plasma, brain, kidney, and liver were elevated significantly after oral and intravenous administration to P-gp-knockout mice (Cvetkovic et al., 1999). FEX has been used as a P-gp probe substrate for clinical drug-drug and food-drug interaction studies (Banfield et al., 2002;Shon et al., 2005).In rodents, FEX biliary excretion was not impaired in P-gp-or Bcrp-knockout mice or Mrp2-deficient Eisai hyperbilirubinemic rats (Tahara et al., 2005). These findings led to the hypothesis that one or more unidentified transport protein(s) distinct from P-gp, Mrp2, and Bcrp mediates the biliary excretion of FEX. Recent studies have suggested that species differences exist in transport mechanisms mediating biliary excretion (Zamek-Gliszczynski et al., 2006b). The purpose of this work was to determine whether Mrp2 is responsible for FEX biliary excretion in mice and whether species differences in FEX biliary excretion exist between mice and rats. Furthermore, the involvement of transport mechanisms other than Mrp2, P-gp, and Bcrp in FEX biliary excretion was investigated by using the P-gp and Bcrp inhibitor N- (4-[2-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethoxy-2-isoquinolinyl)ethyl]-phenyl)-9,10-dihydro-5-methoxy-9-oxo-4-acridine carboxamide (GF120918) in Mrp2-knockout mice.