The bovine adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2/breast cancer resistance protein) polymorphism Tyr581Ser (Y581S) has recently been shown to increase in vitro transepithelial transport of antibiotics. Since this transporter has been extensively related to the active secretion of drugs into milk, the potential in vivo effect of this polymorphism on secretion of xenobiotics in livestock could have striking consequences for milk production, the dairy industry, and public health. Our purpose was to study the in vivo effect of this polymorphism on the secretion of danofloxacin, a widely used veterinary antibiotic, into milk. Danofloxacin (1.25 mg/kg) was administered to six Y/Y 581 homozygous and six Y/S 581 heterozygous lactating cows, and plasma and milk samples were collected and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. No differences were found in the pharmacokinetic parameters of danofloxacin in plasma between the two groups of animals. In contrast, Y/S heterozygous cows showed a 2-fold increase in danofloxacin levels in milk. In addition, the pharmacokinetic elimination parameters, mean residence time and elimination half-life, were significantly lower in the milk of the animals carrying the Y/S polymorphism. These in vivo results are in agreement with our previously published in vitro data, which showed a greater capacity of the S581 variant in accumulation assays, and demonstrate, for the first time, an important effect of the Y581S single-nucleotide polymorphism on antibiotic secretion into cow milk. These findings could be extended to other ABCG2 substrates, and may be relevant for the treatment of mastitis and for the design of accurate and novel strategies to handle milk residues.
IntroductionThe ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCG2 (breast cancer resistance protein) is expressed in a wide range of tissues and organs, including the intestine, liver, blood-brain barrier, and mammary gland (van Herwaarden and Schinkel, 2006). It affects the bioavailability of its substrates and mediates the active secretion of xenobiotics and several vitamins in milk (van Herwaarden et al., 2007). The occurrence of drug residues in milk could lead to the development of bacterial resistance, allergies, or hypersensitivity reactions in consumers (McManaman and Neville, 2003). On the other hand, effective treatments for mastitis may require a considerable transfer of drugs into milk (Escudero et al., 2007). All of these issues are of great concern for general public health, the dairy industry, and veterinary therapeutics. Hence, identification of relevant factors for the transfer of drugs into milk in livestock constitutes a priority.Changes in the expression and/or the function of ABCG2 can lead to dramatic variations in the pharmacokinetics and secretion of its substrates into milk Ni et al., 2010). Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been studied in human ABCG2, and of these, Gln141Lys (Q141K) is one of the most important, causing impaired urate transport wh...