The potent immunosuppressive cyclosporin FR901459 inhibits the human P-glycoprotein and formyl peptide receptor functions.

By sequestering cytosolic calcineurin into a molecular complex with cyclophilin and its consequent T-cell dysfunction, some cyclosporins, such as CsA and FR901459 ([Thr2-Leu5-Leu10]-CsA), display potent immunosuppressive activity. Independently on this property, cyclosporins may display one or more other biological activities mediated by interaction with cell surface glycoproteins. Several cyclosporins inhibit the function of human MDRI-encoded P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a flippase known to cause cancer multidrug resistance, but also expressed by some normal immunocompetent cells and by normal epithelial cells which control drug bioavailability in vivo. CsA is known to be a potent Pgp inhibitor with a 3.2 microM IC50 in an assay where the most potent derivative SDZ PSC 833 gives a 0.49 microM IC50. FR901459 is now shown to be a good Pgp inhibitor, being 2-fold weaker only (IC50 of 6 microM) than CsA. Some cyclosporins may also inhibit the function of the human FPR1-encoded formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a chemotactic receptor whose absence is known to impair antibacterial immunity. Yet this inhibition is very weak for all, but one of them, CsH, whose 0.15 micro/M IC50 makes it a much more potent FPR inhibitor than CsA (IC50 >10 microM in the same assay). FR901459 is now shown to be a very potent inhibitor of FPR function (IC50 of 0.6 microM). Since CsH shows little Pgp-inhibitory activity and has no known immunosuppressive activity, FR901459 displays a unique pharmacological profile: like CsA, it inhibits T-cell function; less than CsA, it can inhibit Pgp function on selected leukocyte subsets and on epithelial barriers known to control drug bioavailability; however, much more efficiently than CsA, it can inhibit the FPR function, a receptor involved in some leukocytic inflammatory responses to chemotactic peptides.