Stereoselective inhibition of amantadine accumulation by quinine and quinidine in rat renal proximal tubules and cortical slices.

The renal organic cation transport system was examined. The accumulation of a nonchiral cation, amantadine, by rat renal proximal tubules and cortical slices was investigated, together with the effects of two diastereoisomers, quinine and quinidine. The proximal tubules actively concentrated amantadine with a tissue/medium ratio of 96.3 +/- 1.7 (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 18). Apparent Km was 85 +/- 2 microM and Vmax was 8.0 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg of tubular protein per min. Amantadine accumulation was inhibited competitively by quinine and quinidine with Ki values of 32 +/- 3 and 84 +/- 11 microM, respectively (n = 4). Amantadine was also concentrated by renal cortical slices with tissue/medium ratio of 3.3 +/- 0.3 (n = 4). Apparent Km and Vmax were 94.0 +/- 5.2 microM and 1.27 +/- 0.08 nmol/mg of tubular protein per min, respectively (n = 10). Quinine and quinidine again inhibited amantadine accumulation competitively by the slices, with Ki values of 368 +/- 28 and 780 +/- 84 microM, respectively (n = 4). A similar affinity (Km) for amantadine was observed in both preparations. However, the lower Vmax value in the slice system may be due to additional amantadine transport sites with lower capacity, lesser luminal accumulation and/or limited substrate(s) penetration in the cortical slices. In either preparation, quinine and quinidine functioned as competitive inhibitors and stereoselectivity was observed for the (-)-isomer, quinine, over the (+)-isomer, quinidine. Additional transport sites, reduced luminal substrate accumulation and/or diffusional restraints in the slices are also feasible mechanisms in explaining the differences in Ki values between the two preparations, and their relative contributions await further investigation.