Down-regulation of brush border efflux transporter expression in the kidneys of pregnant mice.

Pregnancy increases the urinary excretion of chemicals in women and rodents. It is unknown whether the enhanced clearance of drugs during pregnancy involves changes in the expression of transporters that mediate chemical secretion and reabsorption. The purpose of this study was to quantify the mRNA and protein expression of efflux transporters in kidneys from virgin and pregnant mice on gestational days 7, 11, 14, and 17 and postnatal days 1, 15, and 30 with use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. Multidrug resistance protein (Mdr) 1b mRNA, multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mrp) 4 mRNA, and protein levels decreased significantly by 25-75% throughout pregnancy and lactation. Similarly, Mrp2 and multidrug and toxin extrusion transporter (Mate) 1 mRNA expression were down-regulated 20-40% during mid to late gestation but returned to control levels by postnatal day 15. In contrast, Mrp3 mRNA and protein increased 225% and 31%, respectively, at gestational day 14. Coordinated down-regulation of brush border transporters Mate1, Mrp2, and Mrp4 and up-regulation of the basolateral Mrp3 transporter would reduce chemical secretion into urine.