Kobayashi Kaoru, Minegishi Genki, Kazuki Kanako, Abe Satoshi, Sato Miyuki, Miyajima Atsushi, Hirabayashi Masumi, Sakuma Tetsushi, Yamamoto Takashi, Kazuki Yasuhiro
Department of Biopharmaceutics, Graduate School of Clinical Pharmacy, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1 Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan.
Chromosome Engineering Research Center (CERC), Tottori University, Tottori, Japan.
AAPS J. 2025 Jul 28;27(5):123. doi: 10.1208/s12248-025-01111-z.
The human cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme, which is expressed in the liver and the intestines, catalyzes the metabolism of numerous drugs. The induction of CYP3A4 by the pregnane X receptor (PXR) represents a significant problem in pharmacotherapy. Since the metabolic properties of CYP3A substrates and the recognition of PXR ligands differ between humans and rats, there are limitations to reproducing human CYP3A4 induction in rat studies. Here, we developed a double-humanized rat model for CYP3A and PXR to mimic drug-drug interactions in humans using a rat model. The model was created using a combination of mammalian artificial chromosome-based chromosome engineering, bacterial artificial chromosome-based transgenic technology, and genome editing. The resulting double-humanized rat model for CYP3A and PXR (huCYP3A-PXR rat) was treated with rifampicin, a human PXR ligand. This treatment increased CYP3A4 mRNA expression in the liver and intestine and enhanced the hydroxylation activities of triazolam, a CYP3A4 substrate. Pretreatment with rifampicin resulted in a reduction of triazolam plasma concentrations and an increase in its metabolites after oral administration. Furthermore, ketoconazole, a CYP3A4 inhibitor, led to an increase in triazolam plasma concentrations and a decrease in its metabolites in huCYP3A-PXR rats regardless of pretreatment with rifampicin. These results suggest that huCYP3A-PXR rats could predict human CYP3A4 induction and inhibition in vivo. This innovative model, in which PXR and CYP3A are humanized, is expected to be a valuable tool for studying drug-drug interactions, including a combination of inducers and inhibitors, and to be integrated into the preclinical drug-development pipeline in future.
人类细胞色素P450 3A4(CYP3A4)酶在肝脏和肠道中表达,催化多种药物的代谢。孕烷X受体(PXR)对CYP3A4的诱导是药物治疗中的一个重要问题。由于CYP3A底物的代谢特性以及人类和大鼠对PXR配体的识别存在差异,在大鼠研究中再现人类CYP3A4诱导存在局限性。在此,我们开发了一种CYP3A和PXR双人源化大鼠模型,以使用大鼠模型模拟人类的药物相互作用。该模型是通过基于哺乳动物人工染色体的染色体工程、基于细菌人工染色体的转基因技术和基因组编辑相结合创建的。用利福平(一种人类PXR配体)处理所得的CYP3A和PXR双人源化大鼠模型(huCYP3A - PXR大鼠)。这种处理增加了肝脏和肠道中CYP3A4 mRNA的表达,并增强了CYP3A4底物三唑仑的羟化活性。利福平预处理导致口服给药后三唑仑血浆浓度降低及其代谢物增加。此外,无论是否用利福平预处理,CYP3A4抑制剂酮康唑都会导致huCYP3A - PXR大鼠中三唑仑血浆浓度增加及其代谢物减少。这些结果表明,huCYP3A - PXR大鼠可以在体内预测人类CYP3A4的诱导和抑制。这种PXR和CYP3A人源化的创新模型有望成为研究药物相互作用(包括诱导剂和抑制剂组合)的有价值工具,并在未来纳入临床前药物开发流程。