Pharmacokinetics of the P-gp Inhibitor Tariquidar in Rats After Intravenous, Oral, and Intraperitoneal Administration

Background and objectiveP-glycoprotein (P-gp), a transmembrane transporter expressed at the blood-brain barrier, restricts the distribution of diverse central nervous system-targeted drugs from blood into brain, reducing their therapeutic efficacy. The third-generation P-gp inhibitor tariquidar (XR9576) was shown to enhance brain distribution of P-gp substrate drugs in humans. Oral bioavailability of tariquidar was found to be low in humans requiring the compound to be administered intravenously, which hinders a broader clinical use. The objective of the present study was to investigate the plasma pharmacokinetics of tariquidar in rats after single intravenous, oral, and intraperitoneal administration.MethodsTwo different tariquidar formulations (A and B) were used, both at a dosage of 15mg/kg, respectively. Formulation A was a solution and formulation B was a microemulsion which was previously shown to improve the oral bioavailability of the structurally related P-gp inhibitor elacridar in mice.ResultsIn contrast to human data, the present study found a high bioavailability of tariquidar in rats after oral dosing. Oral bioavailability was significantly higher (p=0.032) for formulation B (86.3%) than for formulation A (71.6%). After intraperitoneal dosing bioavailability was 91.4% for formulation A and 99.6% for formulation B.ConclusionThe present findings extend the available information on tariquidar and provide a basis for future studies involving oral administration of this compound.