Quantitative Investigation of the Brain-to-Cerebrospinal Fluid Unbound Drug Concentration Ratio under Steady-State Conditions in Rats Using a Pharmacokinetic Model and Scaling Factors for Active Efflux Transporters

A pharmacokinetic model was constructed to explain the difference in brain-and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-to-plasma and brain-to-CSF unbound drug concentration ratios (K-p,K-uu,K-brain, K-p,K-uu,K-CSF, and K-p,K-uu,K-CSF/brain, respectively) of drugs under steady-state conditions in rats. The passive permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), PS1, was predicted by two methods using log(D/molecular weight(0.5)) for PS1(1) or the partition coefficient in octanol/water at pH 7.4 (LogD), topologic van der Waals polar surface area, and van der Waals surface area of the basic atoms for PS1(2). The coefficients of each parameter were determined using previously reported in situ rat BBB permeability. Active transport of drugs by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) measured in P-gp-and Bcrp-overexpressing cells was extrapolated to in vivo by introducing scaling factors. Brain-and CSF-to-plasma unbound concentration ratios (K-p,K-uu,K-brain and K-p,K-uu,K-CSF, respectively) of 19 compounds, including P-gp and Bcrp substrates (daidzein, dantrolene, flavopiridol, genistein, loperamide, quinidine, and verapamil), were simultaneously fitted to the equations in a three-compartment model comprising blood, brain, and CSF compartments. The calculated K-p,K-uu,K-brain and K-p,K-uu,K-CSF of 17 compounds were within a factor of three of experimental values. K-p,K-uu,K-CSF values of genistein and loperamide were outliers of the prediction, and K-p,K-uu,K-brain of dantrolene also became an outlier when PS1(2) was used. Kp, uu, CSF/brain of the 19 compounds was within a factor of three of experimental values. In conclusion, the Kp, uu, CSF/brain of drugs, including P-gp and Bcrp substrates, could be successfully explained by a kinetic model using scaling factors combined with in vitro evaluation of P-gp and Bcrp activities.