Active transport of riboflavin by the isolated choroid plexus in vitro

Exploring the impact of flavin homeostasis on cancer cell metabolism

Flavins and their associated proteins have recently emerged as compelling players in the landscape of cancer biology. Flavins, encompassing flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), serve as coenzymes in a multitude of cellular processes, such as metabolism, apoptosis, and cell proliferation. Their involvement in oxidative phosphorylation, redox homeostasis, and enzymatic reactions has long been recognized. However, recent research has unveiled an extended role for flavins in the context of cancer. In parallel, riboflavin transporters (RFVTs), FAD synthase (FADS), and riboflavin kinase (RFK) have gained prominence in cancer research. These proteins, responsible for riboflavin uptake, FAD biosynthesis, and FMN generation, are integral components of the cellular machinery that governs flavin homeostasis. Dysregulation in the expression/function of these proteins has been associated with various cancers, underscoring their potential as diagnostic markers, therapeutic targets, and key determinants of cancer cell behavior. This review embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted role of flavins and of the flavoproteins involved in nucleus-mitochondria crosstalk in cancer. We journey through the influence of flavins on cancer cell energetics, the modulation of RFVTs in malignant transformation, the diagnostic and prognostic significance of FADS, and the implications of RFK in drug resistance and apoptosis. This review also underscores the potential of these molecules and processes as targets for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, offering new avenues for the battle against this relentless disease.

Transporter-Mediated Drug Delivery

Transmembrane transport of small organic and inorganic molecules is one of the cornerstones of cellular metabolism. Among transmembrane transporters, solute carrier (SLC) proteins form the largest, albeit very diverse, superfamily with over 400 members. It was recognized early on that xenobiotics can directly interact with SLCs and that this interaction can fundamentally determine their efficacy, including bioavailability and intertissue distribution. Apart from the well-established prodrug strategy, the chemical ligation of transporter substrates to nanoparticles of various chemical compositions has recently been used as a means to enhance their targeting and absorption. In this review, we summarize efforts in drug design exploiting interactions with specific SLC transporters to optimize their therapeutic effects. Furthermore, we describe current and future challenges as well as new directions for the advanced development of therapeutics that target SLC transporters.

Oxidative mechanisms for the biotransformation of 1-methyl-1,6-dihydropyridine-2-carbaldoxime to pralidoxime chloride

AIMS

Due to pralidoxime chloride's (2-PAM) positive charge, it's penetration through the blood brain barrier (BBB) and reactivation of organophosphate (OP) inhibited central nervous system (CNS) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is poor. The results of CNS inhibited AChE are seizures. Pro-2-PAM (1-methyl-1,6-dihydropyridine-2-carbaldoxime), a pro-drug of 2-PAM, due to higher hydrophobicity, penetrates the BBB better but must be oxidized to 2-PAM, the active form of the oxime to reactivate CNS AChE in order to abrogate seizures. In this study, we characterize the in vivo mechanism of pro-2-PAM oxidation.

MAIN METHODS

A high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was developed to quantify the conversion of pro-2-PAM to 2-PAM. NADPH oxidase activity was measured by a photo-luminescence assay using lucigenin substrate. Upon analysis, the rate of NADPH induced oxidation suggested that an alternate mechanism may be involved. Therefore, various enzyme co-factors of oxidation-reduction enzyme systems were evaluated, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), riboflavin 5'-phosphate (FMN), and riboflavin. Next, a spectrophotometric assay was developed to measure the conversion of pro-2-PAM to 2-PAM in the presence of riboflavin.

KEY FINDINGS

In guinea pig brain homogenate, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), a specific NADPH oxidase inhibitor, reduced pro-2-PAM to 2-PAM conversion to less than 25%. In contrast, riboflavin, FAD, and FMN rapidly oxidized all pro-2-PAM to 2-PAM in an in vitro assay. Riboflavin oxidized pro-2-PAM reactivated diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) inhibited AChE.

SIGNIFICANCE

The present study shows that pro-2-PAM was rapidly oxidized by riboflavin to 2-PAM, which reactivated organophosphate (OP)-inhibited AChE.

Identification and comparative functional characterization of a new human riboflavin transporter hRFT3 expressed in the brain

We isolated cDNA coding a new human riboflavin transporter (hRFT)3, which exhibits 86.7 and 44.1% amino acid identity with hRFT1 and hRFT2, respectively. It was predicted to have 10 putative membrane-spanning domains. The functional characteristics of hRFT3 were examined and compared with those of its isoforms, hRFT1 and hRFT2. Real-time PCR revealed that hRFT3 mRNA was strongly expressed in the brain and salivary gland. hRFT1 mRNA was strongly expressed in the placenta and small intestine, whereas hRFT2 mRNA was most abundantly expressed in the testis and strongly in the small intestine and prostate. hRFT-mediated uptake of [3H]riboflavin was evaluated using human embryonic kidney 293 cells transiently transfected with the cDNA coding each hRFT. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constants of hRFT1, hRFT2, and hRFT3 for riboflavin were 1.38, 0.98, and 0.33 micromol/L, respectively. The hRFT-mediated [3H]riboflavin uptake was independent of extracellular Na+ and Cl(-). Specific uptake of [3H]riboflavin by hRFT2, but not hRFT1 and hRFT3, decreased as extracellular pH was changed from 5.4 to 8.4. The substrate specificities of the hRFT family were similar. hRFT-mediated uptake of [3H]riboflavin was inhibited by some riboflavin analogs, but not D-ribose, organic ions, or other vitamins. The newly isolated hRFT3 may play an important role in brain riboflavin homeostasis. Its amino acid sequence and functional characteristics are similar to those of hRFT1, but not hRFT2.

Micronutrient and urate transport in choroid plexus and kidney: implications for drug therapy

With application of molecular biology techniques, there has been rapid progress in understanding how many drugs and micronutrients (e.g., vitamins) are transferred across the choroid plexus (CP), the main transport locus of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier, and the renal tubular epithelial cells. In many cases, these molecules are transported by separate, specific carriers or receptors on the apical and/or basal side of the CP or renal epithelial cells. This commentary focuses on four micronutrient transport systems in CP (ascorbic acid, folate, inositol, and riboflavin), all of which have been recently cloned, expressed and for which knockout mice models were developed and transporter localization studies performed. Also reviewed is the recently cloned uric acid transport system in human kidney in which there exists a human "knockout" model. The implications of these transport systems for drug therapy of central nervous system and renal disorders are discussed, especially with regard to methods to circumvent the blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers to deliver drugs to the brain.

Active transport properties of porcine choroid plexus cells in culture

We have investigated the transport properties of cultured porcine choroid plexus cells grown on permeable membranes and in serum-free medium. Withdrawal of serum yielded cell cultures with permeabilities low enough to establish and maintain a pH-gradient between the two compartments of the filter system and to allow apical fluid secretion. This became possible because of ten-fold increased electrical resistance of 1700 Omega cm2 in the absence of serum. These plexus epithelial cells transported phenol red, fluorescein, riboflavin and penicillin G from the apical to the basolateral side. KM values and vmax were determined and come close to in vivo values. Competitive inhibition with probenicid showed that the organic anion transporter is involved. Riboflavin transport however was not completely inhibited and did not respond quantitatively to the stilben derivate SITS that blocks the Cl-/HCO3--exchanger. We assume that an additional transport system exists for riboflavin. Ascorbic acid and myo-inositol were transported from the basolateral to the apical side in vitro which strongly resembles the in vivo transport from the blood to the cerebrospinal fluid. Again the experimental in vitro KM values come close to the in vivo values. The established epithelial cell culture model thus closely mimics the blood-CSF-barrier and may be a useful tool to further elucidate transport to and from the brain.

Active transport of nicotine by the isolated choroid plexus in vitro

In vitro, the transport of [14C]nicotine into the isolated choroid plexus, the anatomical locus of the blood--CSF barrier, was studied. The isolated rabbit choroid plexus accumulated [14C]nicotine by two processes: an active saturable transport process and a nonsaturable process. The [14C]nicotine accumulation process by choroid plexus was not due to binding or intracellular metabolism of the [14C]nicotine. The [14C]nicotine accumulation process in isolated choroid plexus was inhibited by weak bases, including tolazoline and lidocaine, but not by the weak acid probenecid. The accumulation process was decreased 60% by iodoacetate and dinitrophenol and by low temperatures. These results are consistent with previous autoradiographic evidence showing the choroid plexus concentrated [14C]nicotine in vivo, and suggest that the choroid plexus may transfer nicotine between blood and CSF in vivo.

Lumiflavin and lumichrome transport in the central nervous system

The transport of the lipid-soluble sugarless flavins, [14C]lumiflavin and [14C]lumichrome, into an from the isolated choroid plexus and brain slices was studied in vitro. The isolated choroid plexus accumulated both [14C]flavins by a saturable, energy-requiring process that did not depend on binding or intracellular metabolism of the [14C]flavins. Both sugar-containing and sugarless flavins, as well as cyclic organic acids, significantly inhibited [14C]lumiflavin and [14C]lumichrome uptake by the isolated choroid plexus. Within 2.5 min, 75% of the [14C]lumiflavin accumulated by the isolated choroid plexus was released into the medium. Brain slices accumulated [14C]lumiflavin by a saturable process that did not meet all the criteria for active transport. Ninety-five percent of the [14C]lumiflavin accumulated by brain slices was released into the medium within 7.5 min. In vivo, 2 h after the intraventricular injection of 6.5 nmol [14C]lumiflavin, almost all of the [14C]flavin was cleared from the CNS. Addition of 3.5 mumol FMN to the intraventricular injectate significantly decreased the clearance of [14C]lumiflavin from the CNS. These studies document that the sugarless flavins are transported by the flavin transport systems in the CNS.

Riboflavin homeostasis in the central nervous system

The mechanisms by which riboflavin, which is not synthesized in mammals, enters and leaves brain, CSF, and choroid plexus were investigated by injecting [14C]riboflavin intravenously or intraventricularly. Tracer amounts of [14C]riboflavin with or without FMN were infused intravenously at a constant rate into normal, starved, or probenecid-pretreated rabbits. AT 3 h, [14C]riboflavin readily entered choroid plexus and brain, and, to a much lesser extent, CSF. Over 85% of the [14C]riboflavin in brain and choroid plexus was present as [14C]FMN and [14C]FAD. The addition of 0.2 mmol/kg FMN to the infusate markedly depressed the relative entry of [14C]riboflavin into brain, choroid plexus, and, less so, CSF, whereas starvation increased the relative entry of [14C]riboflavin into brain and choroid plexus. After intraventricular injection (2 h), most of the [14C]riboflavin was extremely rapidly cleared from CSF into blood. Some of the [14C]riboflavin entered brain, where over 85% of the 14C was present as [14C]FMN plus [14C]FAD. The addition of 1.23 mumol FAD (which was rapidly hydrolyzed to riboflavin) to the injectate decreased the clearance of [14C]riboflavin from CSF and the phosphorylation of [14C]riboflavin in brain. Probenecid in the injectate also decreased the clearance of [14C]riboflavin from CSF. These results show that the control of entry and exit of riboflavin is the mechanism, at least in part, by which total riboflavin levels in brain cells and CSF are regulated. Penetration of riboflavin through the blood-brain barrier, saturable efflux of riboflavin from CSF, and saturable entry of riboflavin into brain cells are three distinct parts of the homeostatic system for total riboflavin in the central nervous system.