[The transport mechanism of polycationic compounds across intestinal and renal cell membrane]

Triethylenetetramine pharmacology and its clinical applications

Triethylenetetramine (TETA), a Cu(II)-selective chelator, is commonly used for the treatment of Wilson's disease. Recently, it has been shown that TETA can be used in the treatment of cancer because it possesses telomerase inhibiting and anti-angiogenesis properties. Although TETA has been used in the treatment of Wilson's disease for decades, a comprehensive review on TETA pharmacology does not exist. TETA is poorly absorbed with a bioavailability of 8 to 30%. It is widely distributed in tissues with relatively high concentrations measured in liver, heart, and kidney. It is mainly metabolized via acetylation, and two major acetylated metabolites exist in human serum and urine. It is mainly excreted in urine as the unchanged parent drug and two acetylated metabolites. It has a relatively short half-life (2 to 4 hours) in humans. The most recent discoveries in TETA pharmacology show that the major pharmacokinetic parameters are not associated with the acetylation phenotype of N-acetyltransferase 2, the traditionally regarded drug acetylation enzyme, and the TETA-metabolizing enzyme is actually spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase. This review also covers the current preclinical and clinical application of TETA. A much needed overview and up-to-date information on TETA pharmacology is provided for clinicians or cancer researchers who intend to embark on cancer clinical trials using TETA or its close structural analogs.

Fate of orally administered 15N-labeled polyamines in rats bearing solid tumors

We studied absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) in the gastrointestinal tract using (15)N-labeled polyamines as tracers and ionspray ionization mass spectrometry (IS-MS). The relatively simple protocol using rats bearing solid tumors provided useful information. Three (15)N-labeled polyamines that were simultaneously administered were absorbed equally from gastrointestinal tract, and distributed within tissues at various concentrations. The uptake of (15)N-spermidine seemed preferential to that of (15)N-spermine since the concentrations of (15)N-spermidine in the liver and tumors were higher, whereas those of (15)N-spermine were higher in the kidney, probably due to the excretion of excess extracellular spermine. Most of the absorbed (15)N-putrescine seemed to be lost, suggesting blood and tissue diamine oxidase degradation. Concentrations of (15)N-spermidine and (15)N-spermine in the tumor were low. We also describe the findings from two rats that were administered with (15)N-spermine. The tissue concentrations of (15)N-spermine were unusually high, and significant levels of (15)N-spermidine were derived from (15)N-spermine in these animals.