Expression and functional activity of P-glycoprotein in passaged primary human nasal epithelial cell monolayers cultured by the air–liquid interface method for nasal drug transport study

Objectives P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an efflux transporter encoded by the multidrug resistance gene (MDR1), which is also known as the human ABCB1 gene (ATP-binding cassette, subfamily-B). The objectives of this study were to investigate the expression of P-gp in passaged primary human nasal epithelial (HNE) cell monolayer, cultured by the air–liquid interface (ALI) method, and to evaluate its feasibility as an in-vitro model for cellular uptake and transport studies of P-gp substrates.

Methods Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to verify the expression of the MDR1 gene. Transport and cellular uptake studies with P-gp substrate (rhodamine123) and P-gp inhibitors (verapamil and cyclosporin A) were conducted to assess the functional activity of P-gp in HNE cell monolayers cultured by the ALI method.

Key findings MDR1 gene expression in primary HNE cell monolayers cultured by ALI method was confirmed by RT-PCR. The apparent permeability coefficient (P_app) of the P-gp substrate (rhodamine123) in the basolateral to apical (B to A) direction was 6.9 times higher than that in the apical to basolateral (A to B) direction. B to A transport was saturated at high rhodamine123 concentration, and the treatment of P-gp inhibitors increased cellular uptake of rhodamine123 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner.

Conclusions These results support the MDR1 gene expression and the functional activity of P-gp in primary HNE cell monolayers cultured by the ALI method.