The inhibitory effect of rivastigmine and galantamine on choline transport in brain capillary endothelial cells

Abstract

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, donepezil and tacrine suggested to be mediated by choline transport system in our previous study. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the interaction of other AChE inhibitors, rivastigmine and galantamine with choline transporter at the BBB. The effects of rivastigmine and galantamine on the transport of choline by conditionally immortalized rat brain capillary endothelial cell lines (TR-BBB cells) were characterized by cellular uptake study using radiolabeled choline. The uptake of [3H]choline was inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine, with IC50 values (i.e. concentration necessary for 50% inhibition) for 1.13 and 1.15 mM, respectively. Rivastigmine inhibited the uptake of [3H]choline competitively with Ki of 1.01 mM, but galantamine inhibited noncompetitively. In addition, the efflux of [3H]choline was significantly inhibited by rivastigmine and galantamine. Our results indicated that the BBB choline transporter may be involved in a part of the influx and efflux transport of rivastigmine across the BBB. These findings should be therapeutically relevant to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with AChE inhibitors, and, more generally, to the BBB transport of CNS-acting cationic drugs via choline transporter.