Sex, Organ, and Breed Differences in the mRNA Expression of Drug Transporters in the Liver and Kidney of Pigs

Abstract

Domestic pigs are attractive as an animal model for humans because of their anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. In this study, sex, organ, and breed differences in the mRNA expression of drug transporters such as breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2), organic anion porting polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3), organic anion transporters (OAT1, OAT2, and OAT3), and organic cation transporters (OCT1 and OCT2) were examined by RT-PCR in the liver and kidney of 5-month-old Meishan and Landrace pigs. No sex differences in the amount of BCRP mRNA were observed in both breeds. In Meishan pigs, sex differences (male female for MRP2, OAT3, and OCT2, and male