Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans

Nitrofurantoin (NFT) is a commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections that can cause liver toxicity. Despite reports of hepatic adverse events associated with NFT exposure, there is still limited understanding of the interplay between NFT exposure, its disposition, and the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Raju Prasad Sharma, Elsje J. Burgers, Joost B. Beltman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/9/2199
_version_ 1797577952552026112
author Raju Prasad Sharma
Elsje J. Burgers
Joost B. Beltman
author_facet Raju Prasad Sharma
Elsje J. Burgers
Joost B. Beltman
author_sort Raju Prasad Sharma
collection DOAJ
description Nitrofurantoin (NFT) is a commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections that can cause liver toxicity. Despite reports of hepatic adverse events associated with NFT exposure, there is still limited understanding of the interplay between NFT exposure, its disposition, and the risk of developing liver toxicity. In this study, we aim to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for NFT in three different species (rabbits, rats, and humans) that can be used as a standard tool for predicting drug-induced liver injury (DILI). We created several versions of the PBPK model using previously published kinetics data from rabbits, and integrated enterohepatic recirculation (EHR) using rat data. Our model showed that active tubular secretion and reabsorption in the kidney are critical in explaining the non-linear renal clearance and urine kinetics of NFT. We subsequently extrapolated the PBPK model to humans. Adapting the physiology to humans led to predictions consistent with human kinetics data, considering a low amount of NFT to be excreted into bile. Model simulations predicted that the liver of individuals with a moderate-to-severe glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is exposed to two-to-three-fold higher concentrations of NFT than individuals with a normal GFR, which coincided with a substantial reduction in the NFT urinary concentration. In conclusion, people with renal insufficiency may be at a higher risk of developing DILI due to NFT exposure, while at the same time having a suboptimal therapeutic effect with a high risk of drug resistance. Our PBPK model can in the future be used to predict NFT kinetics in individual patients on the basis of characteristics like age and GFR.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T22:16:23Z
format Article
id doaj.art-658aa83d30304d5ca3f8f962a74c6934
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1999-4923
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T22:16:23Z
publishDate 2023-08-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Pharmaceutics
spelling doaj.art-658aa83d30304d5ca3f8f962a74c69342023-11-19T12:26:23ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232023-08-01159219910.3390/pharmaceutics15092199Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and HumansRaju Prasad Sharma0Elsje J. Burgers1Joost B. Beltman2Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The NetherlandsDivision of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The NetherlandsDivision of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The NetherlandsNitrofurantoin (NFT) is a commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of urinary tract infections that can cause liver toxicity. Despite reports of hepatic adverse events associated with NFT exposure, there is still limited understanding of the interplay between NFT exposure, its disposition, and the risk of developing liver toxicity. In this study, we aim to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for NFT in three different species (rabbits, rats, and humans) that can be used as a standard tool for predicting drug-induced liver injury (DILI). We created several versions of the PBPK model using previously published kinetics data from rabbits, and integrated enterohepatic recirculation (EHR) using rat data. Our model showed that active tubular secretion and reabsorption in the kidney are critical in explaining the non-linear renal clearance and urine kinetics of NFT. We subsequently extrapolated the PBPK model to humans. Adapting the physiology to humans led to predictions consistent with human kinetics data, considering a low amount of NFT to be excreted into bile. Model simulations predicted that the liver of individuals with a moderate-to-severe glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is exposed to two-to-three-fold higher concentrations of NFT than individuals with a normal GFR, which coincided with a substantial reduction in the NFT urinary concentration. In conclusion, people with renal insufficiency may be at a higher risk of developing DILI due to NFT exposure, while at the same time having a suboptimal therapeutic effect with a high risk of drug resistance. Our PBPK model can in the future be used to predict NFT kinetics in individual patients on the basis of characteristics like age and GFR.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/9/2199physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelrenal insufficiencydrug-induced liver injurynitrofurantoin
spellingShingle Raju Prasad Sharma
Elsje J. Burgers
Joost B. Beltman
Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
Pharmaceutics
physiologically based pharmacokinetic model
renal insufficiency
drug-induced liver injury
nitrofurantoin
title Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
title_full Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
title_fullStr Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
title_full_unstemmed Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
title_short Development of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model for Nitrofurantoin in Rabbits, Rats, and Humans
title_sort development of a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for nitrofurantoin in rabbits rats and humans
topic physiologically based pharmacokinetic model
renal insufficiency
drug-induced liver injury
nitrofurantoin
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/9/2199
work_keys_str_mv AT rajuprasadsharma developmentofaphysiologicallybasedpharmacokineticmodelfornitrofurantoininrabbitsratsandhumans
AT elsjejburgers developmentofaphysiologicallybasedpharmacokineticmodelfornitrofurantoininrabbitsratsandhumans
AT joostbbeltman developmentofaphysiologicallybasedpharmacokineticmodelfornitrofurantoininrabbitsratsandhumans