Excretion bile salt exporter pump

Bile salt export pump (BSEP gene symbol ABCB11) mediates the biliary excretion of nonconjugated bile salts, such as taurocholic acid, glycocholic acid and cholic acid, and therefore is responsible for the formation of the bile acid-dependent bile flow [97, 98]. Its hereditary defect results in the acquisition of PFIC2, a potentially lethal disease which requires liver transplantation [17, 81, 82, 99]. As discussed in Section 12.5.2, the inhibition of BSEP following drug administration may result in cholestasis. 

Troglitazone sulfate (Ml, the main metabolite) undergoes biliary excretion and accounts for up to 85% of the dose in humans (Loi et al. 1999). In patients with hepatic impairment, troglitazone sulfate was found to accumulate about fourfold in plasma with a threefold increased half-life (Ott et al. 1998 Loi et al. 1999). This metabolite also inhibited the canalicular bile salt export pump (Bsep), organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) transporters as well as drug transporters, suggesting it contributes to the hepatotoxicity. 

Another ABC transporter is sister P-glycoprotein, otherwise called the bile salt export pump (BSEP or ABCBl 1). It has been suggested that inhibition of this pump may increase the risk of cholestasis, see Drug transporters under Drug excretion interactions , (p.7). 

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