Regulation of P-glycoprotein efflux activity by Z-guggulsterone of Commiphora mukul at the blood-brain barrier

The present study was to investigate whether Z-guggulsterone had the regulatory effect on the activity and expression of P-glycoprotein in rat brain microvessel endothelial cells (rBMECs) and in rat brain. Inorganic phosphate liberation assay, high performance liquid chromatography, and western blot analysis were performed to assess the P-glycoprotein ATPase activity, the accumulation of NaF and rhodamine 123, and P-glycoprotein and MRP1 expression. The results showed that Z-guggulsterone (0-100 μM) significantly enhanced basal P-glycoprotein ATPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Tetrandrine (0.1, 0.3, 1 μM) or cyclosporine A (0.1, 0.3, 1 μM) had non-competitively inhibitory manner on Z-guggulsterone-stimulated P-glycoprotein ATPase activity, suggesting that Z-guggulsterone might have unique binding site or regulating site on P-glycoprotein. However, Z-guggulsterone (30, 100 μM) had almost no influence on MRP1 expression in rBMECs. Further results revealed that Z-guggulsterone (50 mg/kg) significantly increased the accumulation of rhodamine 123 by down-regulating P-glycoprotein expression in rat brain, as compared with control (P < 0.05). Our studies suggested that Z-guggulsterone potentially inhibited the activity and expression of P-glycoprotein in rBMECs and in rat brain.