Effect of the organic acid transport inhibitor probenecid on renal cortical uptake and proximal tubular toxicity of hexachloro-1,3-butadiene and its conjugates

Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene (HCBD), its glutathione conjugate (HCBD-GSH), cysteine conjugate (HCBD-CYS), and mercapturic acid derivative (HCBD-NAC) all produce acute necrosis of the pars recta of the proximal renal tubule in the rat. Previous studies have shown that radiolabel from administered HCBD appears to concentrate in the pars recta region. Renal uptake of radioactivity from HCBD-NAC was studied in rats by giving a single ip injection of the chemical and measuring its concentration in plasma and renal cortex 4 hr later. Cortex/plasma ratios (C/P) of HCBD-NAC were 4.35 +/- 0.21 (8 animals) at a dose of 64 mumol/kg and 10.4 +/- 0.55 (5) at a dose of 16 mumol/kg. These ratios were greater than that of inulin [C/P inulin = 1.5 +/- 0.2 (4)]. Thus cortical HCBD-NAC content was significantly greater than can be accounted for by glomerular filtration alone. Prior administration of probenecid (500 mumol/kg), a competitive inhibitor of organic acid transport, to animals receiving 16 or 64 mumol/kg of HCBD-NAC reduced the C/P to 1.03 +/- 0.09 (5) and 0.81 +/- 0.05 (8), respectively. Administration of probenecid in increasing doses (100, 200, 300, and 400 mumol/kg) to animals receiving 64 mumol/kg HCBD-NAC resulted in decreases of the C/P (2.59, 2.29, 1.35, and 0.84, respectively), suggesting a competitive inhibition of cortical HCBD-NAC uptake. The extent of covalently bound radioactivity from 64 mumol/kg HCBD-NAC was significantly greater in the renal cortex (1.11 +/- 0.2 nmol eq/mg protein) than in the liver (0.19 +/- 0.01 nmol eq/mg protein). Prior administration of probenecid (500 mumol/kg) reduced the renal cortical concentration of HCBD-NAC to 0.25 +/- 0.02 nmol eq/mg protein. Increasing doses of probenecid resulted in a progressive decrease in renal cortical covalent binding. When treatment with probenecid led to renal cortical concentrations of less than 120 nmol eq HCBD-NAC/g and an amount of covalently bound material less than 0.4 nmol eq/mg protein the animals were completely protected against the nephrotoxicity, as assessed by plasma urea and histopathological examination 24 hr after dosing. Prior administration of probenecid (500 mumol/kg) also protected rats against the nephrotoxicity produced by HCBD (192 mumol/kg), HCBD-GSH (47 mumol/kg), and HCBD-CYS (36 mumol/kg). It is suggested that the renal cortical accumulation and selective proximal tubular toxicity of HCBD and its conjugates is related to a carrier-mediated transport system.