Assessment of Aging-Related Function Variations of P-gp Transporter in Old-Elderly Chinese CHF Patients Based on Modeling and Simulation

Abstract

Background and objectives: P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is one of the most intensely studied transporters owing to its broad tissue distribution and substrate specificity. Existing research suggests that the risk of systemic exposure to dabigatran etexilate (DABE) and digoxin, two P-gp probe substrates in vivo, has significantly increased in elderly patients. We applied a model-based quantitative pharmacological approach to assess aging-related P-gp changes in the Chinese old-elderly population.

Methods: Population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) modeling was first performed using clinical pharmacokinetic data to explore the effect of age on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of dabigatran (DAB, the active principle of DABE) and digoxin in elderly Chinese patients. Corresponding physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models were established to further explain the elevated systemic exposure to these two drugs. Eventually, standard dosing regimens of DABE and digoxin were assessed in Chinese old-elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with different stages of renal impairment.

Results: PopPK analysis suggested that age as a covariate had an additional effect on the apparent clearance of these two drugs after correcting for creatinine clearance. PBPK simulation results suggested that disease-specific pathophysiological changes could explain DAB exposure in the young elderly. In the elderly population, 17.1% of elevated DAB exposure remained unexplained, and 25.5% of the reduced P-gp function associated with aging was ultimately obtained using sensitivity analysis. This value was further validated using digoxin data obtained by PBPK modeling. The simulation results suggest that CHF patients with advanced age and moderate-to-severe renal impairment require heightened vigilance for elevated exposure risk during the use of DABE and digoxin.

Conclusions: Aging might be a significant risk factor for elevated systemic exposure to DAB and digoxin by reducing P-gp-mediated efflux in the Chinese old elderly population.