Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption

Abstract P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a crucial drug efflux transporter in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing drug uptake and expelling harmful xenobiotics to prevent pathological changes. Current P-gp enhancers primarily increase P-gp expression, requiring 1–3 days, thus missing the critical rescue w...

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Main Authors: Qinghua Wu, Qing Wang, Xiaohong Luo, Peng Jin, Ming Jin, Sajid Hussain, Yiming Qi, Junfeng Mo, Yinglan Yu, Hao Shao, Lei Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61437-2
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author Qinghua Wu
Qing Wang
Xiaohong Luo
Peng Jin
Ming Jin
Sajid Hussain
Yiming Qi
Junfeng Mo
Yinglan Yu
Hao Shao
Lei Luo
author_facet Qinghua Wu
Qing Wang
Xiaohong Luo
Peng Jin
Ming Jin
Sajid Hussain
Yiming Qi
Junfeng Mo
Yinglan Yu
Hao Shao
Lei Luo
author_sort Qinghua Wu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a crucial drug efflux transporter in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing drug uptake and expelling harmful xenobiotics to prevent pathological changes. Current P-gp enhancers primarily increase P-gp expression, requiring 1–3 days, thus missing the critical rescue window for acute poisoning. This study identifies glucosamine (GlcN) as a potent P-gp activator that swiftly enhances drug efflux, significantly reducing drug absorption without altering P-gp expression levels. GlcN directly binds to P-gp, boosting its transport efficiency. Only GlcN with a polymerization degree below 5 can activate P-gp, whereas higher polymerized chitooligosaccharides enhance drug absorption. Additionally, GlcN activation of P-gp has significant implications for cellular metabolism by expelling xenobiotics and metabolic by-products, maintaining cellular homeostasis. Our findings suggest GlcN’s potential as an effective antidote for paraquat poisoning and offer a detoxification strategy. This research provides a foundational understanding for developing improved detoxification agents and metabolic modulators.
format Article
id doaj-art-9299e828efae44ffab33ac2b13887a39
institution DOAJ
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-9299e828efae44ffab33ac2b13887a392025-08-20T03:03:41ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111410.1038/s41467-025-61437-2Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorptionQinghua Wu0Qing Wang1Xiaohong Luo2Peng Jin3Ming Jin4Sajid Hussain5Yiming Qi6Junfeng Mo7Yinglan Yu8Hao Shao9Lei Luo10College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityChildren’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, The Fourth People’s Hospital of LiaochengCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityCollege of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest UniversityAbstract P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a crucial drug efflux transporter in the gastrointestinal tract, reducing drug uptake and expelling harmful xenobiotics to prevent pathological changes. Current P-gp enhancers primarily increase P-gp expression, requiring 1–3 days, thus missing the critical rescue window for acute poisoning. This study identifies glucosamine (GlcN) as a potent P-gp activator that swiftly enhances drug efflux, significantly reducing drug absorption without altering P-gp expression levels. GlcN directly binds to P-gp, boosting its transport efficiency. Only GlcN with a polymerization degree below 5 can activate P-gp, whereas higher polymerized chitooligosaccharides enhance drug absorption. Additionally, GlcN activation of P-gp has significant implications for cellular metabolism by expelling xenobiotics and metabolic by-products, maintaining cellular homeostasis. Our findings suggest GlcN’s potential as an effective antidote for paraquat poisoning and offer a detoxification strategy. This research provides a foundational understanding for developing improved detoxification agents and metabolic modulators.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61437-2
spellingShingle Qinghua Wu
Qing Wang
Xiaohong Luo
Peng Jin
Ming Jin
Sajid Hussain
Yiming Qi
Junfeng Mo
Yinglan Yu
Hao Shao
Lei Luo
Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
Nature Communications
title Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
title_full Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
title_fullStr Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
title_full_unstemmed Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
title_short Glucosamine activates intestinal P-glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
title_sort glucosamine activates intestinal p glycoprotein inhibiting drug absorption
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61437-2
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