Sex-specific extraction of organic anions by the rat liver

The capacity for hepatic elimination of some compounds is different in males and females and differential expression of a number of sinusoidal and canalicular transporters exists. However, the specific events underlying the functional differences are not understood. To determine how sex influences sinusoidal and canalicular organic anion transport, bile duct-cannulated livers from mature Sprague–Dawley rats of both sexes were single-pass perfused with saline containing the model organic anions bromosulphophthalein (BSP), carboxyfluorescein (CF), carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA) or 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid (DIDS). Assay of effluent perfusate anion concentration showed that BSP, but not DIDS, extraction was significantly higher in male versus female rats. At 20 min perfusion with 50 µM BSP the mean effluent concentration was 5.6 and 20.1 µM in, respectively, male and female rats. HPLC confirmed that the effluent perfusate concentration of BSP was higher in female as compared with male rats and was not contributed to by its glutathione conjugate. With 25 µM DIDS, the effluent concentration reached 7.3 (male) and 8.2 µM (female), indicating high extraction efficiency. In contrast to BSP and DIDS, CF extraction was very low (