Abstract
In addition to nutrients, influx transporters expressed on the apical membrane of intestinal epithelial cells accept various drugs as substrates. For example, peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) has been found to be one of the most versatile influx transporters with great substrate range. This observation has been exploited successfully as a mechanism for improving oral bioavailability of drugs such as cefixime and aciclovir. Additionally, the sodium-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT) and the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT) are currently molecular targets for discovery of anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic drugs, respectively.
This paper will review research on the intestinal influx transporters with special emphasis on their potential application in drug development.
