Ramirez CJ, Minch JD, Gay JM et al. Molecular genetic basis for fluoroquinolone-induced retinal degeneration in cats. Pharmacogenetics and Genomics 2011; 21: 66-75. Abstract
PubMed ID (PMID): 21150813
Reprint: K. Mealey
Comments: this paper reports that cats have species-specific aminoacid changes in conserved regions of the ABCG2 gene that encodes a drug efflux pump present, among other locations, on the luminal surface of retinal endothelial cells. Interestingly, these aminoacid changes appear to affect the cell membrane expression of the pump, the efficiency of its drug substrate transport function and its protective effect from enrofloxacin-induced phototoxicity. This set of studies provides a pharmacogenetic explanation to enrofloxacin-associated retinal degeneration. The paper is quite heavy in laboratory methods, but it is very well written, clear to follow, and interesting on a mechanistic point of view.
Comments: this paper reports that cats have species-specific aminoacid changes in conserved regions of the ABCG2 gene that encodes a drug efflux pump present, among other locations, on the luminal surface of retinal endothelial cells. Interestingly, these aminoacid changes appear to affect the cell membrane expression of the pump, the efficiency of its drug substrate transport function and its protective effect from enrofloxacin-induced phototoxicity. This set of studies provides a pharmacogenetic explanation to enrofloxacin-associated retinal degeneration. The paper is quite heavy in laboratory methods, but it is very well written, clear to follow, and interesting on a mechanistic point of view.
Recommended by: Thierry Olivry, NC State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
