Roles of organic anion transporters in the progression of chronic renal failure.

Renal proximal and distal tubules carry out specialized directional transport of various solutes. The family of organic anion transporters (OATs), which belongs to the major facilitator superfamily (SLC22A), are expressed in the renal epithelial cells to regulate the excretion and the reabsorption of endogenous and exogenous organic anions that include various kinds of drugs and their metabolites. In recent years, it is revealed that indoxyl sulfate, one of uremic toxins, is a novel physiological substrate for OAT family, and its accumulation within the renal tubules via OATs induces renal dysfunction. The OATs are also expressed in the blood-brain barrier, muscle cells, and bone osteoblasts, which hint at various pathogenic roles of OAT-mediated transport of uremic toxins. In this review, we introduce and discuss the function of OATs in the context of their roles in the progression of chronic renal disease.