Effects of myricetin and quercetin on ticagrelor metabolism and the underlying mechanism

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) between ticagrelor and other drugs as well as their underlying mechanisms. Rat liver microsome (RLM) reaction system was used to screen potential DDIs in vitro, and ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was applied to detect the levels of ticagrelor and AR-C124910XX, the main metabolite of ticagrelor. A total of 68 drugs were screened, 11 of which inhibited the production of AR-C124910XX to 20% or less, especially two flavonoids (myricetin and quercetin). The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of myricetin on ticagrelor was 11.51 ± 0.28 μM in RLM and 17.96 ± 0.54 μM in human liver microsome (HLM). The IC50 of quercetin in inhibiting ticagrelor in RLM and HLM was 16.92 ± 0.49 μM and 60.15 ± 0.43 μM, respectively. They all inhibited the metabolism of ticagrelor through a mixed mechanism. In addition, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to study the interactions of ticagrelor with selected drugs in vivo. We found that the main pharmacokinetic parameters including AUC (0-t), AUC (0-∞) and Cmax of ticagrelor were significantly increased when ticagrelor was combined with these two flavonoids. Our results suggested that myricetin and quercetin of flavonoids both had significant effects on the metabolism of ticagrelor, providing reference data for the clinical individualized medication of ticagrelor.