The study is aimed to evaluate the hepatic zonation of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (mrp2), an important drug transporter, and its potential changes during the induction of its expression by known inducer, dexamethasone (DEX). The hepatic expression of mrp2 is studied by immunohistochemistry.
Overall changes in mrp2 expression and function produced by DEX are monitored using Western blotting and an in vivo clearance study of endogenous conjugated bilirubin, a mrp2 substrate.