Male-dominant activation of rat renal organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3) expression by transcription factor BCL6

Organic anion transporters 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3) play a critical role in transport of organic anions, including frequently prescribed drugs, across cell membranes in proximal tubules of kidneys. In rats, these transporters are known to be male-predominant and testosterone dependently expressed. The molecular mechanisms that are involved in the sex-dependent expression are unknown. Our aim was to identify genes that show a sex-dependent expression and could be involved in sex-dependent regulation of Oat1 and Oat3.