Gender differences in the membrane transport of endogenous and exogenous compounds

Gender differences have been well described in pharmacokinetics and contribute to the interindividual variation in drug disposition, therapeutic response, and drug toxicity. Sex-related differences in the membrane transport of endogenous substrates and xenobiotics have been reported in various organs of the body including kidney, liver, intestine, and brain. These gender-related differences in transport systems could also contribute to interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This review will focus on current knowledge of gender-associated differences in the transport of endogenous and exogenous compounds in a variety of body organs and will discuss the implications and the clinical significance of these observations.