Plasma Drug Concentration (plasma + drug_concentration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Dissociation between objective psychomotor impairment and subjective sleepiness after diazepam administration in the aged people

HUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 6 2007
Masaru Echizenya
Abstract The aim of the present study was to clarify whether subjective sleepiness accurately reflects benzodiazepine-related decline in psychomotor function after taking benzodiazepines (BZPs) in aged people. Subjects were eight healthy, young (mean age, 19.8,years) and seven healthy, older (mean age, 60.9,years) men. Placebo and diazepam (DZP) were administered orally in a single-blind crossover manner to the young subjects (placebo, 5,mg DZP and 10,mg DZP) and to the older subjects (placebo and 5,mg DZP). Plasma drug concentration, choice reaction time (CRT) as an objective measure of psychomotor function, and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) as a measure of subjective sleepiness were monitored every 20,min from 1000 until 1600,h, being the drug administered at 1200,h. Pharmacokinetic variables did not differ significantly between the two age groups. DZP at 10,mg in young subjects induced significant increases in both the CRT and SSS score. DZP at 5,mg induced no significant increase in SSS score in either age group but did induce a significant increase in CRT only in the older subjects that matched that in young subjects given 10,mg DZP. The older subjects suffered from dissociation between subjective sleepiness and objective psychomotor impairment under DZP treatment. Such individuals may underestimate the detrimental effects on brain function. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Plasma concentrations of fluticasone propionate and budesonide following inhalation: effect of induced bronchoconstriction

BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
Kevin J. Mortimer
What is already known about this subject ,,All inhaled corticosteroids are absorbed into the systemic circulation and hence have the potential to cause adverse systemic effects. ,,Plasma drug concentrations following inhalation of 1000 µg fluticasone are considerably lower in people with airflow obstruction than in healthy volunteers but this is not the case for budesonide. What this study adds ,,This is the first study to determine whether changes in airflow obstruction within an individual affect the systemic absorption of inhaled fluticasone and budesonide; ,,Plasma concentrations of fluticasone and, to a lesser extent, those of budesonide were lower when the drugs were inhaled following induced bronchoconstriction; ,,The lower plasma concentrations of corticosteroids seen when the drugs were inhaled following induced bronchoconstriction is likely to reflect variations that will occur with fluctuations in airway caliber in asthma. Aims To determine whether and to what extent bronchoconstriction affects plasma concentrations of fluticasone and budesonide following inhalation. Methods Twenty people with mild asthma inhaled 1000 µg fluticasone (Accuhaler®) plus 800 µg budesonide (Turbohaler®) on two visits. On one occasion, prior to drug inhalation, FEV1 was decreased by at least 25% using inhaled methacholine. Plasma drug concentrations were measured for each drug over 5 h and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0,5 h)) compared between visits. Results The mean difference in FEV1 prior to drug inhalation on the 2 days was 33%. AUC(0,5 h) values for fluticasone and budesonide were lower by a median of 60% (IQR 36,75) and 29% (IQR 2,44), respectively, when administered following bronchoconstriction; the reduction was greater for fluticasone than for budesonide, P = 0.007. Conclusions The lower plasma concentrations of fluticasone and, to a lesser extent, budesonide seen when the drugs were inhaled following induced bronchoconstriction, is likely to reflect variations that will occur with fluctuations in airway caliber in asthma. [source]


Pharmacokinetic profile and behavioral effects of gabapentin in the horse

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2010
R. L. TERRY
Terry, R. L., McDonnell, S. M., van Eps, A. W., Soma, L. R., Liu, Y., Uboh, C. E., Moate, P. J., Driessen, B. Pharmacokinetic profile and behavioral effects of gabapentin in the horse. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 33, 485,494. Gabapentin is being used in horses although its pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, pharmacodynamic (PD) effects and safety in the equine are not fully investigated. Therefore, we characterized PKs and cardiovascular and behavioral effects of gabapentin in horses. Gabapentin (20 mg/kg) was administered i.v. or p.o. to six horses using a randomized crossover design. Plasma gabapentin concentrations were measured in samples collected 0,48 h postadministration employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Blood pressures, ECG, and sedation scores were recorded before and for 12 h after gabapentin dosage. Nineteen quantitative measures of behaviors were evaluated. After i.v. gabapentin, the decline in plasma drug concentration over time was best described by a 3-compartment mammillary model. Terminal elimination half-life (t1/2,) was 8.5 (7.1,13.3) h. After p.o. gabapentin terminal elimination half-life () was 7.7 (6.7,11.9) h. The mean oral bioavailability of gabapentin (±SD) was 16.2 ± 2.8% indicating relatively poor absorption of gabapentin following oral administration in horses. Gabapentin caused a significant increase in sedation scores for 1 h after i.v. dose only (P < 0.05). Among behaviors, drinking frequency was greater and standing rest duration was lower with i.v. gabapentin (P < 0.05). Horses tolerated both i.v. and p.o. gabapentin doses well. There were no significant differences in and . Oral administration yielded much lower plasma concentrations because of low bioavailability. [source]


Nonparametric confidence intervals for Tmax in sequence-stratified crossover studies

PHARMACEUTICAL STATISTICS: THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED STATISTICS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, Issue 1 2008
Susan A. Willavize
Abstract Tmax is the time associated with the maximum serum or plasma drug concentration achieved following a dose. While Tmax is continuous in theory, it is usually discrete in practice because it is equated to a nominal sampling time in the noncompartmental pharmacokinetics approach. For a 2-treatment crossover design, a Hodges,Lehmann method exists for a confidence interval on treatment differences. For appropriately designed crossover studies with more than two treatments, a new median-scaling method is proposed to obtain estimates and confidence intervals for treatment effects. A simulation study was done comparing this new method with two previously described rank-based nonparametric methods, a stratified ranks method and a signed ranks method due to Ohrvik. The Normal theory, a nonparametric confidence interval approach without adjustment for periods, and a nonparametric bootstrap method were also compared. Results show that less dense sampling and period effects cause increases in confidence interval length. The Normal theory method can be liberal (i.e. less than nominal coverage) if there is a true treatment effect. The nonparametric methods tend to be conservative with regard to coverage probability and among them the median-scaling method is least conservative and has shortest confidence intervals. The stratified ranks method was the most conservative and had very long confidence intervals. The bootstrap method was generally less conservative than the median-scaling method, but it tended to have longer confidence intervals. Overall, the median-scaling method had the best combination of coverage and confidence interval length. All methods performed adequately with respect to bias. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Myocardium distribution of sertindole and its metabolite dehydrosertindole in guinea-pigs

BIOPHARMACEUTICS AND DRUG DISPOSITION, Issue 4 2006
Mireille Canal-Raffin
Abstract Sertindole, like other atypical antipsychotics, has been shown to increase the action potential duration and QT interval in a concentration dependent manner, in in vitro electrophysiological studies. However, this does not always translate into increased duration of the QT interval, increased risk of torsade de pointes or sudden death in clinical practice. The reasons for these apparent discrepancies are unclear and many studies have underscored the importance of the interpretation of in vitro electrophysiological data in the context of other pharmacodynamic (e.g. cardiac ion channels target, receptor affinity) and pharmacokinetic parameters (total plasma drug concentration and drug distribution). To address the possible relevance of the concentrations used in experimental studies, the myocardium distribution of sertindole and its metabolite was determined after single and repeated intraperitoneal administration to guinea-pigs. The data suggest that the plasma concentration appears to predict the concentration in the myocardium and that the myocardium concentrations of sertindole are 3.1 times higher than plasma concentrations. Using these data, the relevance of in vitro electrophysiological studies to clinical plasma concentrations has been appraised. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Lipophilicity affects the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of local anaesthetic agents administered by caudal block

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1-2 2004
Alejandro A Nava-Ocampo
Summary 1.,Drugs administered into the epidural space by caudal block are cleared by means of a process potentially affected by the lipophilic character of the compounds. 2.,In the present study, we examined the relationship between the octanol,water partition coefficient (log Poct) and the time to reach the maximum plasma drug concentration (tmax) of lignocaine, bupivacaine and ropivacaine administered by caudal block in paediatric patients. We also examined the relationship between log Poct and the toxicity of these local anaesthetic agents in experimental models. The tmax and toxicity data were obtained from the literature. 3.,Ropivacaine, with a log Poct of 2.9, exhibited a tmax of 61.6 min. The tmax of lignocaine, with a log Poct of 2.4, and bupivacaine, with a log Poct of with 3.4, were approximately 50% shorter than ropivacaine. At log Poct of approximately 3.0, the toxicity of these local anaesthetic agents was substantially increased. The relationship between log Poct and the convulsive effect in dogs was similar to the relationship between log Poct and the lethal dose in sheep. 4.,With local anaesthetic agents, it appears that the relationship between log Poct and drug transfer from the epidural space to the blood stream is parabolic, being the slowest rate of transference at log Poct 3.0. Toxicity, due to plasma availability of these local anaesthetic agents, seems to be increased at log Poct equal or higher than 3.0 secondary to the highest transfer from plasma into the central nervous system. [source]


Controversies in Blood-level Monitoring: Reexamining Its Role in the Treatment of Epilepsy

EPILEPSIA, Issue 2000
Tracy A. Glauser
Summary: This article reexamines the role of blood-level monitoring (therapeutic drug monitoring, TDM) of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the current treatment of epilepsy and identifies situations in which TDM can be useful. Basic pharmaco-kinetic and pharmacodynamic principles are reviewed, with specific emphasis on kinetics of absorption/distribution/metabolism, elimination half-life, time to steady state, and plasma drug concentrations. The relationship between AED intensity of effect (pharmacodynamics) and plasma concentration (pharmacokinetics) is expressed mathematically, examined in the context of the major old and new AEDs, and integrated with a historical look at the role of TDM. Situations in which TDM can be useful in the modern treatment of epilepsy are presented and discussed. For both older and newer AEDs, TDM is useful in six clinical situations: establishing "baseline" effective concentrations, evaluating potential causes for lack of efficacy, evaluating potential causes for toxicity, evaluating potential causes for loss of efficacy, judging "room to move' or when to change AEDs, and minimizing predictable problems. TDM remains a valuable tool in the modern treatment of epilepsy. It can be selectively and appropriately utilized to help maximize seizure control and minimize side effects if levels are obtained in response to a patient-specific pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic issue or problem. [source]


Zolmitriptan Intranasal: A Review of the Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Efficacy

HEADACHE, Issue 1 2006
Peter J. Goadsby MD
Migraine is a common disabling neurological disorder, associated with headache, nausea, and on occasions vomiting. Zolmitriptan is a widely available serotonin 5HT1B/1D receptor agonist with a long track record in clinical studies and in the treatment of acute migraine. A nasal formulation has been developed that has clear evidence for local absorption, resulting in plasma drug concentrations within 2 minutes of dosing, central nervous system penetration 3 minutes later, and a significant efficacy benefit versus placebo 10 to 15 minutes after dosing. Intranasal zolmitriptan offers advantages to migraineurs, particularly those seeking a more rapid onset of effect without wishing to self-inject, or those with gastrointestinal upset. The comparison of pharmacokinetic and clinical data available from different formulations of zolmitriptan contributes both to the understanding of its mode of action and the characteristics required of an acute migraine treatment if it is to meet patient needs. [source]


Effects of angiotensin II blockade on inflammation-induced alterations of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of calcium channel blockers

BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
S Hanafy
Background and purpose: Inflammation elevates plasma verapamil concentrations but diminishes pharmacological response. Angiotensin II is a pro-inflammatory mediator. We examined the effect of angiotensin II receptor blockade on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of verapamil, as well as the binding properties and amounts of its target protein in calcium channels, in a rat model of inflammation. Experimental approach: We used 4 groups of male Sprague,Dawley rats (220,280 g): inflamed-placebo, inflamed-treated, control-placebo and control-treated. Inflammation as pre-adjuvant arthritis was induced by injecting Mycobacterium butyricum on day 0. From day 6 to 12, 30 mg kg,1 oral valsartan or placebo was administered twice daily. On day 12, a single oral dose of 25 mg kg,1 verapamil was administered and prolongation of the PR interval measured and plasma samples collected for verapamil and nor-verapamil analysis. The amounts of the target protein Cav1.2 subunit of L-type calcium channels in heart was measured by Western blotting and ligand binding with 3H-nitrendipine. Key results: Inflammation reduced effects of verapamil, although plasma drug concentrations were increased. This was associated with a reduction in ligand binding capacity and amount of the calcium channel target protein in heart extracts. Valsartan significantly reversed the down-regulating effect of inflammation on verapamil's effects on the PR interval, and the lower level of protein binding and the decreased target protein. Conclusions and implications: Reduced responses to calcium channel blockers in inflammatory conditions appeared to be due to a reduced amount of target protein that was reversed by the angiotensin II antagonist, valsartan. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 90,99; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707538; published online 29 October 2007 [source]