Effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of asiatic acid in rats and its potential mechanism

Context: Asiatic acid has been reported to possess a wide range of pharmacological activities.

Objective: This study investigates the effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of asiatic acid in rats and its potential mechanism.

Materials and methods: The pharmacokinetics of orally administered asiatic acid (20?mg/kg) with or without glycyrrhizin pretreatment (100?mg/kg/day for seven days) were investigated using a LC–MS method. Additionally, the Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsome incubation systems were used to investigate the potential mechanism of glycyrrhizin’s effects on the pharmacokinetics of asiatic acid.

Results: The results showed that the C_max (221.33?±?21.06 vs. 324.67?±?28.64?ng/mL), AUC_0–inf (496.12?±?109.31 vs. 749.15?±?163.95?μg·h/L) and the t_1/2 (1.21?±?0.27 vs. 2.04?±?0.32?h) of asiatic acid decreased significantly (p?p?Discussion and conclusions: In conclusion, these results indicated that glycyrrhizin could decrease the system exposure of asiatic acid, possibly by inducing the activity of P-gp or CYP450 enzyme.     

The effects of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of curculigoside in rats

Context: Clarifying the potential mechanism of the poor oral bioavailability of curculigoside would be helpful for for investigating pharmacological effects and clinical applications.

Objective: To clarify the main mechanism for poor oral bioavailability.

Materials and methods: First, the pharmacokinetics of curculigoside (20?mg/kg) in rats with and without pretreatment with verapamil (10?mg/kg) was determined using a sensitive and reliable LC-MS method. Then the effects of verapamil on the transport and metabolic stability of curculigoside were investigated using Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsome incubation systems.

Results: The results showed that verapamil could significantly increase the peak plasma concentration (from 60.17?ng/mL to 93.66?ng/mL) and AUC_0?t (from 289.57 to 764.02?ng·h/mL) of curculigoside. The Caco-2 cell experiments indicated that the efflux ratio of curculigoside was 3.92 (P_appAB 6.43?±?0.57?×?10?^?7?cm/s; P_appBA 2.52?±?0.37?×?10?^?36?cm/s), P-gp might be involved in the transport of curculigoside, and verapamil could inhibit the efflux of curculigoside and increase the absorption of curculigoside significantly in the Caco-2 cell monolayer. Additionally, the rat liver microsome incubation experiments indicated that verapamil could significantly decrease the intrinsic clearance rate of curculigoside (from 38.8 to 23.6?μL/min/mg protein).

Discussion and conclusion: These results indicated that verapamil could significantly change the pharmacokinetic profiles of curculigoside in rats, the poor absorption due to P-gp mediated efflux in intestine and high intrinsic clearance rate in rat liver may be the main reason for the poor oral absolute bioavailability of curculigoside.     

Effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats

1. Puerarin has been reported to possess a wide range of pharmacological activities. This study investigated the effects of glycyrrhizin on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats.

2. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered puerarin (50?mg/kg) with or without glycyrrhizin pretreatment (100?mg/kg/day for 7?days) were investigated. The plasma concentration of puerarin was determined using a sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method. The pharmacokinetics profiles were calculated and compared. Additionally, a Caco-2 cell transwell model was used to investigate the potential mechanism of glycyrrhizin’s effects on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin.

3. The results showed that when the rats were pretreated with glycyrrhizin, the maximum concentration (C_max) of puerarin decreased from 761.25?±?52.34 to 456.32?±?34.75?ng/mL, and the area under the concentration–time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0–inf) also decreased from 4142.15?±?558.51 to 2503.74?±?447.57?μg·h/L. The oral clearance of puerarin increased significantly from 12.20?±?1.53 to 20.47?±?3.25?L/h/kg (p?4. In conclusion, these results indicated that glycyrrhizin could affect the pharmacokinetics of puerarin, possibly by decreasing the systemic exposure of puerarin by inducing the activity of P-gp.     

Effects of diclofenac on the pharmacokinetics of celastrol in rats and its transport

Context: Diclofenac and celastrol are always used together for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; the herb–drug interaction potential between diclofenac and celastrol is still unknown.

Objective: This study investigates the effects of diclofenac on the pharmacokinetics of celastrol in rats.

Materials and methods: Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups and received celastrol (1?mg/kg) or both celastrol (1?mg/kg) and diclofenac (10?mg/kg) by oral gavage, and blood samples were collected via the oculi chorioideae vein and determined using the LC-MS method developed in this study. Additionally, the effects of diclofenac on the transport of celastrol were investigated using a Caco-2 cell transwell model.

Results: Diclofenac could significantly (p?C_max (from 66.93?±?10.28 to 41.25?±?8.06?ng/mL) and AUC_0-t (from 765.84?±?163.61 to 451.33?±?110.88?μg?×?h/L) of celastrol in rats. The efflux ratio of celastrol increased significantly (p?Discussion and conclusion: These results indicated that diclofenac could decrease the system exposure of celastrol in rats when they are co-administered, and these effects might be exerted via decreasing its absorption in intestine.     

The effects of triptolide on the pharmacokinetics of sorafenib in rats and its potential mechanism

Context: Combining sorafenib with triptolide could inhibit tumour growth with greater efficacy than single-agent treatment. However, their herb–drug interaction remains unknown.

Objective: This study investigates the herb–drug interaction between triptolide and sorafenib.

Materials and methods: The effects of triptolide (10?mg/kg) on the pharmacokinetics of different doses of sorafenib (20, 50 and 100?mg/kg) in rats, and blood samples were collected within 48?h and evaluated using LC-MS/MS. The effects of triptolide on the absorption and metabolism of sorafenib were also investigated using Caco-2 cell monolayer model and rat liver microsome incubation systems.

Results: The results showed that the C_max (low dose: 72.38?±?8.76 versus 49.15?±?5.46?ng/mL; medium dose: 178.65?±?21.05 versus 109.31?±?14.17?ng/mL; high dose: 332.81?±?29.38 versus 230.86?±?9.68?ng/mL) of sorafenib at different doses increased significantly with the pretreatment of triptolide, and while the oral clearance rate of sorafenib decreased. The t_1/2 of sorafenib increased significant (p?Discussion and conclusions: These results indicated that triptolide could change the pharmacokinetic profiles of sorafenib in rats; these effects might be exerted via decreasing the intrinsic clearance rate of sorafenib in rat liver.     

Influence of grapefruit juice on pharmacokinetics of triptolide in rats grapefruit juice on the effects of triptolide

1.?Triptolide, a major pharmacological component isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), is a substrate of both CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp).

2.?This study investigates the effects of GFJ on the pharmacokinetics of triptolide in rats.

3.?The pharmacokinetics of orally administered triptolide with or without GFJ pretreatment were investigated. A mechanistic study was also undertaken using the Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsomes incubation systems to support the in vivo pharmacokinetic data.

4.?The results indicated that coadministration of GFJ could increase the systemic exposure of triptolide significantly, including area under the curve (828.58?±?79.72 versus 541.53?±?45.23?ng·h/mL) and maximum plasma concentration (273.58?±?27.98 versus 193.67?±?10.08?ng/mL). The apparent permeability of triptolide across the Caco-2 cell transwell model increased significantly with the pretreatment of GFJ (from 1.62?±?0.25?×?10^?6 to 2.51?±?0.41?×?10^?6 cm/s), and the metabolic stability of triptolide was also increased from 32.6?±?5.1 to 52.5?±?7.8?min with the pretreatment of GFJ, and the difference was significant (p?5.?In conclusion, GFJ could increase the systemic exposure of triptolide in rats, when GFJ and triptolide was coadministered, and it might work mainly through increasing the absorption of triptolide by inhibiting P-gp, or through slowing down the metabolism of triptolide in rat liver by inhibiting the activity of CYP3A4.     

Pharmacokinetic interaction of aconitine,liquiritin and 6-gingerol in a traditional Chinese herbal formula,Sini Decoction

1.?This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic interaction of the three ingredients in a traditional Chinese herbal formulation, Sini Decoction, and provide evidence for its compatibility mechanism.

2.?First, the effect of liquiritin and 6-gingerol on the pharmacokinetic parameters of aconitine was investigated in rats by using a sensitive and reliable LC–MS/MS method. Then the Caco-2 cell monolayer model and Rhodamine-123 uptake assay were used to investigate the effect of liquiritin and 6-gingerol on the absorption of aconitine and the activity of P-gp.

3.?The C_max of aconitine increased significantly (p?C_max and AUC_(0–t) of aconitine increased approximately twofold, and while t_1/2 only increased 1.2-fold. The Caco-2 cell monolayer model and Rhodamine-123 uptake assay indicated that both liquiritin and 6-gingerol could increase the absorption of aconitine by inhibiting the activity of P-gp.

4.?These results indicated that both liquiritin and 6-gingerol could promote the absorption of aconitine and increase its drug concentration in blood by inhibiting the activity of P-gp, and it could also provide evidence for compatibility mechanism of the traditional Chinese herbal formula, Sini Decoction.     

The drug–drug interaction of sorafenib mediated by P-glycoprotein and CYP3A4

1.?The aim of this study was to investigate the potential drug–drug interaction of sorafenib mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4).

2.?In this research, a sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method was developed and applied for the determination of sorafenib in rat plasma. The pharmacokinetic profiles of orally administered sorafenib from rats with and without verapamil pretreatment were investigated.

3.?The results indicated that when the rats were pretreated with verapamil, the C_max of sorafenib increased from 55.73?ng/ml to 87.72?ng/ml (57.40%), and the AUC_(0?t) increased by approximately 58.2% when sorafenib was co-administered with verapamil. Additionally, the effects of verapamil on the absorption of sorafenib were investigated using the Caco-2 cell transwell model, and the effects of verapamil on the metabolic stability of sorafenib were also studied using rat liver microsomes incubation systems. A markedly higher transport of sorafenib across the Caco-2 cells was observed in the basolateral-to-apical direction and was abrogated in the presence of the P-gp inhibitor, verapamil. The results indicated that P-gp was involved in the transport of sorafenib, and verapamil could increase its absorption in the Caco-2 cell model, and the metabolic stability of sorafenib was prolonged by the pretreatment with verapamil.

4.?In conclusion, the drug–drug interaction of sorafenib might happen when sorafenib was co-administered with P-gp or CYP3A4 inhibitors.     

Effects of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats

Abstract

1. The oral bioavailability of puerarin is poor which hindered its clinical performance.

2. This study investigates the effects of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats.

3. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered puerarin (50?mg/kg) with or without verapamil pretreatment (10?mg/kg/day for 7?days) were investigated. The plasma concentration of puerarin was determined using LC-MS/MS method, and the pharmacokinetics profiles were calculated and compared. Caco-2 cell transwell model was also used to investigate the effects of verapamil on the transport pf puerarin.

4. The results showed that when the rats were pretreated with verapamil, the maximum concentration (C_max) of puerarin increased from 683.7?±?51.2 to 933.5?±?75.8?ng/mL (p?<?0.05), and the area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0-inf) also increased from 3687.3?±?444.6 to 5006.1?±?658.6?μg·h/L (p?<?0.05). The Caco-2 cell transwell experiments indicated that verapamil could decrease the efflux ratio of puerarin from 1.90 to 1.19 through inhibiting the activity of P-gp.

5. In conclusion, these results indicated that verapamil could affect the pharmacokinetics of puerarin, possibly by increasing the systemic exposure of puerarin by inhibiting the activity of P-gp.

     

The effect of fenofibric acid on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in rats

1.?Case reports have shown that coadministration of fenofibric acid (FA) could increase bleeding risks of warfarin, but the mechanisms remained unknown. We therefore investigated the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction between warfarin and FA in rats.

2.?Rats received warfarin alone (2?mg/kg) or coadministered with FA (100?mg/kg). FA significantly increased the exposure to warfarin, and decreased that to 7-hydroxywarfarin in rats nearly by two-fold, meanwhile increased C_max and prolonged t_1/2 of warfarin. Anticoagulant activity significantly increased, with prothrombin time (PT) up to 199?±?33?s in coadministered group (approximately ten-fold compared with rats received warfarin alone). Incubation experiments illustrated FA inhibited CYP2C6 and CYP3A1/2 with the IC50 values of 6.98 and 16.14?μM, and inhibited the metabolism of warfarin (K_i value of 2.21?μM). Meanwhile, FA decreased the plasma protein binding of warfarin in vitro.

3.?Our data suggested that the altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in rats was primarily attributed to the inhibition of metabolism. Anticoagulant activity monitoring or warfarin dose lowering needs to be considered when patients are coadministered with FA.     

Plasma and tissue disposition of florfenicol in Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxaemic sheep

1.?The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of the acute inflammatory response (AIR) induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on florfenicol (FFC) and FFC-amine (FFC-a) plasma and tissue concentrations.

2.?Ten Suffolk Down sheep, 60.5?±?4.7?kg, were distributed into two experimental groups: group 1 (LPS) treated with three intravenous doses of 1?μg/kg bw of LPS at 24, 16, and 0.75?h (45?min) before FFC treatment; group 2 (Control) was treated with saline solution (SS) in parallel to group 1. An IM dose of 20?mg FFC/kg was administered at 0.75?h after the last injection of LPS or SS. Blood and tissue samples were taken after FFC administration.

3.?The plasma AUC_0–4?h values of FFC were higher (p?=?0.0313) in sheep treated with LPS (21.8?±?2.0?μg·min/mL) compared with the control group (12.8?±?2.3?μg·min/mL). Lipopolysaccharide injections increased FFC concentrations in kidneys, spleen, and brain. Low levels of plasma FFC-a were observed in control sheep (C_max?=?0.14?±?0.01?μg/mL) with a metabolite ratio (MR) of 4.0?±?0.87%. While in the LPS group, C_max increased slightly (0.25?±?0.01?μg/mL), and MR decreased to 2.8?±?0.17%.

4.?The changes observed in the plasma and tissue concentrations of FFC were attributed to the pathophysiological effects of LPS on renal hemodynamics that modified tissue distribution and reduced elimination of the drug.     

Effects of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of dihydromyricetin in rats and its potential mechanism

1. This study investigates the effects of verapamil on the pharmacokinetics of dihydromyricetin in rats and clarifies its main mechanism.

2. The pharmacokinetic profiles of oral or intravenous administration of dihydromyricetin in Sprague-Dawley rats with or without pretreatment with verapamil were investigated. In addition, the effects of verapamil on the transport and metabolic stability of dihydromyricetin were investigated using Caco-2 cell transwell model and rat liver microsomes.

3. In the oral group, verapamil could significantly increase C_max, and decrease oral clearance of dihydromyricetin (p?C_max also increased compared with the control group, but the difference was not significant. However, the t_1/2 and clearance rate decreased than that of the control (p?p?P-gp inhibitor, verapamil. Additionally, the intrinsic clearance rate of dihydromyricetin was decreased by the pretreatment with verapamil (27.0 versus 32.5?μL/min/mg protein).

4. Those results indicated that verapamil could significantly change the pharmacokinetic profiles of dihydromyricetin in rats, and it might exert these effects through increasing the absorption of dihydromyricetin by inhibiting the activity of P-gp, or through inhibiting the metabolism of dihydromyricetin in rat liver.     

Pharmacokinetic interaction of entinostat and lapatinib following single and co-oral administration in rats

Abstract

1.?Entinostat, also known as SNDX-275 or MS-275, is a novel, potent, orally bioavailable, class I selective histone deacetylase inhibitor. Pre-clinical data has show that MS-275 can enhance the activity of lapatinib in HER²⁺ metastatic inflammatory and non-inflammatory breast cancer. This study examined whether oral administration of MS-275 to the rats with lapatinib led to any pharmacokinetic interactions.

2.?To evaluate pharmacokinetic interaction of MS-275 and lapatinib in rat, a sensitive and simple LC-MS method was developed to simultaneously determine MS-275 and lapatinib in rat plasma with carbamazepine as internal standard (IS). Eighteen rats were divided randomly into three groups, lapatinib group (lapatinib 15?mg/kg, n?=?8), MS-275 group (MS-275 15?mg/kg, n?=?8) and co-administration group (MS-275 15?mg/kg and lapatinib 15?mg/kg, n?=?8).

3.?There was no statistical pharmacokinetics difference for MS-275 in MS-275 group and co-administration group; the lapatinib could not influence the pharmacokinetic profile of MS-275 in rats. However, there is a statistical pharmacokinetics difference between lapatinib in the lapatinib group and co-administration group, when co-oral administration MS-275 with lapatinib, AUC increased from 2375.5 to 9900.3?ng/mL h (p?<?0.05), C_max increased from 538.0 to 2578.2?ng/mL (p?<?0.01), CL decreased from 6.2 to 1.7?L/h/kg (p?<?0.01).

4.?These data indicate MS-275 could obviously influence the pharmacokinetic profile of lapatinib in rats, which might cause drug–drug interactions in humans when using lapatinib with MS-275. Further investigations should be carried out to elucidate the synergistic mechanisms between the two drugs.     

Effects of astragaloside IV on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats

Abstract

1. Radix astragali and puerarin are always used together for cardiovascular disease in China clinics.

2. This study investigates the effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV, the main components of radix astragali) on the pharmacokinetics of puerarin in rats.

3. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered puerarin (50?mg/kg) with or without AS-IV pretreatment (100?mg/kg/day for seven days) were investigated. The plasma concentration of puerarin was determined using LC–MS/MS method, and the pharmacokinetics profiles were calculated and compared. Caco-2 cell transwell model was also used to investigate the effects of AS-IV on the transport pf puerarin.

4. The results showed that when the rats were pretreated with AS-IV, the maximum concentration (C_max) of puerarin decreased from 760 to 467?ng/mL (p?<?.05, n?=?6, 90% CI, 293?±?61.28), and the area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0–inf) also decreased from 4097 to 2330?μg·h/L (p?<?.05, n?=?6). The oral clearance of puerarin increased significantly from 11.9 to 22.4?L/h/kg (p?<?.05, n?=?6). The Caco-2 cell transwell experiments indicated that AS-IV could increase the efflux ratio of puerarin from 1.81 to 2.79 through inducing the activity of P-gp.

5. In conclusion, these results indicated that AS-IV could affect the pharmacokinetics of puerarin, possibly by decreasing the systemic exposure of puerarin by inducing the activity of P-gp.

     

Pharmacokinetics of tafamidis,a transthyretin amyloidosis drug,in rats

1.?We characterized the pharmacokinetics of tafamidis, a novel drug to treat transthyretin-related amyloidosis, in rats after intravenous and oral administration at doses of 0.3–3?mg/kg. In vitro Caco-2 cell permeability and liver microsomal stability, as well as in vivo tissue distribution and plasma protein binding were also examined.

2.?After intravenous injection, systemic clearance (CL), volumes of distribution at steady state (V_ss) and half-life (T_½) remained unaltered as a function of dose, with values in the ranges of 6.41–7.03?mL/h/kg, 270–354?mL/kg and 39.5–46.9?h, respectively. Following oral administration, absolute bioavailability was 99.7–104% and was independent of doses from 0.3 to 3?mg/kg. In the urine and faeces, 4.36% and 48.9% of tafamidis, respectively, were recovered.

3.?Tafamidis was distributed primarily in the liver and not in the brain, kidney, testis, heart, spleen, lung, gut, muscle, or adipose tissue. Further, tafamidis was very stable in rat liver microsomes, and its plasma protein binding was 99.9%.

4.?In conclusion, tafamidis showed dose-independent pharmacokinetics with intravenous and oral doses of 0.3–3?mg/kg. Tafamidis undergoes minimal first-pass metabolism, distributes mostly in the liver and plasma, and appears to be eliminated primarily via biliary excretion.     

Biotransformation and mass balance of faldaprevir,a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor in rats

Abstract

1.?The metabolism, pharmacokinetics, excretion and tissue distribution of a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor, faldaprevir, were studied in rats following a single 2?mg/kg intravenous or 10?mg/kg oral administration of [¹⁴C]-faldaprevir.

2.?Following intravenous dosing, the terminal elimination t_1/2 of plasma radioactivity was 1.75?h (males) and 1.74?h (females). Corresponding AUC_0–∞, CL and V_ss were 1920 and 1900?ngEq?·?h/mL, 18.3 and 17.7?mL/min/kg and 2.32 and 2.12?mL/kg for males and females, respectively.

3.?After oral dosing, t_1/2 and AUC_0–∞ for plasma radioactivity were 1.67 and 1.77?h and 11?300 and 17?900 ngEq?·?h/mL for males and females, respectively.

4.?In intact rats, ≥90.17% dose was recovered in feces and only ≤1.08% dose was recovered in urine for both iv and oral doses. In bile cannulated rats, 54.95, 34.32 and 0.27% dose was recovered in feces, bile and urine, respectively.

5.?Glucuronidation plays a major role in the metabolism of faldaprevir with minimal Phase I metabolism.

6.?Radioactivity was rapidly distributed into tissues after the oral dose with peak concentrations of radioactivity in most tissues at 6?h post-dose. The highest levels of radioactivity were observed in liver, lung, kidney, small intestine and adrenal gland.     

A conscious rat model involving bradycardia and hypotension after oral administration: a toxicokinetical study of aconitine

1.?A model of aconitine-induced bradycardia and hypotension, which is similar to aconitine poisoning in humans, was constructed in conscious rats by oral administration.

2.?Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) of Sprague-Dawley rats were measured using a volume pressure recording (VPR) system. The pharmacokinetics of toxic doses of aconitine and its metabolites were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS.

3.?The HR was significantly decreased by 29% at 2?h after oral administration of 200?μg/kg aconitine. When the dose was increased to 400?μg/kg, systolic BP and diastolic BP were significantly decreased by 11% and 12% at 2?h after the administration, except when bradycardia occurred at 2?h and 4?h. The drug concentration-time curve showed a double-peak phenomenon in rats administered a 400?μg/kg dose. The AUC_0–12?h value in the 400?μg/kg group significantly increased 0.8-fold compared to the 200?μg/kg group. Moreover, a high plasma concentration of 16-O-demethyaconitine was found in the rats that received two toxic doses.

4.?In conclusion, bradycardia and hypotension are induced in conscious rats by a toxic dose of aconitine (400?μg/kg), and there was no significant difference in dose-normalized AUC_0–12?h values between oral administrations of 200?μg/kg and that of 400?μg/kg. However, the dose-normalized C_max and AUC_0–12?h values in 200?μg/kg and 400?μg/kg groups were significantly smaller than those in 100?μg/kg group. The metabolites of aconitine, 16-O-demethyaconitine, and benzoylaconitine may also contribute to the hypotensive response.     

Effects of safflower injection on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of warfarin in rats

1.?Safflower injection (SI) is extracted from Chinese herbal medicine safflower that comprises many active components. Warfarin is a common anticoagulant and has exhibited drug interactions with several herbal products. This study aimed to investigate the effects of SI on pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of warfarin in rats.

2.?Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group, SI group, warfarin control group and SI?+?warfarin group, respectively. In SI and SI?+?warfarin groups, rats were injected with SI (1.6?mL/kg/d, i.p.) for 14?days. Warfarin (0.2?mg/kg) was given orally on the eighth day. Saline was given as control. The blood samples were collected at various time points. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were measured. UPLC-MS/MS was used to determine the plasma concentrations of S(R)-warfarin, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.

3.?PT, APTT in SI and SI?+?warfarin rats increased significantly compared with corresponding control rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters including C_max, t_1/2, AUC_0-t and AUC_0-∞ of S-warfarin and R-warfarin in SI?+?warfarin rats were higher than those in warfarin control rats.

4.?These findings suggest that SI significantly increases the anticoagulant effect of warfarin by affecting its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic parameters.     

Lumiracoxib metabolism in male C57bl/6J mice: characterisation of novel in vivo metabolites

1.?The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of lumiracoxib in male C57bl/6J mice were investigated following a single oral dose of 10?mg/kg.

2.?Lumiracoxib achieved peak observed concentrations in the blood of 1.26?+?0.51?μg/mL 0.5?h (0.5–1.0) post-dose with an AUC_inf of 3.48?+?1.09?μg?h/mL. Concentrations of lumiracoxib then declined with a terminal half-life of 1.54?+?0.31?h.

3.?Metabolic profiling showed only the presence of unchanged lumiracoxib in blood by 24?h, while urine, bile and faecal extracts contained, in addition to the unchanged parent drug, large amounts of hydroxylated and conjugated metabolites.

4.?No evidence was obtained in the mouse for the production of the downstream products of glutathione conjugation such as mercapturates, suggesting that the metabolism of the drug via quinone–imine generating pathways is not a major route of biotransformation in this species. Acyl glucuronidation appeared absent or a very minor route.

5.?While there was significant overlap with reported human metabolites, a number of unique mouse metabolites were detected, particularly taurine conjugates of lumiracoxib and its oxidative metabolites.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of [14C]-tozadenant (SYN-115), a novel A2a receptor antagonist ligand,in healthy volunteers

1.?This phase-I study (NCT02240290) was designed to investigate the human absorption, disposition and mass balance of ¹⁴C-tozadenant, a novel A2a receptor antagonist in clinical development for Parkinson s disease.

2.?Six healthy male subjects received a single oral dose of tozadenant (240?mg containing 81.47?KBq of [¹⁴C]-tozadenant). Blood, urine and feces were collected over 14 days. Radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation counting or accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Tozadenant and metabolites were characterized using HPLC-MS/MS and HPLC-AMS with fraction collection.

3.?At 4?h, the C_max of tozadenant was 1.74?μg/mL and AUC_(0–t) 35.0?h?μg/mL, t_1/2 15?h, Vz/F 1.82?L/kg and CL/F 1.40?mL/min/kg. For total [¹⁴C] radioactivity, the C_max was 2.29?μg?eq/mL at 5?h post-dose and AUC_(0–t) 43.9?h?μg?eq/mL. Unchanged tozadenant amounted to 93% of the radiocarbon AUC_(0–48h). At 312?h post-dose, cumulative urinary and fecal excretion of radiocarbon reached 30.5% and 55.1% of the dose, respectively. Unchanged tozadenant reached 11% in urine and 12% of the dose in feces. Tozadenant was excreted as metabolites, including di-and mono-hydroxylated metabolites, N/O dealkylated metabolites, hydrated metabolites.

4.?The only identified species circulating in plasma was unchanged tozadenant. Tozadenant was primarily excreted in urine and feces in the form of metabolites.