A Quantitative Method of Evaluating the Diuretic Response to Furosemide in Rats

Furosemide effects are usually evaluated by measuring the urinary excretion rate of Na⁺ (UV_Na) in humans. In the present study, however, UV_Na showed a nonlinear relationship with urine flow rate after intravenous injection of furosemide in rats. In contrast, when the urinary excretion rate of (Na⁺ + K⁺) (UV_Na+K) was plotted against the urine flow rate, a linear regression line was observed, with small interindividual variations in normal rats and in rats with uranyl nitrate-induced acute renal failure (ARF). Piretanide, a loop diuretic, also showed a similar relationship, while other types of diuretics revealed different slope values for the relationship. Although the urinary excretion rate of Cl^– (UV_C1) vs UV_Na+K is expected to show a linear relationship in normal rats, the correlation coefficient of the linear regression line was smaller than that of the urine flow rate vs UV_Na+K. Further, the slope of UV_C1 vs UV_Na+K was slightly different in ARF rats. Therefore, UV_Na+K provides a better quantitative measure of diuretic response to loop diuretics than UV_Na or UV_C1.     

Percutaneous Penetration Kinetics of Nitroglycerin and Its Dinitrate Metabolites Across Hairless Mouse Skin in Vitro

The percutaneous penetration kinetics of the antianginal, nitroglycerin (GTN), and its primary metabolites, 1,2- and 1,3-glyceryl dinitrate (1,2- and 1,3-GDN), were evaluated in vitro, using full-thickness hairless mouse skin. GTN and the 1,2- and 1,3-GDNs were applied (a) in aqueous solution as pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and (b) incorporated into lipophilic ointment formulations. The cutaneous transformation of GTN to its dinitrate metabolites was detected, but no interconversion between 1,2-GDN and 1,3-GDN was observed. Following application of the nitrates in PBS solution, all three compounds exhibited steady-state transport kinetics. The steady-state flux of GTN (8.9 ± 1.5 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1) was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those of 1,2-GDN (0.81 ± 0.54 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1) and 1,3-GDN (0.72 ± 0.20 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1). The corresponding permeability coefficient () for GTN (20 ± 3 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1) was significantly larger than the corresponding values for 1,2-GDN (1.4 ± 0.9 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1) and 1,3-GDN (1.2 ± 0.4 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1), which were statistically indistinguishable (P > 0.05). Further analysis of the transport data showed that the differences between GTN and the GDNs could be explained by the relative stratum corneum/water partition coefficient (K _s) values of the compounds. The apparent partition parameters, defined as = K _s · h [where h is the diffusion path length through stratum corneum (SC)] were 19.8 ± 2.5 × 10^–2 cm for GTN and 1.91 ± 1.07 × 10^–2 and 1.81 ± 0.91 × 10^–2 cm for 1,2- and 1,3-GDN, respectively. However, when the nitrates were administered in an ointment base, the apparent partition parameter (') and permeability coefficient (') of GTN markedly decreased, to 2.51 ± 0.75 × 10^–2 cm and 1.6 ± 0.3 × 10^–3 cm hr^–1, respectively. In contrast, the ' and ' results for 1,2- and 1,3-GDN were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the corresponding and values, which were measured following dosing as aqueous solutions. As a result, the steady-state fluxes of all three nitrates from the ointment formulation were comparable (GTN, 154 ± 28 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1; 1,2-GDN, 162 ± 22 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1; 1,3-GDN, 162 ± 34 nmol cm^–2 hr^–1). It follows that the dinitrates can be as efficiently delivered across the skin as GTN when a suitable formulation is employed. This finding may support transdermal therapy using 1,2- or 1,3-GDN if, indeed, they are found to be pharmacologically effective.     

Precision and detection limit of quality test for amorphous drug in powder X-ray diffractometry

This report puts forward a method of powder X-ray diffractometry to estimate the precision and detection limit of the crystalline component in an amorphous drug. Cefditoren pivoxil (CP) was employed as a model drug. The major error source of the measurement at low crystal contents is shown to be the random noise in a diffraction pattern (halo pattern) of the amorphous material. For the analysis of the noise, the obstructive halo pattern should be eliminated from the observed pattern. The subtraction of the observed halo pattern from another one derived from the same material, extracts the random noise alone, although the noise is amplified by square root 2 times. The noise in the powder X-ray diffractometry was identified as the white noise. On the basis of the stochastic properties of the extracted noise and signal parameters (peak area) of CP, the relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of the area measurements of the crystalline diffraction peaks were estimated over a wide range of crystal contents without repeated experiments. The detection limit was determined such that the crystal content at detection limit produced 30% R.S.D. of the measurements. The R.S.D. and detection limit obtained from FUMI theory were in good agreement with the results from the repeated measurements.     

Urinary Excretion and Diuretic Action of Furosemide in Rats: Increased Response to the Urinary Excretion Rate of Furosemide in Rats with Acute Renal Failure

A urinary excretion–response curve representing the urinary excretion rate of furosemide versus the urinary excretion rate of (Na⁺ + K⁺) was used to analyze furosemide action in rats with uranyl nitrate-induced acute renal failure (ARF) with and without dopamine coadministration. Urinary excretion of furosemide, but not its serum concentration, was the determinant for the diuretic action of furosemide. Increased diuretic response was observed in ARF rats, although the total diuretic response and urinary recovery of furosemide within 2 hr decreased. Dopamine enhanced furosemide-induced diuresis in ARF rats in terms of the total urine output and urinary electrolyte excretion, although the urinary excretion–response curves were not different. This enhancement by dopamine was found to be caused by the augmented urinary excretion of furosemide and the increased response to this drug in ARF rats. These findings suggest the contribution of decreased concentrating ability along the nephron and/or increased sensitivity of cells at the site of action to this drug.