Drug therapy. Current status of benzodiazepines.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D R Abernethy.
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Serum lidocaine concentrations were measured in a series of ten patients during and after topical lidocaine spray anesthesia used for diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Mean total dose of lidocaine ranged from 480-720 mg. Peak serum lidocaine concentrations averaged 3.6 micrograms/ml (range: 1.9 to 7.4 micrograms/ml), and were attained shortly after the start of the procedure. Repeated topical administration of lidocaine spray therefore may lead to large cumulative doses and serum concentrations which are in the therapeutic or potentially toxic range.
The pharmacokinetics of alprazolam, a triazolobenzodiazepine anxiolytic-antidepressant, were assessed in 32 healthy men and women aged 21 to 78 years after a single 1.0-mg oral dose. Peak alprazolam levels averaged 20.4 ng/mL and were reached a mean of 1.25 hours after dosage. Mean elimination half-life did not differ significantly between elderly and young women, nor did total metabolic clearance. However, half-life was significantly prolonged, and total clearance significantly reduced, in elderly v young men. Antipyrine oxidizing capacity was also evaluated, and half-life for the two drugs was highly correlated, as were their metabolic clearances. Thus, old age is associated with impaired capacity to oxidize alprazolam, but this effect is far more apparent in men than in women. A test of antipyrine half-life and clearance may help identify slow or rapid metabolizers of alprazolam.
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A highly sensitive method (less than or equal to 1 ng/ml) for single-dose pharmacokinetic studies of diphenhydramine which utilizes GLC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection is described. Standard curves, using orphenadrine as the internal standard, were linear for diphenhydramine concentrations from 1.0 to 300 ng/ml. Applicability of the method was demonstrated by a pharmacokinetic study in a normal volunteer who received 25 mg iv of diphenhydramine.
Eighteen healthy volunteers received single 650-mg doses of acetaminophen by 5-min intravenous infusion, in tablet form by mouth in the fasting state, and in elixir form orally in the fasting state in a three-way crossover study. An additional eight subjects received two 325-mg tablets from two commercial vendors in a randomized crossover fashion. Concentrations of acetaminophen in multiple plasma samples collected during the 12-hr period after each dose were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Following a lag time averaging 3-4 min, absorption of oral acetaminophen was first order, with apparent absorption half-life values averaging 8.4 (elixir) and 11.4 (tablet) min. The mean time-to-peak concentration was significantly longer after tablet (0.75 hr) than after elixir (0.48 hr) administration. Peak plasma concentrations and elimination half-lives were similar following both preparations. Absolute systemic availability of the elixir (87%) was significantly greater than for the tablets (79%). Two commercially available tablet formulations did not differ significantly in peak plasma concentrations, time-to-peak, or total area under the plasma concentration curve and therefore were judged to be bioequivalent.
The influence of cimetidine on the pharmacokinetics of alprazolam and triazolam, two triazolobenzodiazepines metabolized by hepatic microsomal oxidation, was evaluated in a series of healthy volunteers. Subjects ingested single 1.0 mg dose of alprazolam or 0.5 mg doses of triazolam on two occasions, with and without concurrent administration of cimetidine (300 mg) every 6 h. For alprazolam, which has a low hepatic clearance and low extraction ratio, cimetidine significantly impaired total metabolic clearance (1.05 versus 1.66 ml/min/kg, P less than 0.005), resulting in significantly prolonged elimination half-life (16.6 versus 12.4 h, P less than 0.005). For triazolam, which has higher hepatic clearance and an intermediate extraction ratio, total clearance was reduced by cimetidine (3.9 versus 5.9 ml/min/kg), causing a significant increase in total area under the plasma concentration curve (25 versus 38 ng/ml X h, P less than 0.02). However, elimination half-life of triazolam was not influenced by cimetidine (3.3 versus 3.2 h), indicating that the reduction in clearance was manifested as increased systemic availability. Thus, cimetidine impairs the clearance of both alprazolam and triazolam, but the consequences of the kinetic change are different because of the differing hepatic extraction profiles of the two drugs.
The clearance of the antipyretic-analgesic drug acetaminophen, biotransformed in humans by glucuronide and sulfate conjugation, was evaluated in 32 healthy young and elderly volunteers. Subjects received a single 650-mg dose of acetaminophen, and multiple plasma concentrations measured over the next 12 h. Random subgroups of subjects also participated in studies of the oxidized benzodiazepines diazepam, desmethyldiazepam and alprazolam, and of the conjugated benzodiazepines lorazepam, oxazepam and temazepam. Acetaminophen clearance was not related to that of the oxidized benzodiazepines, but was highly correlated with clearance of lorazepam (r = 0.70, n = 11, p less than 0.02), oxazepam (r = 0.76, n = 14, p less than 0.005) and temazepam (r = 0.63, n = 16, p less than 0.01). Thus acetaminophen may serve as a probe or marker compound to evaluate drug conjugating capacity in humans.
The effect of cimetidine on hepatic clearance of the benzodiazepine derivative nitrazepam was evaluated in healthy subjects. Six received a single 5- or 10-mg oral nitrazepam dose in the drug-free state and again with therapeutic cimetidine doses. Nitrazepam kinetics were determined from multiple serum concentrations measured during the 72 hr after each dose. Cimetidine had no effect on nitrazepam absorption kinetics, since peak serum nitrazepam concentration and time of peak concentration were not altered. Cimetidine did not alter nitrazepam volume of distribution, but cimetidine consistently reduced nitrazepam clearance, from a mean of 1.41 ml/min/kg in the control state to 1.17 ml/min/kg during cimetidine treatment. This resulted in prolongation of nitrazepam elimination t1/2 from 22.2 to 27.8 hr. Thus the ability of cimetidine to impair drug oxidation in man extends to the capacity for clearance of nitrazepam, a compound biotransformed mainly by nitroreduction.
Women on low-dose estrogen oral contraceptives (OC) and drug-free control women matched for age, weight, and cigarette smoking habits, received single 2-mg IV doses of lorazepam or single 30-mg oral doses of oxazepam, two benzodiazepines metabolized by glucuronide conjugation. Kinetics were determined from multiple plasma concentrations measured during 48 hr after dosing. Mean kinetic variables for lorazepam in control and OC groups (n = 15 in each group) were: volume of distribution (Vd), 1.33 and 1.45 l/kg; elimination t1/2, 13.1 and 12.2 hr; total clearance, 1.25 and 1.50 ml/min/kg; free fraction in plasma, 10.3% and 10.3% unbound. For oxazepam, kinetic variables in the two groups (n = 14 and 17) were: Vd, 1.05 and 1.19 l/kg; t1/2, 7.6 and 7.2 hr; total clearance, 1.60 and 2.03 ml/min/kg; free fraction, 4.6% and 4.9% unbound. None of these differences were significant. Thus, metabolic clearance by glucuronidation of lorazepam and oxazepam is not significantly affected by OC, in contrast with the highly significant reduction in clearance of the oxidized benzodiazepine diazepam.
In vitro lipophilicity of a series of benzodiazepines was evaluated by octanol: buffer partition ratio at physiological pH, and by retention time on a reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system with a neutral-pH mobile phase. Both approaches ranked diazepam as highly lipophilic, but overall the two indices were poorly correlated (r = 0.23). For seven of the benzodiazepines, the in vivo volume of distribution (Vd) was determined in pharmacokinetic studies. After correlation for individual values of protein binding, Vd for unbound drug was significantly correlated with octanol: buffer partition ratio (r = 0.74), and to a greater extent with HPLC retention (r = 0.81). Thus, lipid solubility at least partly determines the extent of benzodiazepine distribution in vivo, which in turn is a major determinant of the duration of clinical action after single doses.
Fifteen patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) were given midazolam 0.2 mg/kg iv over 15 s. All but one lost consciousness in a time ranging from 22-100 s (mean +/- SD was 55 +/- 26 s) after drug administration. Patients regained consciousness from 6-105 min (mean 53 +/- 32) after drug administration. The calculated mean plasma level of midazolam at arousal was 81 +/- 47 ng/ml. Pharmacokinetics parameters were determined from midazolam plasma levels measured in 16 consecutive venous blood samples. The pharmacokinetic parameters in CRF patients were compared with those of healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and body size with the CRF patients. Protein binding was determined by equilibrium dialysis. CRF patients had a significantly higher (P less than 0.005) plasma-free drug fraction (6.5% +/- 0.7) compared with the control patients (3.9% +/- 0.1). Total (bound plus unbound) kinetics differed in the two groups: volume of distribution 3.8 +/- .3 1/kg in CRF patients versus 2.2 +/- .2 1/kg in controls (P less than 0.001), and clearance 11.4 +/- 1.6 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in CRF patients versus 6.7 +/- 0.9 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in controls (P less than 0.02). When kinetic parameters were corrected for protein binding, CRF patients unbound volume of distribution (63.5 +/- 6.8 1/kg) and free drug clearance (189 +/- 29 ml X min-1 X kg-1) were not different from the control group's volume of distribution (55.6 +/- 5.7 1/kg) and free drug clearance (176 +/- 24 ml X min-1 X kg-1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Thirty-three healthy male and female volunteers aged 21 to 87 years received a single 0.5 mg oral dose of triazolam. Plasma triazolam concentrations were measured in multiple samples drawn during 24 h after the dose. Mean triazolam elimination half-life was not significantly different between young and elderly men (3.0 vs 4.6 h), nor between young and elderly women (2.7 vs 3.2 h). However, apparent oral clearance of triazolam was significantly reduced in elderly as compared to young groups of both sexes, leading to higher peak plasma concentrations and increased total area under the curve. Values of half-life and clearance of antipyrine, a low-extraction hepatically oxidized compound, were poorly correlated with those of triazolam (r = 0.34 and 0.44, respectively), suggesting different mechanisms controlling age-related changes in clearance of these two hepatically oxidized drugs.
A sensitive (to 3 ng/ml) and specific method for analysis of the benzodiazepine antagonist Ro 15-1788 is described. The method utilizes gas-liquid chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection. A neutral pH ethyl acetate extraction of 0.1-3.0 ml plasma is used for sample preparation. Standard curves using methylclonazepam as the internal standard are linear for plasma concentrations up to 200 ng/ml. Applicability of the method is demonstrated by a pharmacokinetic study in a normal volunteer who received 10 mg Ro 15-1788 intravenously.
Three benzodiazepine derivatives are currently indicated specifically for the treatment of insomnia in the United States. Flurazepam is biotransformed to at least two rapidly appearing and rapidly eliminated intermediate metabolites which probably contribute to sleep induction. The final metabolite, desalkylflurazepam, appears slowly, but has a long half-life ranging from 40 to 150 h. This metabolite accumulates extensively during multiple dosage. Temazepam is a slowly absorbed drug and has an intermediate half-life in the range of 10-20 h. Triazolam has an intermediate absorption rate, but is rapidly eliminated (half-life 1.5-5 h) making it essentially non-accumulating. Understanding of the pharmacokinetics of benzodiazepine hypnotics can contribute to understanding of their clinical properties.
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The kinetic properties of three benzodiazepine hypnotics are reviewed. Flurazepam serves as a precursor for at least two rapidly appearing and rapidly cleared metabolites that may contribute to sleep induction and are nonaccumulating. The final metabolite of flurazepam (N-desalkylflurazepam), however, has a long half-life and accumulates during repeated dosage. Temazepam has a relatively slow rate of absorption and an intermediate half-life in the range of 10 to 20 hours. Triazolam has an intermediate rate of absorption; due to its ultrashort half-life (1.5 to 5 hours), triazolam is a non-accumulating hypnotic. Taken together with sleep laboratory studies and clinical trials, knowledge of the kinetic profile of benzodiazepine hypnotics can assist in evaluating their clinical benefits and disadvantages.