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Diastereomeric 6-desoxy-6-spiro-alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone derivatives of naltrexone and oxymorphone. Selective irreversible inhibition of naltrexone binding in an opioid receptor preparation by a conformationally restricted michael acceptor ligand.

The diastereomeric 6-desoxy-6-spiro-alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone derivatives of naltrexone (4a and 5a) and of oxymorphone (4b and 5b) were prepared from their parent ketones. Diastereomers 4a and 4b were obtained from the 3,14-diacetate derivatives of naltrexone (6a) and oxymorphone (6b) by reaction with the Reformatsky reagent prepared from methyl alpha-(bromomethyl)acrylate. Deacetylation with methanol completed the synthesis. Diastereomers 5a and 5b were obtained from oxiranes 8a and 8b, respectively. The oxiranes were allowed to react with the sodium salt of ethyl acetoacetate, followed by methenation and deprotection to complete the synthesis of 5a and 5b, respectively. Compound 5a was the most potent agent tested in competition against [3H]naltrexone in the opioid radioreceptor assay. At a concentration of 5 nM this compound produced a 50% inhibition of binding. The majority of this inhibition (30%) was irreversible, i.e., it remained even after extensive washing of the membrane preparation in the presence and absence of Na+. Naloxone protected against this irreversible effect. The data suggest a receptor nucleophile, perhaps a sulfhydryl group, is located where it can add to the alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl system of 5a.

Animals↗

Development of naltrexone supersensitivity during food-maintained responding enhances naltrexone's ability to reduce ethanol-maintained responding.

BACKGROUND: Similar doses of the opiate antagonist naltrexone (NTX) reduce responding maintained by food and ethanol. In animals responding for food, repeated administration of NTX produces supersensitivity to NTX. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the factors that produce enhanced sensitivity to NTX during food-maintained responding also contribute to NTX's ability to reduce ethanol-maintained responding. METHODS: Rats (n=12) were trained to lever press using food reinforcement. After responding stabilized, the rats were trained to respond for 10% ethanol. Before ethanol sessions, injections of 30 mg/kg NTX were given. Subsequently, weekly cumulative NTX dose-effect curves (1, 3, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg), known to produce NTX supersensitivity, were determined during food-maintained responding in half the rats for 8 weeks while the other half of the rats received saline vehicle injections instead. To determine whether NTX supersensitivity would transfer to ethanol self-administration, ethanol-maintained responding was re-established and 30 mg/kg NTX was administered again. RESULTS: Initially, 30 mg/kg NTX had little effect on ethanol-maintained responding. During food-maintained responding, supersensitivity developed in rats receiving weekly cumulative NTX injections. After development of supersensitivity, 30 mg/kg decreased ethanol-maintained responding. Naltrexone's potency to reduce ethanol-maintained responding was unchanged in rats that received only vehicle injections for 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: The mechanisms that produce NTX supersensitivity during food-maintained responding may play a role in NTX's effect on ethanol consumption. Naltrexone's effect on responding for ethanol was much smaller than that reported in other studies. Further exploration may lead to techniques that maximize NTX's effect on ethanol while minimizing its effect on other behaviors.

Animals↗

Clinical predictors of response to naltrexone in alcoholic patients: who benefits most from treatment with naltrexone?

AIMS: To determine the clinically ascertained variables that are related to satisfactory response to naltrexone (NTX) treatment of alcohol dependence after detoxification. METHODS: The use of intake and outcome variables were measured in a randomized 3-month open-controlled trial comparing the effects of naltrexone plus psychotherapy treatment versus psychotherapy treatment alone on the maintenance of abstinence in the final 28 days (n = 336, all male). RESULTS: Predictors of a positive response to NTX treatment were family history of alcoholism (P = 0.010), early age at onset of drinking problems (P = 0.014) and comorbid use of other drugs of abuse (P < 0.001). Among the subjects not treated with NTX, the greater the number of predictor variables, the lower the final 28 days abstinence rates (P = 0.00003), but this was not the case in patients treated with NTX (P = 0.844). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with these features, suggesting biological vulnerability overall have poorer outcomes, but this can be reduced with NTX treatment. The type of alcoholism should be considered before deciding on the pharmacological strategy.

Adolescent↗

Opioid withdrawal and naltrexone induction in 48-72 hours with minimal drop-out, using a modification of the naltrexone-clonidine technique.

Using clonidine, naltrexone, and diazepam, 60 withdrawals from heroin and other opioids involving 56 addicts were carried out with only one patient dropping out. In the last 23 cases, we used a modification of the standard technique, giving significantly higher doses of naltrexone and clonidine on the first day. This significantly reduced the average withdrawal time from 3.30 days to 2.32 days, despite lower clonidine dosage and significantly lower diazepam dosage on the second day. The speed, effectiveness, economy, and high acceptability of this withdrawal technique have implications for both private and state-funded treatment programmes.

Adolescent↗

[Pharmacokinetics of naltrexone hydrochloride and naltrexone glucuronide in the dog].

Pharmacokinetics of naltrexone hydrochloride (NTX) and naltrexone glucuronide was studied in the dog using HPLC-electrochemical detection with naloxone as internal standard. After iv 5 mg or po 10 mg NTX, the plasma concentration-time curves of NTX were found to fit to a two-compartment model and a single compartment with first-order absorption. The elimination half-lives of NTX were 78 +/- 6 min and 74 +/- 6 min, respectively. Although NTX could be absorbed rapidly in the dog after po administration, the plasma concentration of the parent drug was very low and its absolute bioavailability was 15.8%. The experiments showed that the major metabolite of NTX in dog plasma was beta-glucuronidase-hydrolyzable conjugate. Dosing NTX intravenously and orally, the plasma levels of the conjugate were 1.3 and 23 times as high as that of the parent drug, the elimination half-lives of the glucuronide from plasma were 3.4 h and 12.6 h, respectively. The results indicate that NTX is subjected to a marked first-pass effect in the dog after oral administration.

Administration, Oral↗

Combined use of trazodone-naltrexone versus clonidine-naltrexone in rapid withdrawal from methadone treatment. A comparative inpatient study.

Trazodone is a non-tricyclic antidepressant drug with specific antagonistic activities at 5-HT(2) and alpha-1 adrenoceptors. We test the efficacy of trazodone (T) compared with clonidine (C) in rapid opiate detoxification (ROD) from methadone after reduction to a daily maintenance dose </=20 mg. Forty five inpatients were consecutively assigned either to T (n=30) or to C (n=15) treatment in a 7-day ROD protocol with naltrexone administration starting at day 4. The maximum daily dosage was 800 mg for T and 1.2 mg for C. The retention rate was similar in both groups (93.3%). Overall, T was as effective as C in the ROD protocol. T was slightly superior in controlling some subjective and psychological symptoms, but not under naltexone challenge. No severe adverse effects were observed. We conclude that T is effective, safe and well-tolerated in acute withdrawal from methadone. Further investigation is needed to test the effectiveness and safety of T in ultra-rapid protocols and its usefulness in long-term administration to detoxified addicts.

Adolescent↗

Serum naltrexone and 6-beta-naltrexol levels from naltrexone implants can block very large amounts of heroin: a report of two cases.

The maximum dose of heroin that is blocked by customary doses of oral naltrexone (NTX) and its active metabolite 6-beta-naltrexol (6BNT) is unknown, particularly at trough serum levels which show much interindividual variation and can be low. NTX has only once been tested formally against opiate equivalents of more than 25 mg of diamorphine. Increasing interest in long-acting implantable NTX preparations makes it important to have objective information about blocking activity at various blood levels of NTX and 6BNT. Two cases are described in which NTX and 6BNT levels as low as 2.8 and 9.0 ng/ml, respectively, were sufficient to block doses of pure diamorphine as high as 500 mg.

Adult↗

Naltrexone implants can completely prevent early (1-month) relapse after opiate detoxification: a pilot study of two cohorts totalling 101 patients with a note on naltrexone blood levels.

Early relapse is common after opiate withdrawal and deprives addicts of important opportunities to develop new, opiate-free cognitive-behavioural habits. The oral opiate antagonist naltrexone (NTX) significantly reduces relapse only when rigorously supervised and/or probation-linked. Simple but effective NTX implants, containing 1G NTX and giving an average blockade of 6 - 7 weeks, have been available since 1997. We present outcome data for two cohorts. Group 1 were the first 55 consecutive implanted British patients (76% male, 51% unemployed, 64% in social classes III - V). Group 2 were a second consecutive group of 46. Implants were inserted subcutaneously mainly during rapid opiate detoxification under general anaesthesia or sedation. The follow-up rate for group 1 was 100%. At 12 weeks after first implantation, 21% of group 1 patients and 26% of group 2 patients had apparently resumed opiate use. Thirty per cent of patients tested-out the blockade in the first week. None reported any opiate effects at less than 5 weeks after insertion. In other patients, typical blood NTX levels 4 - 5 weeks post-insertion were in the range 3 - 5 ng/ml, which is evidently enough to block 500 mg of pure diamorphine. NTX implants provide considerable protection against early relapse and may increase the likelihood of therapeutically useful periods of abstinence after opiate withdrawal. Troublesome tissue reactions were infrequent. Improvements in implant technology and duration are already occurring. We stress that implants strengthen rather than replace the therapeutic alliance.

Adult↗

Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of long-acting injectable naltrexone.

BACKGROUND: Oral naltrexone is effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence; however, a major limitation of its clinical utility is poor patient adherence to the daily dosing schedule. A biodegradable, long-acting naltrexone microsphere formulation was developed to achieve continuous naltrexone exposure for 1 month in the treatment of alcohol dependence. METHODS: The single- and multiple-dose safety and pharmacokinetics of a long-acting naltrexone microsphere preparation were evaluated in healthy subjects. One group of subjects (n = 28) received a single dose of oral naltrexone 50 mg followed by a single gluteal intramuscular (IM) injection of long-acting naltrexone 190 or 380 mg or placebo. A different group of subjects (n = 14) received oral naltrexone 50 mg daily for 5 days, followed by IM long-acting naltrexone 380 mg or placebo every 28 days for a total of 4 doses. A 7-day washout period separated oral and IM administrations. Blood samples were collected to determine plasma concentrations of naltrexone and the primary metabolite, 6beta-naltrexol. RESULTS: After a single IM injection of long-acting naltrexone 380 mg, naltrexone plasma concentrations were measurable in all subjects for at least 31 days postdose. The pharmacokinetics were proportional to the dose and multiple dose observations were consistent with single dose observations. Mean apparent elimination half-lives for naltrexone and 6beta-naltrexol ranged from 5 to 7 days. Exposure to 6beta-naltrexol was reduced with IM injection compared with that oral administration. No serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the long-acting naltrexone formulation was well tolerated, displayed predictable pharmacokinetics, and resulted in no meaningful drug accumulation upon multiple dosing. Intramuscular administration avoids first-pass metabolism and changes the exposure ratio of 6beta-naltrexol to naltrexone compared with oral administration. By providing continuous exposure to naltrexone for several weeks following IM injection, this long-acting naltrexone formulation may offer therapeutic benefit to those patients who experience difficulty adhering to the daily administration schedule necessitated by oral naltrexone therapy.

Administration, Oral↗

Naltrexone: disposition, metabolism, and effects after acute and chronic dosing.

The disposition of naltrexone during acute and chronic administration of 100-mg oral dose was studied in 4 subjects. Following an acute dose the mean (X) peak naltrexone plasma level was 43.6 +/- 29.9 ng/ml at 1 hr and for the major biotransformation product, beta-naltrexol, was 87.2 +/- 25.0 ng/ml at 2 hr. Twenty-four hours after the dose the X levels of naltrexone and beta-naltrexol declined to 2.1 +/- 0.47 and 17.6 +/- 5.0 ng/ml, respectively. Following chronic administration and X peak plasma levels of naltrexone and beta-naltrexol rose to 46.4 +/- 18.5 and 158.4 +/- 89.9 ng/ml at 1 hr, but by 24 hr both compounds declined to levels of the same order as in the acute state at 24 hr. Plasma levels of naltrexone and beta-naltrexol measured 24 hr after the daily doses of naltrexone throughout the study indicated that steady-state equilibrium was rapidly attained and that there was no accumulation of naltrexone and beta naltrexol in the plasma after chronic treatment on 100 mg oral doses. Biexponential kinetics were observed for naltrexone and beta-naltrexol in the first 24 hr. The half-life of naltrexone and beta-naltrexol decreased slightly from the acute to thechronic study from 10.3 +/- 3.3 to 9.7 +/- 1.1 hr and from 12.7 +/- 2.6 to 11.4 +/- 2.0 hr. The plasma levels of naltrexone declined slowly from 24 through 72 hr from 2.4 to 1.7 ng/ml, with an apparent half-life of 96 hr. The renal clearance data indicate that naltrexone is partially reabsorbed while beta naltrexol is actively secreted by the kidney. During acute and chronic naltrexone administration the mean fecal excretion was 2.1% and 3.6% while urinary excretion was 38% and 70% of the dose in a 24-hr period. Opiate antagonism to 25 mg heroin challenges was nearly complete through 48 hr after naltrexone. At 72 hr the objective responses reappeared to a greater extent than the subjective ones. Correlation coefficient (r) between naltrexone plasma levels and opiate antagonism was 0.91 and between individual half-life of naltrexone and opiate antagonism it was 0.99.

Adult↗

Depot naltrexone: long-lasting antagonism of the effects of heroin in humans.

RATIONALE: Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, is currently approved as a treatment for heroin dependence. However, naltrexone is generally not well accepted by patients, and medication non-compliance is a difficult obstacle to treatment. A sustained-release form of naltrexone may improve compliance. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to evaluate the time course, safety, and effectiveness of a depot formulation of naltrexone (Depotrex). METHODS: Twelve heroin-dependent individuals participated in an 8-week inpatient study. After a 1-week detoxification period, six participants received 192 mg naltrexone base and six participants received 384 mg naltrexone base. For safety, the low dose of depot naltrexone was tested before the high dose. The effects of heroin (0, 6.25, 12.5, 18.75, 25 mg, i.v.) were evaluated for the next 6 weeks. One dose of heroin was tested per day on Mondays through Fridays, and the entire dose range was tested each week. Active heroin doses were administered in ascending order during the week, while placebo could be administered on any day. Subjective, performance, and physiological effects were measured both before and after heroin administration. The hypotheses were that depot naltrexone would antagonize the effects of heroin, and that the high dose of depot naltrexone would produce a more effective and longer-lasting antagonism than the low dose. RESULTS: The low and high doses of depot naltrexone antagonized heroin-induced subjective ratings for 3 and 5 weeks, respectively. Plasma levels of naltrexone remained above 1 ng/ml for approximately 3 and 4 weeks after administration of 192 mg and 384 mg naltrexone. Other than the initial discomfort associated with the injection of depot naltrexone, there were no untoward side-effects. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that this depot formulation of naltrexone provides a safe, effective, long-lasting antagonism of the effects of heroin.

Adult↗

Determination of naltrexone and 6-beta-naltrexol in plasma by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry.

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and a one-step derivatization are combined with gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry to simplify a previously reported method for the determination of naltrexone and its metabolite, 6-beta-naltrexol, in human plasma. Deuterated isotopomers of naltrexone and 6-beta-naltrexol are used as internal standards. After SPE, the extracts are derivatized with pentafluoropropionic anhydride at room temperature to form predominantly the bispentafluoropropionyl derivative of naltrexone and the trispentafluoropropionyl derivative of 6-beta-naltrexol. The derivatized extracts are analyzed by monitoring ion currents at m/z 633 (naltrexone), m/z 636 (naltrexone-2H3), m/z 633 6-beta-naltrexol), and m/z 640 (6-beta-naltrexol-2H7). Control plasma samples containing 0.3, 3, or 30 ng/nl of each analyte were analyzed for precision and accuracy with the following results: intra-assay, the percentage of target concentrations were 107-113% for naltrexone and 107-120% for 6-beta-naltrexol, and the coefficients of variation (CVs) were 3.1-6.3% for naltrexone and 3.1-5.7% for 6-beta-naltrexol; interassay, the percentage of target concentrations were 103-110% for naltrexone and 110-113% for 6-beta-naltrexol, and the CVs were 6.1-9.1% for naltrexone and 5.9-9.1% for 6-beta-naltrexol. At the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.1 ng/ml, both analytes quantified within 20% of the target concentration with CVs less than 17%. The extraction recoveries determined at 0.3 and 30 ng/ml were 79 and 80% for naltrexone and 76 and 75% for 6-beta-naltrexol. Bench-top stability tested with concentrations of 0.3 and 3.0 ng/ml did not decrease more than 10% from the zero-hour controls at 3, 6 and 24 h. Selectively was determined using plasma from six donors and none showed interfering peaks greater than 22% of the LOQ for naltrexone and 53% of the LOQ for 6-beta-naltrexol. Using this method, naltrexone and 6-beta-naltrexol were readily detected in plasma specimens collected 5.5 h after oral doses of 25 or 100 mg naltrexone. Following discontinuation of treatment, naltrexone was detected 30 h after the 100-mg dose, whereas 6-beta-naltrexol was detected 125 h after both the 25- and 100-mg doses.

Drug Stability↗

Conditioned effects produced by naltrexone doses that reduce ethanol-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys.

Clinical trials have shown that naltrexone is effective in treating alcohol dependence; nausea and dysphoria have been reported as "side effects" in many of these studies. In primates, naltrexone reduces reinforced responding for oral ethanol, sucrose, and phencyclidine. This study was designed to determine if naltrexone reduces reinforced responding for various solutions by producing an interoceptive stimulus that may result in a conditioned taste aversion. Four opioid antagonist-naive rhesus monkeys responded for solutions from a two-spout operant panel for 30 min per day. During a conditioning phase, the monkeys received novel Kool-Aid solutions paired with either saline or naltrexone (0.32 mg/kg) given 30 min before the session. The monkeys then had seven choice sessions between the saline-paired solution or the naltrexone-paired solution. During the conditioning phase, the naltrexone reduced responding after five naltrexone/solution pairings. In addition, a conditioned taste aversion was produced; the naltrexone-paired solution maintained significantly less responding than did the saline-paired solution during the choice phase. In the next phase, the saline and naltrexone were given "unpaired" from any distinct part of the operant session, and another seven choice sessions followed. Naltrexone had no effect when given "unpaired" from the operant session. Then, another conditioning phase was undertaken followed by another series of choice sessions. During the replication of the conditioning, naltrexone reduced responding by the second pairing, although no conditioned aversion was observed in the subsequent choice sessions. Thus, given in the same manner (dose, route, and pretreatment time) as situations in which naltrexone reduces oral ethanol-, sucrose-, and phencyclidine-reinforced responding, naltrexone produced a conditioned taste aversion. These results suggest that naltrexone-induced nausea and its conditioned effects should be considered in naltrexone's effect in alcoholics.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Initial and maintenance naltrexone treatment for alcohol dependence using primary care vs specialty care: a nested sequence of 3 randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Naltrexone may improve success in primary care treatment of alcohol dependence (AD). This study tests naltrexone and primary care management (PCM) vs naltrexone and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and tests naltrexone maintenance among patients who respond to an initial course of naltrexone combined with PCM vs CBT. METHODS: A nested sequence of 3 randomized trials was conducted. In study 1, 197 subjects with AD participated in a 10-week comparison of PCM and naltrexone (50 mg/d) vs CBT and naltrexone (50 mg/d). In study 2, 53 PCM responders from study 1 continued in a 24-week placebo-controlled study of maintenance naltrexone. In study 3, 60 CBT responders from study 1 continued in a 24-week placebo-controlled study of maintenance naltrexone and CBT. RESULTS: Study 1: No difference in the response to treatment; 84.1% (74/88) of the PCM patients and 86.5% (77/89) of the CBT patients avoided persistent heavy drinking. Percentage of days abstinent (PDA) declined over time for PCM vs CBT (P =.03). Study 2: Higher response maintenance for PCM and naltrexone (21/26, 80.8%) vs PCM and placebo (14/27, 51.9%; P =.03) and PDA declined more for the placebo group (P =.02). Study 3: The differences between naltrexone vs placebo on maintenance of response (25/30, 83.3% vs 21/30, 70.0%) or PDA did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Naltrexone yielded comparable results during the initial 10 weeks of treatment when combined with PCM or CBT. Maintenance of improvement was enhanced by continued naltrexone treatment in the PCM but not in the CBT arm.

Adolescent↗