Fritz Sörgel

Penetration of Drugs through the Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid/Blood-Brain Barrier for Treatment of Central Nervous System Infections

SUMMARY The entry of anti-infectives into the central nervous system (CNS) depends on the compartment studied, molecular size, electric charge, lipophilicity, plasma protein binding, affinity to active transport systems at the blood-brain/blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier, and host factors such as meningeal inflammation and CSF flow. Since concentrations in microdialysates and abscesses are not frequently available for humans, this review focuses on drug CSF concentrations. The ideal compound to treat CNS infections is of small molecular size, is moderately lipophilic, has a low level of plasma protein binding, has a volume of distribution of around 1 liter/kg, and is not a strong ligand of an efflux pump at the blood-brain or blood-CSF barrier. When several equally active compounds are available, a drug which comes close to these physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties should be preferred. Several anti-infectives (e.g., isoniazid, pyrazinamide, linezolid, metronidazole, fluconazole, and some fluoroquinolones) reach a CSF-to-serum ratio of the areas under the curves close to 1.0 and, therefore, are extremely valuable for the treatment of CNS infections. In many cases, however, pharmacokinetics have to be balanced against in vitro activity. Direct injection of drugs, which do not readily penetrate into the CNS, into the ventricular or lumbar CSF is indicated when other effective therapeutic options are unavailable.

Penetration of antibacterials into bone: pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and bioanalytical considerations.

Antibacterials play a key role in the treatment of bone infections and appropriate surgical prophylaxis. The rate and extent of penetration of antimicrobials into bone has been assessed and shown to be important for successful treatment in numerous studies. However, no recent review or critical evaluation of the analytical techniques is available. This review compares established and new sample preparation and analytical methods to measure bone concentrations.We performed a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, conference abstracts and references from published articles on bone penetration of antibacterials. This article focuses on the standardization of drug analysis in bone, the extent and rate of bone penetration of antibacterials, and the design, evaluation and reporting techniques of pharmacokinetic studies of bone penetration. The focus is on studies conducted between 1998 and 2007, since a previous review was published in 1999. WinNonlin® Professional version 5.0.1 software was used for statistics.Very different methods for sample preparation, drug analysis, data handling and reporting have been employed in bone penetration studies. There is substantial variability in the reported mean bone penetration between drugs and between different studies of the same drug. Quinolones, macrolides and linezolid have mean bone:serum concentration ratios that are commonly between 0.3 and 1.2, and higher ratios have been found for azithromycin (bone concentration in mg/kg of total bone). The ratios are usually between 0.15 and 0.3 for cephalosporins and glycopeptides, and between 0.1 and 0.3 for penicillins. Cephalosporins and penicillins have shown significantly lower (p<0.05) concentration ratios than linezolid. For 20 of 25 different drugs, the ratios were higher for cancellous bone than for cortical bone.The available data show a larger extent of bone penetration for quinolones, macrolides and linezolid than for β-lactams. The bone penetration of penicillins and cephalosporins was significantly lower than that of linezolid. Guidelines on sample preparation, drug analysis, study design and pharmacokinetic evaluation of bone penetration studies are vitally needed.

Should We Use N-Acetyltransferase Type 2 Genotyping To Personalize Isoniazid Doses?

ABSTRACT Isoniazid is metabolized by the genetically polymorphic arylamine N-acetyltransferase type 2 (NAT2). A greater number of high-activity alleles are related to increased acetylation capacity and in some reports to low efficacy and toxicity of isoniazid. The objective of this study was to assess individual isoniazid exposure based on NAT2 genotype to predict a personalized therapeutic dose. Isoniazid was administered to 18 healthy Caucasians (age 30 ± 6 years, body weight 74 ± 10 kg, five women) in random order as a 200-mg infusion, a 100-mg oral, and a 300-mg oral single dose. For the assessment of NAT2 genotype, common single nucleotide polymorphisms identifying 99.9% of variant alleles were characterized. Noncompartmental pharmacokinetics and compartmental population pharmacokinetics were estimated from isoniazid plasma concentrations until 24 h postdose by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The influence of NAT2 genotype, drug formulation, body weight, and sex on dose-normalized isoniazid pharmacokinetics was assessed by analysis of variance from noncompartmental data and confirmed by population pharmacokinetics. Eight high-activity NAT2*4 alleles were identified. Sex had no effect; the other factors explained 93% of the variability in apparent isoniazid clearance (analysis of variance). NAT2 genotype alone accounted for 88% of variability. Individual isoniazid clearance could be predicted as clearance (liters/hour) = 10 + 9 × (number of NAT2*4 alleles). To achieve similar isoniazid exposure, current standard doses presumably appropriate for patients with one high-activity NAT2 allele may be decreased or increased by approximately 50% for patients with no or two such alleles, respectively. Prospective clinical trials are required to assess the merits of this approach.

Acrylamide: increased concentrations in homemade food and first evidence of its variable absorption from food, variable metabolism and placental and breast milk transfer in humans.

We have developed a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay to determine acrylamide in various body fluids. The assay also allows the reliable quantitation of acrylamide in food. In a total of 11 healthy male and female subjects, we were able to show that acrylamide from food given to humans is in fact absorbed from the gut. The half-lives determined in two male subjects were 2.2 and 7 h. Acrylamide was found in human breast milk and penetrated the human placenta (n = 3). The variability of acrylamide concentrations found in this investigation is most likely caused by variable intersubject bioavailability and metabolism. This may be an important indication that the assessment of the risk from acrylamide for the individual may be very difficult without knowing the concentrations of acrylamide in the body. This should be considered in the design of any risk assessment study or post hoc analysis of earlier studies. At this time, we suggest that pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers avoid acrylamide-containing food.

Inhibitory potency of quinolone antibacterial agents against cytochrome P450IA2 activity in vivo and in vitro.

Inhibition of cytochrome P450IA2 activity is an important adverse effect of quinolone antibacterial agents. It results in a prolonged half-life for some drugs that are coadministered with quinolones, such as theophylline. The objective of the study described here was to define the parameters for quantifying the inhibitory potencies of quinolones against cytochrome P450IA2 in vivo and in vitro and to investigate the relationship between the results of both approaches. Cytochrome P450IA2 activity in vitro was measured by using the 3-demethylation rate of caffeine (500 microM) in human liver microsomes. The inhibitory potency of a quinolone in vitro was determined by calculating the decrease in the activity of cytochrome P450IA2 caused by addition of the quinolone (500 microM) into the incubation medium. The mean values (percent reduction of activity without quinolone) were as follows: enoxacin, 74.9%; ciprofloxacin, 70.4%; nalidixic acid, 66.6%; pipemidic acid, 59.3%; norfloxacin, 55.7%; lomefloxacin, 23.4%; pefloxacin, 22.0%; amifloxacin, 21.4%; difloxacin, 21.3%; ofloxacin, 11.8%; temafloxacin, 10.0%; fleroxacin, no effect. The inhibitory potency of a quinolone in vivo was defined by a dose- and bioavailability-normalized parameter calculated from changes of the elimination half-life of theophylline and/or caffeine reported in previously published studies. Taking the pharmacokinetics of the quinolones into account, it was possible to differentiate between substances with and without clinically relevant inhibitory effects by using results of in vitro investigations. The in vitro test described here may help to qualitatively predict the relevant drug interactions between quinolones and methylxanthines that occur during therapy.

Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Continuous versus Short-Term Infusion of Imipenem-Cilastatin in Critically Ill Patients in a Randomized, Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Beta-lactams are regularly administered in intermittent short-term infusions. The percentage of the dosing interval during which free drug concentrations exceed the MIC (fT>MIC) is the measure of drug exposure that best correlates with clinical outcome for beta-lactams. Therefore, administration by continuous infusion has gained increasing interest recently. We studied 20 critically ill patients with nosocomial pneumonia and investigated whether continuous infusion with a reduced total dose, compared to the standard regimen of intermittent short-term infusion, results in a superior probability of target attainment as assessed by the fT>MIC value of imipenem. In this prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study, patients received either a loading dose of 1 g/1 g imipenem and cilastatin (as a short-term infusion) at time zero, followed by 2 g/2 g imipenem-cilastatin per 24 h as a continuous infusion for 3 days (n = 10), or 1 g/1 g imipenem-cilastatin three times per day as a short-term infusion for 3 days (total daily dose, 3 g/3 g; n = 10). Imipenem concentrations in plasma were determined by using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay. A two-compartment open model was employed for population pharmacokinetic modeling. We simulated 10,000 intensive-care-unit patients via Monte Carlo simulations for pharmacodynamic evaluation using the target 40% fT>MIC. The probability of target attainment by MIC for intermittent infusion was robust (>90%) up to MICs of 1 to 2 mg/liter. The corresponding value for continuous infusion was 2 to 4 mg/liter. Although all 20 patients had an fT>MIC of 100%, 3 patients died. Patient survival was best described by employing a sepsis-related organ failure assessment score as a covariate in a logistic regression analysis. Larger clinical trials are warranted for evaluation of continuous infusions at a reduced dose of imipenem for critically ill patients.

Toxicokinetics of Acrylamide in Humans after Ingestion of a Defined Dose in a Test Meal to Improve Risk Assessment for Acrylamide Carcinogenicity

High amounts of acrylamide in some foods result in an estimated daily mean intake of 50 μg for a western style diet. Animal studies have shown the carcinogenicity of acrylamide upon oral exposure. However, only sparse human toxicokinetic data is available for acrylamide, which is needed for the extrapolation of human cancer risk from animal data. We evaluated the toxicokinetics of acrylamide in six young healthy volunteers after the consumption of a meal containing 0.94 mg of acrylamide. Urine was collected up to 72 hours thereafter. Unchanged acrylamide, its mercapturic acid metabolite N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)cysteine (AAMA), its epoxy derivative glycidamide, and the respective metabolite of glycidamide, N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-2-carbamoylethyl)cysteine (GAMA), were quantified in the urine by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Toxicokinetic variables were obtained by noncompartmental methods. Overall, 60.3 ± 11.2% of the dose was recovered in the urine. Although no glycidamide was found, unchanged acrylamide, AAMA, and GAMA accounted for urinary excretion of (mean ± SD) 4.4 ± 1.5%, 50.0 ± 9.4%, and 5.9 ± 1.2% of the dose, respectively. Apparent terminal elimination half-lives for the substances were 2.4 ± 0.4, 17.4 ± 3.9, and 25.1 ± 6.4 hours. The ratio of GAMA/AAMA amounts excreted was 0.12 ± 0.02. In conclusion, most of the acrylamide ingested with food is absorbed in humans. Conjugation with glutathione exceeds the formation of the reactive metabolite glycidamide. The data suggests an at least 2-fold and 4-fold lower relative internal exposure for glycidamide from dietary acrylamide in humans compared with rats or mice, respectively. This should be considered for quantitative cancer risk assessment. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(2):266–71)

Systematic Comparison of the Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Piperacillin in Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Healthy Volunteers

ABSTRACT Respiratory tract infections cause 90% of premature mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is often very problematic. Piperacillin-tazobactam has good activity against P. aeruginosa, but its pharmacokinetics (PK) in CF patients has not been compared to the PK in healthy volunteers in a controlled clinical study. Therefore, we compared the population PK and pharmacodynamics (PD) of piperacillin between CF patients and healthy volunteers. We studied 8 adult (median age, 20 years) CF patients (average total body weight [WT], 43.1 ± 7.8 kg) and 26 healthy volunteers (WT, 71.1 ± 11.8 kg) who each received 4 g piperacillin as a 5-min intravenous infusion. We determined piperacillin levels by high-performance liquid chromatography, and we used NONMEM for population PK and Monte Carlo simulation. We used a target time of nonprotein-bound concentration above the MIC of 50%, which represents near-maximal bacterial killing. Unscaled total clearance was 25% lower, and the volume of distribution was 31% lower in CF patients. Allometric scaling by lean body mass reduced the unexplained (random) between-subject variability in clearance by 26% compared to the variability of linear scaling by WT. A standard dosage regimen of 3 g/70 kg body WT every 4 h as a 30-min infusion (daily dose, 18 g) achieved a robust (≥90%) probability-of-target attainment (PTA) for MICs of ≤12 mg/liter in CF patients and ≤16 mg/liter in healthy volunteers. Alternative modes of administration allowed a marked dose reduction to 9 g daily. Prolonged (4-h) infusions of 3 g/70 kg WT every 8 h and continuous infusion (daily dose, 9 g), achieved a robust PTA for MICs of ≤16 mg/liter in both groups. Piperacillin achieved PTA expectation values of 64% and 89% against P. aeruginosa infection in CF patients, based on susceptibility data from two German CF clinics.

Passage of cefotaxime and ceftriaxone into cerebrospinal fluid of patients with uninflamed meninges.

Cefotaxime and ceftriaxone have proven to be effective in pyogenic infections of the central nervous system. Since in some bacterial central nervous system infections the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier is either minimally impaired or recovers in the course of the illness, we studied the penetration of both antibiotics in the absence of inflamed meninges. Patients who had undergone external ventriculostomies for noninflammatory occlusive hydrocephalus received either cefotaxime (2 g/30 min) or ceftriaxone (2 g/30 min) to treat extracerebral infections. Serum and CSF were drawn repeatedly after the first dose. With ceftriaxone, they were also drawn after the last dose. The concentrations of cefotaxime, its metabolite desacetylcefotaxime, and ceftriaxone were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Maximum concentrations of cefotaxime in CSF were reached 0.5 to 8 h (median = 3 h; n = 6) after the end of the infusion and ranged from 0.14 to 1.81 mg/liter (median = 0.44 mg/liter; n = 6). Maximum levels of ceftriaxone in CSF ranging from 0.18 to 1.04 mg/liter (median = 0.43 mg/liter; n = 5) were seen 1 to 16 h (median = 12 h; n = 5) after the infusion. The elimination half-life of cefotaxime in CSF was 5.0 to 26.9 h (median = 9.3 h; n = 5), and that of ceftriaxone was 15.7 to 18.4 h (median = 16.8 h; n = 3). It is concluded that after a single dose of 2 g, maximal concentrations of cefotaxime and ceftriaxone in CSF do not differ substantially. The long elimination half-lives guarantee uniform concentrations in CSF. These concentrations reliably inhibit highly susceptible bacteria but cannot be relied on to inhibit staphylococci and penicillin G-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Pharmacokinetic Disposition of Quinolones in Human Body Fluids and Tissues

SummaryThe unique pharmacokinetic properties as well as the body fluid and tissue penetration of quinolones are discussed.Quinolones are well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and are eliminated with considerable differences in their terminal half-lives. The major elimination pathways of quinolones are renal excretion and hepatic metabolism. Renally, these drugs undergo the potential excretion mechanisms (glomerular filtration, tubular secretion, reabsorption). In the liver, they are metabolised primarily by oxidation as well as by conjugative pathways. However, the metabolic pattern and extent of metabolism differ significantly between individual agents.Alterations in the pharmacokinetic disposition of these agents in liver and renal failure as well as in elderly patients are observed as predicted from their excretion pattern. In addition, quinolones can interact with a number of other compounds at hepatic (e.g. with xanthine derivatives), renal (with probenecid) and gastrointestinal (with antacids) sites.The volume of distribution of quinolones is considerably higher than body volume, which suggests intracellular penetration. Studies on tissue penetration show that concentrations exceeding plasma levels are obtained in most tissues. The highest tissue/plasma concentration ratios are achieved in lung and kidney, whereas concentrations in fat are considerably lower than in plasma.Body fluid penetration is introduced as a new approach to evaluate distribution kinetics of quinolones. With the exception of those in nasal secretions and ejaculate, body fluid levels of these drugs rarely reach plasma levels. The body fluid penetration model allows for differentiation among individual agents. There is no apparent relationship between differences in body fluid penetration of quinolones and differences in volume of distribution. For the clinical use of these drugs it is important that the concentrations achieved in body fluids and tissues are sufficient to kill most pathogens. A discussion on the relationship between plasma and tissue levels and the MICs of quinolones is, however, beyond the scope of this article.