Naomi Tanoue

Excretion Into Gastrointestinal Tract of Irinotecan Lactone and Carboxylate Forms and Their Pharmacodynamics in Rodents

AbstractPurpose. To investigate the excretion of irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) and its active metabolite, SN-38, into the gastrointestinal lumen via the biliary and/or intestinal membrane route after dosing with lactone and carboxylate forms of CPT-11, and to evaluate the toxic and antitumor effects of the two forms. Methods. The excretions of CPT-11 and SN-38 were investigated by the in situ perfusion technique using rats. The incidence of delayed diarrhea was evaluated after i.v. dosing (60 mg/kg) with CPT-11 lactone and carboxylate forms for 4 days. Antitumor activity and changes in body weight were investigated in mice with Meth A tumors. Results. The excretion of CPT-11 into bile was greater in dosing with CPT-11 carboxylate than that with its lactone form, whereas the exsorption across intestinal membrane was greater in dosing with CPT-11 lactone than that with its carboxylate form. Dosing with CPT-11 lactone dose-dependently inhibited the increase in tumor weights in Meth A tumor mice, whereas the dosing with its carboxylate form reduced the antitumor effect. Conclusions. The decreased antitumor effect caused by dosing with the CPT-11 carboxylate form could be due to less accumulation in the tissue including tumor cells resulting from the rapid elimination of the form in the body.

Analysis of Waiting Time of Outpatients.

In order to increase our service for outpatients, characteristics of waiting time at pharmacy was investigated on the number of prescriptions, dispensing cases, and drug items every 30minutes, and was imvestigated on the number of pharmacists with weight in experiences and of clinical departments for outpatients. Multiple regression analysis using 3 factors was carried out.The obtained standard partial regression coefficients showed that waiting time depended on the number of prescriptions every 30 minutes and of pharmacists with weight in experiences. The number of patients who failed to receive medicines was independent of waiting time.As the result that we inquired of outpatients how about waiting time at pharmacy, many outpatients voiced their discontent.The source of their discontent was, however, not their waiting time in itself, but it was revealed that they had been discontented because of the lack of understanding of dispensing.