Toshihiko Uematsu

Pilot study of the uricosuric effect of DuP-753, a new angiotensin II receptor antagonist, in healthy subjects

SummaryThe uricosuric effect of DuP-753, a novel, specific angiotensin II receptor antagonist, has been explored in a healthy male Japanese volunteers, given single oral doses of 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg (n=6), or 100 mg (n=6) or placebo (n=3) once daily for 7 consecutive days.In the single-dose study, serum uric acid measured at 4 h after dosing showed a dose dependent decrease; the reductions from the corresponding pre-dose values were: 0.32 (25 mg), 0.77 (50 mg), 1.25 (100 mg) and 1.33 mg dl−1 (200 mg). The urinary excretion of uric acid within the first 4 h after treatment was also increased in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the urinary excretion of creatinine remained unchanged.In the multiple-dose study, DuP-753 significantly decreased the serum uric acid concentration measured 4 h both after the first (pre-dose value: 5.68 vs 4 h after: 4.48 mg·dl−1) and last administrations (4.42 mg·dl−1). Simultaneously, the ratio of urinary uric acid to creatinine excretion was significantly increased within the first 4 h both after the first (DuP-753: 1.190 vs placebo: 0.576) and last administrations (1.02 vs 0.576).The findings suggest that DuP-753 posesses a uricosuric effect both after single and multiple doses in healthy subjects. The effect should be further examined in hypertensive patients.

Single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics of AM-1155, a new 6-fluoro-8-methoxy quinolone, in humans.

The pharmacokinetics of AM-1155, a new 6-fluoro-8-methoxy quinolone, was examined in healthy male volunteers after the oral administration of a single dose of 100, 200, 400, or 600 mg and multiple doses of 300 mg twice daily for 6.5 days (13 total doses). Throughout the whole study period, AM-1155 was well tolerated in every subject. In the single-dose study, the concentrations in serum reached a peak between 1 and 2 h, and the peak concentrations were 0.873, 1.71, 3.35, and 5.41 micrograms/ml at the doses of 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg, respectively. The elimination half-life was 7 to 8 h, independently of the doses. The unchanged drug was excreted mainly in the urine, with 82 to 88% of the doses appearing for 72 h. The fecal recovery of the unchanged drug amounted to 5.7% for 72 h after a single oral administration of a 400-mg dose. Urinary excretion of metabolites was minimal. The serum protein binding was 20%, independently of the concentrations in serum. The concentrations in saliva were approximately 80% of those in serum. The intake of food had no effect on the pharmacokinetic parameters and urinary excretion of AM-1155 except the slight decrease in area under the concentration-time curve. The concurrent administration of probenecid prolonged the elimination half-life, increased the area under the concentration-time curve, and decreased the apparent total body clearance, renal clearance, urinary recovery of unchanged drug, and the excretion ratio (intrinsic renal clearance of AM-1155/creatinine clearance). This indicated that the tubular secretion contributed to the renal excretion of AM-1155. In the multiple-dose study, the concentrations of AM-1155 in serum and urine reached a steady state within 2 to 3 days. The measured concentrations in serum fitted well the simulation curve, which reflected the persistence of linear pharmacokinetics of AM-1155. In conclusion, AM-1155 is expected to be clinically useful because of its potent antibacterial activity and favorable pharmacokinetics.

Photochemically induced thrombosis model in rat femoral artery and evaluation of effects of heparin and tissue-type plasminogen activator with use of this model.

We report a new and reproducible model of thrombosis in the rat femoral artery. The thrombosis is initiated by endothelial injury subsequent to photochemical reaction between systemically injected rose bengal (10 mg/kg, i.v.) and transillumination of filtered xenon lamp (wave length: 540 nm) from the outside of the vessel. The blood flow of the femoral artery, which was monitored by a pulsed doppler flow meter, was fully stopped in 348.68 +/- 36.18 sec (n = 12) after i.v. injection of rose bengal under irradiation with green light. The formation of massive thrombosis was readily evident by visual inspection. The processes of primary endothelial injury and the subsequent formation of thrombosis during this manipulation were observed by light microscopy and analysed by the scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Pretreatment with heparin (30, 100 or 300 units/kg, i.v.) 10 min before rose bengal injection dose-dependently prolonged the time required to interrupt the blood flow. The thrombolytic activity of a tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) was also investigated. After the establishment of stable thrombotic occlusion of the femoral artery, infusion of tPA was started from the contralateral femoral vein for 30 min at the rate of 30 or 100 micrograms/kg/min. The occluded artery was reperfused in 2 out of 10 rats and in 9 out of 12 at the lower and higher rates of tPA infusion, respectively. That heparin could prevent the arterial occlusion and that tPA could reperfuse the occluded artery are observations consistent with the histopathological ones that the primary lesion of endothelium injured photochemically activates the platelet aggregation to form platelet-rich thrombus with extensions of erythrocyte-rich lesions. This model is expected to be a useful tool for evaluating the antithrombotic and thrombolytic agents.

Evaluation of the combination of a tissue-type plasminogen activator, SUN9216, and a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, vapiprost, in a rat middle cerebral artery thrombosis model.

Background and Purpose We aimed to evaluate a modified tissue-type plasminogen activator, SUN9216, and the combination of SUN9216 and a thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, vapiprost, in a rat middle cerebral artery thrombosis model. Methods Under anesthesia, the left middle cerebral artery was observed under an operation microscope without cutting the dura mater via a subtemporal craniotomy. Photoillumination (wave length, 540 nm) was applied to the middle cerebral artery, and then rose bengal (20 mg/kg) was administered intravenously. The reopening of the middle cerebral artery by SUN9216, injected 30 minutes after middle cerebral artery occlusion, was observed under an operation microscope for a 60-minute observation period. Twenty-four hours after the operation, sections of the cerebrum were stained with triphenyltetrazolium chloride, and the area of cerebral infarction was analyzed by a computer. Results The combination of SUN9216 and vapiprost caused reopening of the middle cerebral artery in 58.8% of the rats, which was a greater percentage than that achieved with SUN9216 alone (31.6%). In contrast, saline did not cause reopening of the middle cerebral artery during the 60-minute observation period. The area of cerebral infarction in rats reperfused with SUN9216 was significantly reduced compared with that in the control group. The infarction area in rats treated with the combination of SUN9216 and vapiprost was reduced compared with that in rats treated with SUN9216 alone; this was the case whether or not the occlusion was reperfused. There was a significant correlation between the time of reopening of the middle cerebral artery and area of cerebral infarction. Conclusions A single injection of SUN9216 was effective in recanalizing the vessel and reducing the area of cerebral infarction.

Human scalp hair as evidence of individual dosage history of haloperidol: method and retrospective study

SummaryHair samples and morning pre-dose plasma were collected from 40 patients who had received fixed daily doses of haloperidol for more than four months and whose compliance was good. After washing, 1 to 2 cm-long portions nearest to the roots of 2 to 3 strands of hair were completely dissolved in 2.5N NaOH. Haloperidol in that sample or alkalinised plasma was extracted and measured by RIA.Haloperidol concentrations in hair correlated well both with the trough concentration in plasma at steady-state (r=0.772,n=39) and with the daily dose (r=0.555,n=40). Another keratinized tissue, nail, was also collected from 20 of the 40 patients and the haloperidol level was compared with that in hair. The former was only about 4.3% of the latter and was significantly correlated only with the daily dose (r=0.525,n=20).Hair from 10 other patients in whom the dosage of haloperidol had been changed within a few months prior to sampling the hair was cut into 0.5 or 1 cm-long portions from the roots and the drug concentration in each portion was measured. If hairs were assumed to grow at 1 cm/month, a history of individual dosage could be deduced in 9 of the 10 patients from the distribution of drug level along the length of the hair.The results suggest that human scalp hair could serve as a useful tool for monitoring individual dosage history over several months, or in demonstrating exposure or non-exposure of a patient to a drug.

Pharmacokinetics and tolerance of DU-6859a, a new fluoroquinolone, after single and multiple oral doses in healthy volunteers.

The pharmacokinetics and tolerance of DU-6859a, 7-[(7S)-7-amino-5-azaspiro[2,4]heptan-5-yl]-8-chloro-6-fluor o-1-[(1R, 2S)-2-fluoro-1-cyclopropyl]-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid sesquihydrate, were investigated in healthy male Japanese volunteers after single (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg) and multiple (100 mg three times a day for 6 days plus once a day on the 7th day and 50 mg every 12 h for 13 doses) oral doses. DU-6859a was well tolerated at all doses, and all 36 subjects completed the study; mild transient soft stool in five volunteers and mild transient diarrhea in one volunteer on the multiple-dose (100 mg three times a day) study were the only side effects reported. No drug crystals were observed in the urine after the single 200-mg dose and the 100-mg three times a day regimen. DU-6859a was rapidly absorbed in the fasted state. The mean maximum concentration in serum (Cmax) ranged from 0.29 to 1.86 micrograms/ml for the 25- to 200-mg dose, and the mean time to reach Cmax ranged from 1.0 to 1.3 h. The terminal half-life ranged from 4.4 to 5.0 h. The area under the curve increased dose dependently. The serum protein binding of the drug was approximately 50%. The apparent volume of distribution clearly exceeded 1 liter/kg, suggesting good tissue penetration. Within 48 h, the cumulative urinary recovery of unchanged drug amounted to 69 to 74% of the dose administered, while fecal excretion up to 48 h after the 200-mg dose accounted for ca. 3% of the dose. Food intake did not affect the rate and extend of absorption of DU-6859a to a clinically significant extent. During multiple oral dosing, the accumulation of the drug in serum was close to the theoretically predicted values, which indicated that there was virtually no drug accumulation.

Human scalp hair as evidence of individual dosage history of haloperidol: a possible linkage of haloperidol excretion into hair with hair pigment

SummaryWe report a method for determining haloperidol concentration in human scalp hair and discuss a possible linkage of haloperidol excretion into hair with the hair pigment melanin. First, an animal study was conducted to support the idea that hair contains amounts of haloperidol corresponding to the doses given and pigmented hair contains much more drug than does unpigmented hair. The haloperidol concentration was measured using a radioimmunoassay technique after hairs were dissolved in 2.5 N NaOH solution and the drug extracted. Pigmented and albino rats, whose hair from an area on the back had been removed beforehand by plucking, were administered either 1,3, or 10 mg of haloperidol (i.p.) per kg body weight every day for 3 weeks. At the end of the administration period hair which had newly grown on the denuded area was plucked and collected. In each of the two groups classified by hair color the drug levels in the hair correlated with the doses given; however, the concentrations in the hair from the albino rats were much lower than those in the hair from the pigmented rats (which was less than 8.5%). Second, black and white hair was collected from each of seven human subjects with grizzled hair, who were receiving or had been administered haloperidol at fixed daily doses for more than 1 month, and the concentration of haloperidol in each type of hair was measured. In the same subject the concentration in the white hair was found to be much lower than that in the black (less than 10%). In three subjects the dosage had been changed before the hair samplings, and segmental analysis of the distribution of haloperidol in the black hair revealed that the dosage history was imprinted along the length, assuming a hair growth rate of 1 cm/ month; the distribution of drug along the white hair less obviously corresponded to the dosage. Third, another keratinized tissue, nail, was collected together with hair samples from 20 patients and the haloperidol level in the nail was measured and compared with that in the hair. The concentration of haloperidol in nail is only about 3.4% of that in hair. Taken together these results suggest that the mechanism for excreting haloperidol into hair is closely linked with that for the hair pigment melanin.

The pharmacokinetics of the β2-adrenoceptor agonist, tulobuterol, given transdermally and by inhalation

SummaryWe have studied the pharmacokinetics of tulobuterol given transdermally or by aerosol inhalation in healthy male volunteers.Tulobuterol was rapidly absorbed after inhalation, with a tmax of 0.8–1.5 h. The Cmax and the AUC increased linearly with dose.Tulobuterol was well absorbed after transdermal administration, with an absorption lag-time of about 4 h. The Cmax and AUC increased linearly with dose and the tmax was about 9–12 h. The mean percentage of drug absorbed during the application of a patch for 24 h was 82–90% after a single dose and 82–85% during repeated dosing.The mean urinary recoveries as unchanged drug after a single inhalation and patch application were 3–4% and 5–6% respectively.Tulobuterol did not accumulate during repeated inhalation or transdermal application. It was well tolerated, except for an increase in heart rate of 10–20 beats · min−1 after five repeated applications of a 4 mg patch.

A simple and reproducible cerebral thrombosis model in rats induced by a photochemical reaction and the effect of a plasminogen-plasminogen activator chimera in this model

In this study a new model of cerebral ischemia, based on a middle cerebral artery (MCA) thrombosis in rats is described. Furthermore, the effect of the novel plasminogen activator (SUN9216), a plasminogen-plasminogen activator chimera, comprising the fibrin kringle 1 domain of a plasminogen, and the two kringles, and the serine protease domains of wild-type tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), including a modification of the mannose glycosylation site on the kringle 1 of t-PA (PK1de1FE1X), was studied in this model. In the newly described model of thrombotic cerebral ischemia, an occlusive thrombus occurred usually within 8 min in the MCA as a consequence of an endothelial injury subsequent to a photochemical reaction between a systemically administered photosensitive dye (rose bengal) and a transillumination of the MCA with a high-intensity green light with a wavelength of 540 nm. The study was quantitated by means of pathological examination of the MCA and the brain. A platelet-rich thrombus was observed in the MCA using electron microscopical analysis based on ion beam bombardment. At 24 hr after induction of the thrombus, the brain was removed from 13 control animals, nine coronal sections were stained from each brain with triphenyltetrazoliumchloride (TTC), and the ischemic area was quantitated. A constant area of infarction was observed in the cortex and the lateral part of the basal ganglia. In a second group (n = 8), at 1 or 8 weeks after induction of the thrombosis in the MCA, the coronal sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Human scalp hair as evidence of individual dosage history of haloperidol: prospective study.

The concentration of haloperidol in hair was measured by radioimmunoassay after hairs were dissolved in 2.5 N NaOH solution and the drug was extracted. In patients to whom haloperidol had been administered at fixed daily doses for more than 1 month, and in whom therapy had been just discontinued (group A, n = 5) or the doses cut to half (group B, n = 3), hairs were collected when the dose was changed and at 1 and 2 or 3 months thereafter. A few strands of hair collected on each occasion were cut into 1-cm-long portions from the roots, and the haloperidol concentration was measured in each portion. When hairs were assumed to grow at a rate of 1–1.5 cm/month, the portion of hair that reflected the change of dose was observed to move upward along the hair length in all patients of group A. However, these phenomena were less obvious in group B. These results indicate that at the least, hair could serve as an indicator of individual exposure or nonexposure to haloperidol and could yield retrospective information. In rats whose hairs had been removed by plucking from an area on the back, either saline or 1 mg/kg of haloperidol (i.p., b.i.d.) was administered for 2 weeks (first period), followed by 0, 0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg b.i.d. for the subsequent 2 weeks (second period). At the end of each period, hairs that had grown in the plucked area were collected. Within-groups, haloperidol levels in hairs collected at the end of each period corresponded to the doses given. The distribution of drug levels in the upper and lower halves of hairs collected only at the end of the second period corresponded in general to the doses given. These results support the potential usefulness of hair in therapeutic drug monitoring.