Enhancement in Bioavailability of CurCousin®, A Minor Metabolite from Curcuma longa by Addition of BioPerine® —A Pharmacokinetic Study

In recent years, metabolic syndrome has been a growing health concern across the world. The role of nutraceuticals and functional foods in this area has a significant place due to the adverse effects of contemporary modes of treatment. CurCousin® is a nutritional ingredient containing bioactive Calebin A, (analog of Curcumin) with self-affirmed GRAS status. CurCousin® has been a clinically studied dietary supplement ingredient with a positive impact on body weight, lipid levels and metabolic health. Bioenhancers play an important role in increasing the bioavailability of the active in turn enhancing efficacy as well as reducing the dosage required to achieve the therapeutic effect. This study investigated the possible pharmacokinetic interaction between CurCousin® at two different doses (2.25 and 4.5 mg/kg) in the presence and absence of BioPerine® (0.27 mg/kg), a natural bioenhancer in Sprague-Dawley rats. The results revealed that the addition of BioPerine® into CurCousin® (2.25 mg/kg) half the dose when administered enhances the bioavailability and was equipotent to CurCousin® (4.5 mg/kg) double the dose without BioPerine®. Thus, leading to future clinical studies to evaluate its improved pharmacological efficacy as well as reduced therapeutic dosage.

Development and Validation of UHPLC-MS/MS Method for Quantifying of Agarotriose:An Application for Pharmacokinetic,Tissue Distribution,and Excretion Studies in Rats

A sensitive,rapid,and robust ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS)method was established for the first time to quantify agarotriose(A3)in rat plasma,tissues,urine,and feces.A3 and stachyose(internal standard)were separated by a BEH amide column at 65℃under the mobile phase of 10 mmol L^(-1)ammonium ace-tate-acetonitrile(42:58,v/v)with 350µLmin-1.The acquisition of transitions was carried out in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)pattern operating with positive ionization at m/z 509.16>329.15 for A3 and m/z 689.15>527.11 for stachyose.The linearity ranges of A3 were 10 to 5000nmolL^(-1)for plasma,20 to 10000nmolL^(-1)for tissues,and 40 to 20000nmolL^(-1)for urine and feces.The accuracy and precision ranged from 90.9%to 111.6%and 0.7%to 10.1%,respectively.The stability was between 86.1%and 102.5%.The extraction recovery was consistent and reproducible.The matrix effect ranged from 1.5%to 11.4%.The pharmacokinetic,tissue dis-tribution,and excretion studies were successfully conducted with the validated method.Results showed that A3 could be absorbed by rats,and the absolute bioavailability was 6.7%.Furthermore,it was rapidly distributed in rat tissues and mainly eliminated via feces excretion(67.0%)after oral administration.For intravenous bolus,85.5%was recovered,and renal excretion was the primary path-way(77.6%)for cumulative recovery.

Gut microbiota-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study and molecular mechanism of specnuezhenide in the treatment of colorectal cancer targeting carboxylesterase

Specnuezhenide(SNZ)is among the main components of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi,which has antiinflammation,anti-oxidation,and anti-tumor effect.The low bioavailability makes it difficult to explain the mechanism of pharmacological effect of SNZ.In this study,the role of the gut microbiota in the metabolism and pharmacokinetics characteristics of SNZ as well as the pharmacological meaning were explored.SNZ can be rapidly metabolized by the gut microbiome,and two intestinal bacterial metabolites of SNZ,salidroside and tyrosol,were discovered.In addition,carboxylesterase may be the main intestinal bacterial enzyme that mediates its metabolism.At the same time,no metabolism was found in the incubation system of SNZ with liver microsomes or liver homogenate,indicating that the gut microbiota is the main part involved in the metabolism of SNZ.In addition,pharmacokinetic studies showed that salidroside and tyrosol can be detected in plasma in the presence of gut microbiota.Interestingly,tumor development was inhibited in a colorectal tumor mice model administered orally with SNZ,which indicated that SNZ exhibited potential to inhibit tumor growth,and tissue distribution studies showed that salidroside and tyrosol could be distributed in tumor tissues.At the same time,SNZ modulated the structure of gut microbiota and fungal group,which may be the mechanism governing the antitumoral activity of SNZ.Furthermore,SNZ stimulates the secretion of short-chain fatty acids by intestinal flora in vitro and in vivo.In the future,targeting gut microbes and the interaction between natural products and gut microbes could lead to the discovery and development of new drugs.

Pharmacokinetics of fucoidan and low molecular weight fucoidan from Saccharina japonica after oral administration to mice

The brown seaweed,Sacchairna japonica,has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over one thousand years.Oral administration of fucoidan or low molecular weight fucoidan(LMWF)from S.japonica could ameliorate kidney dysfunction in chronic kidney diseases and inhibit diabetic vascular complications.In many studies,LMWF was found to be more potent than fucoidan with high molecular weight.However,the pharmacokinetics of LMWF still remains unclear.The purpose of the research is to compare the pharmacokinetics of fucoidan with high molecular weight(136 kDa)with that low molecular weight(9.5 kDa)after oral administration to ICR mice.Since fucose is the main and representative monosaccharide of fucoidans,we evaluate the pharmacokinetics of fucoidan and LMWF by determining the fucose concentration in mice serum.Both fucoidan and LMWF were absorbed following oral administration.Fucoidan and LMWF were provided to mice by oral administration with 60 mg/kg and the maximum Concentration(C_(max))was found at 2.5 h(0.66±0.32 mg/L)for Fucoidan and 1.5 h(1.01±0.56 mg/L)for LMWF,respectively.It seems that LMWF had a higher area under the curve(AUC_(0–t))and was absorbed more quickly than fucoidan.The estimated bioavailability of LMWF was28.3%in the mice treated with a single dose of 30 mg/kg.In addition,LMWF was found widely spreaded into different tissues following oral administration and the highest concentration was found in kidney at 19.93±7.02μg/g.In this study,we first studied the pharmacokinetics of LMWF,in order to help to understand the function of LMWF.And our results shed light on the potential of development of drugs based on LMWF.

Pharmacokinetics of Enrofloxacin and Its Metabolite in Carp (Cyprinus carpio) After a Single Oral Administration in Medicated Feed

A precise and reliable analytical method of high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLCMS/MS)was developed to measure trace levels of enrofloxacin(ENR)and its major metabolite ciprofloxacin(CIP)in carp tissues.Optimized chromatographic separation was obtained on a Waters Xterra MS C_(18) reversed-phase column using gradient elution with methanol and 0.1%formic acid aqueous solution including 5mmolL^(-1) of ammonium acetate.The established method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics and distribution of ENR and CIP in tissues of carp following a single oral administration in feed at a dosage of 40mgkg^(-1) bw(body weight).Data were analyzed using DAS 2.0 dynamics software,and the experimental results suggest that ENR was rapidly absorbed and extensively distributed in carp tissues through systemic circulation,and the pharmacokinetic characteristics can be described with a two-compartment model.The elimination half-lives(t_(1/2β))from muscle,liver,gill,plasma and skin were 131,160,104,132 and 310 h,respectively.The areas under the drug concentration-time curves(AUC)for these tissues were 491,972,750,249 and 706hmgkg^(-1),respectively.The maximum concentration(C_(max))values were 13,29,37,9 and 5mgkg^(-1) with peak times(t_(max))of 8,4,4,2 and 4 h,respectively.Ciprofloxacin,the active metabolite of ENR,was also detected in carp tissues,indicating that only 1.54%of de-ethylation of ENR occurs in carp.At a water temperature of 18℃,the drug withdrawal time was determined to be no less than 24 d while the carp was fed at a single dosage of 40mgkg^(-1).

Eight Zhes Decoction ameliorates the lipid dysfunction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using integrated lipidomics, network pharmacology and pharmacokinetics

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has developed into the most common chronic liver disease and can lead to liver cancer.Our laboratory previously developed a novel prescription for NAFLD,“Eight Zhes Decoction”(EZD),which has shown good curative effects in clinical practice.However,the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism have not yet been revealed.A strategy integrating lipidomics,network pharmacology and pharmacokinetics was used to reveal the active components and mechanisms of EZD against NAFLD.The histopathological results showed that EZD attenuated the degrees of collagen deposition and steatosis in the livers of nonalcoholic steatofibrosis model mice.Furthermore,glycerophospholipid metabolism,arachidonic acid metabolism,glycerolipid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism with phospholipase A2 group IVA(PLA2G4A)and cytochrome P450 as the core targets and 12,13-cis-epoxyoctadecenoic acid,12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid,leukotriene B4,prostaglandin E2,phosphatidylcholines(PCs)and triacylglycerols(TGs)as the main lipids were found to be involved in the treatment of NAFLD by EZD.Importantly,naringenin,artemetin,canadine,and bicuculline were identified as the active ingredients of EZD against NAFLD;in particular,naringenin reduces PC consumption by inhibiting the expression of PLA2G4A and thus promotes sufficient synthesis of very-low-density lipoprotein to transport excess TGs in the liver.This research provides valuable data and theoretical support for the application of EZD against NAFLD.

Pharmacokinetics of nitrogen-containing metabolites R-gentiandiol and S-gentiandiol in rat plasma after oral administration of swertiamarin

Objective:A chiral resolution method for enantiomers of two chiral nitrogen-containing metabolites R-gentiandiol and S-gentiandiol of swertiamarin in plasma was developed,and the pharmacokinetics of the metabolites were studied.Methods:The metabolites of swertiamarin in vivo were detected by LC-MS/MS using Astec CyclobondⅡCyclodextrin column(4.6 mm×100 mm,5μm),gradient elution with acetonitrile-water as mobile phase,and monitored by multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)method in positive mode.The ion pairs for quantitative analysis are R-gentiandiol(m/z 210.04→192.06),S-gentiandiol(m/z 210.04→192.06)and gentianone(m/z 192.02→162.08).Results:The linear correlation coefficients of the method developed were greater than 0.999,the precision was less than 7.00%,the recovery was 99.57%-102.65%,and the matrix effect was 90.94%-91.34%.The peak t_(max)of R-gentiandiol and S-gentiandiol in rat plasma after oral administration of swertiamarin were(1.63±0.23)h and(1.58±0.21)h,t_(1/2)was(6.23±0.52)h and(5.46±0.38)h,C_(max)was(86.79±20.81)ng/mL and(60.72±18.95)ng/mL,and the AUC_(0-24)were(1094.58±86.37))(ng·h)/mL and(724.67±58.38)(ng·h)/mL,respectively.Conclusion:The method was highly sensitive with good accuracy and precision,and it was successfully applied for chiral resolution and pharmacokinetics study of R-gentiandiol and S-gentiandiol in plasma.The method developed and experimental results will provide scientific basis for the study of pharmacodynamics and pharmacodynamic material basis of swertiamarin,and lay a foundation for clinical application and resource development of TCM monomer.

DFT-Based Chemical Reactivity Descriptors, Pharmacokinetics and Molecular Docking Studies of Thymidine Derivatives

Thymidine-containing derivatives are considered to be among the most significant derivatives in medicinal chemistry. In this study, we employed a combined computational approach involving density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, molecular docking simulations, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) property predictions. Prediction of activity spectra for substances (PASS) revealed promising antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-carcinogenic activities of these thymidine derivatives. Using Gaussian 09, we optimized the molecular structures of the thymidine derivatives to obtain their stable conformations and calculate their electronic properties. Subsequently, molecular docking simulations were performed to explore the binding interactions between the thymidine derivatives and the active site of the Candida albicans (PDB: 1IYL and 2Y7L) proteins. The docking results were evaluated based on docking scores, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions and revealed favorable binding interactions between the thymidine derivatives and the proteins, suggesting their potential as antifungal agents. The thermodynamic properties, including binding free energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes were determined to assess the stability and strength of the ligands-protein complexes. The calculated pharmacokinetic parameters, such as ADMET properties, provided insights into the drug-likeness and potential bioavailability of the thymidine derivatives. These results offer a foundation for further experimental investigations and the design of novel antifungal agents targeting Candida albicans infections.

Evidence of voriconazole pharmacokinetic variability in children and adolescents with haematological disease: proposal for therapeutic drug monitoring optimisation

Objective:Voriconazole(VCZ)is a triazole antifungal agent widely used in immunocompromised patients with suspected or proven invasive fungal infections.The achievement of therapeutic range(1-5 mg/L)is essential to maximize VCZ efficacy,as its pharmacokinetics is characterized by a wide inter-and intra-individual variability.This study aims to quantify the variability of VCZ trough concentrations in children and adolescents with haematological diseases and optimize therapeutic drug monitoring in clinical practice.Methods:We analysed the monitoring concentrations of all children(<18 years old)treated with VCZ in the Haematology Department of Robert DebréHospital between January 2014 and December 2016.Demographic,clinical data,and VCZ dosing and monitoring concentrations measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection(HPLC-UV)were analysed.Non-parametric tests were performed using SPSS IBM 24.0.Results:380 trough VCZ concentrations at steady-state(Ctrough,ss)were available in 79 children:45.6%had first Ctrough,ss in the therapeutic range at first monitoring,46.8%had Ctrough,ss below 1 mg/L and 7.6%had Ctrough,ss over 5 mg/L.Forty-one patients were treated with recommended doses but only 53%of them reached the therapeutic range.There was no impact of age,sex,biological parameters,or indication of VCZ on Ctrough,ss values.The number of Ctrough,ss in the therapeutic range increases with the number of monitoring per patient following dosage adaptations.Conclusion:The wide inter-and intra-individual variability of VCZ trough concentrations at recommended doses confirm the need to standardize VCZ monitoring and identify factors to be considered to prospectively adapt treatment for each patient.

On the Origin of the Apparent Volume of Distribution and Its Significance in Pharmacokinetics

The apparent volume of distribution was defined for the first time as the phase volume that can hold the total amount of a substance at the measured phase substance concentration, in a system composed of two immiscible media that are in contact under conditions of constant phase volumes, at equilibrium. Its value is not affected by the total system solute mass and it only depends on the total system volume, the phase volumes and the affinity of the solute for the two phases in the system. Using this new concept of the apparent volume of distribution, we were able to demonstrate that under certain conditions compartment volumes in multi-compartment and multi-phasic pharmacokinetic models represent the actual physiological volumes of body fluids accessible by drugs. The classical pharmacokinetic models are now fully explained and can be used to provide accurate estimation of the pharmacokinetic parameters for hydrophilic drugs. In contrast, in the absence of tissue-plasma partition coefficients, lipophilic drugs that do not follow a one-compartment model are unlikely to be adequately described with classical multi-compartment pharmacokinetic models.

Development and validation of a high throughput LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitation of pioglitazone and telmisartan in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Management of cardiovascular risk factors in diabetes demands special attention due to their co-existence.Pioglitazone(PIO) and telmisartan(TLM) combination can be beneficial in effective control of cardiovascular complication in diabetes. In this research, we developed and validated a high throughput LC–MS/MS method for simultaneous quantitation of PIO and TLM in rat plasma. This developed method is more sensitive and can quantitate the analytes in relatively shorter period of time compared to the previously reported methods for their individual quantification. Moreover, till date, there is no bioanalytical method available to simultaneously quantitate PIO and TLM in a single run. The method was validated according to the USFDA guidelines for bioanalytical method validation. A linear response of the analytes was observed over the range of 0.005–10 μg/m L with satisfactory precision and accuracy. Accuracy at four quality control levels was within 94.27%–106.10%.The intra-and inter-day precision ranged from 2.32% to 10.14% and 5.02% to 8.12%, respectively. The method was reproducible and sensitive enough to quantitate PIO and TLM in rat plasma samples of a preclinical pharmacokinetic study. Due to the potential of PIO-TLM combination to be therapeutically explored, this method is expected to have significant usefulness in future.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction in the liver of rats with severe acute pancreatitis

AIM To explore the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction(DCQD) in the liver of rats with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP) based on an herbal recipe tissue pharmacology hypothesis.METHODS Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group(SOG); a model group(MG); and low-, median- and high-dose treatment groups(LDG, MDG, and HDG, respectively). Different dosages(6, 12 and 24 g/kg for the LDG, MDG, and HDG, respectively) of DCQD were administered to the rats with SAP. The tissue concentrations of aloeemodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, honokiol, rheo chrysophanol, magnolol, hesperidin, naringenin and naringin in the liver of the treated rats were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Alanine transaminase(ALT) and aspartate transaminase(AST) in serum, inflammatory mediators in the liver and pathological scores were evaluated.RESULTS The major components of DCQD were detected in the liver, and their concentrations increased dosedependently. The high dose of DCQD showed a maximal effect in ameliorating the pathological damages, decreasing the pro-inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin(IL)-6 and increasing anti-inflammatory mediators IL-4 and IL-10 in the liver. The pathological scores in the pancreas for the MG were significantly higher than those for the SOG(P < 0.05). DCQD could reduce the pathological scores in the pancreas and liver of the rats with SAP, especially in the HDG. Compared to the SOG, the ALT and AST levels in serum were higher in the MG(P < 0.05), while there was no statistical difference in the MG and HDG.CONCLUSION DCQD could alleviate liver damage by altering the inflammatory response in rats with SAP based on the liver distribution of its components.

Pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese syndrome and recipe:a hypothesis and its verification(Ⅰ)

AIM To propose a hypothesis defining theabsorption,distribution,metabolism andelimination of traditional Chinese recipe（TCR）-component in blood of healthy subjects andpatients,and estimate its correctness.METHODS The pharmacokinetics（PK）of samedose of drug was studied in the animal model oftraditional Chinese syndrome（S）and healthyanimals.The classification,terminology,concept and significance of the hypothesis wereset forth with evidence provided in the presentstudy.The hypotheses consisted of traditionalChinese syndrome PK（S-PK）and traditionalChinese recipe PK（R-PK）.Firstly,the observedtetramethylpyrazine（TMP）PK in healthy,chronically reserpinized rats（rat model ofspleen deficiency syndrome,RMSDS）andRMSDS treated with Sijunzi decoction（SJZD）forconfirmation were used to verify S-PK; secondly,the ferulic acid（FA）PK in healthy andhigh molecular weight dextran（HMWD）-inducedrabbit model with blood stasis syndrome（RDBSS）was also used to verify S-PK;andlastly,TMP PK parameters in serum of healthyrats after orally taken Ligusticum wallichii（LW）,LW and Salvia miltiorrhiza（LW&SM）decoctions were compared to verify R-PK.RESULTS The apparent first-order absorption[Ka,（13.61±2.56）h-1,area under the blooddrug concentration-time curve[AUC,（24.88±9.76）μg.h-1mL-1],maximum drug concentration[Cmax,（4.82±1.23）μg·mL-1]of serum TMP inRMSDS were increased markedly（P【0.05）compared with those[Ka=（5.41±1.91）h-1,AUC=（5.20±2.57）μg·h-1·mL-1,Cmax=（2.33±1.77）μg·mL-1]of healthy rats（HR）.Theapparent first-order rate constant for α and βdistribution phase[α=（0.38±0.09）h-1,β=（0.06±0.03）h-1,the apparent first-orderintercompartmental transfer rate constants[K10=（0.24±0.07）h-1,K12=（0.11±0.02）h-1,K21=（0.11±0.02）h-1]of serum TMP in RMSDS weredecreased significantly（P【0.01）comparedwith those[K10=（0.88±0.20）h-1,K12=（1.45±0.47）h-1,K21=（0.72±0.22）h-1]of HR.However,no apparent differences occurredbetween HR and RMSDS treated with SJZD.Theserum FA concentration and its AUC[（5.6690±2.3541）μg·h-1·mL-1] in RMBSS were also higherthan those[AUC=（2.7566±0.8232）μg·h-1·mL-1]of healthy rabbits（P【0.05）.The Ka（11.51±2.82）h-1,AUC（0.84±0.17）μg·h-1·mL-1of LW & SM-derived TMP in serum weremuch lower（P【0.05）than those[Ka=（19.58±4.14）h-1,AUC=（1.27±0.26）μg·h-1·mL-1]ofLW-derived TMP in serum after oral decoctions.CONCLUSION The SDS and blood stasissyndrome state could affect significantly thepharmacokinetic parameters of drugs and theabnormal SDS pharmacokinetic parameters couldbe normalized by SJZD.The combination ofChinese medicine in TCR could reciprocallyaffect the pharmacokinetic parameters of othercomponents absorbed into the systemiccirculation.These results support the S-and R-PK hypothesis.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of six major compounds in normal and insomnia rats after oral administration of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen aqueous extract

Ziziphi Spinosae Semen(ZSS),a traditional Chinese medicine,is used in clinics for the treatment of insomnia in China and other Asian countries.Herein,we described for the first time a comparative pharmacokinetics study of the six major compounds of ZSS in normal control(NC)and para-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA)-induced insomnia model(IM)rats that were orally administered the aqueous extract of ZSS.An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole orbitrap mass(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS)method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of coclaurine,magnoflorine,spinosin,6000-feruloylspinosin,jujuboside A(JuA),and jujuboside B(JuB)in ZSS in rat plasma.The established approach was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study.The systemic exposures of spinosin and 6000-feruloylspinosin were decreased in the IM group compared to the NC group,while plasma clearance(CL)was significantly increased.The Tmax values of JuA and JuB in IM rats were significantly lower than those in NC rats.The T1/2 of JuA in the IM group was significantly accelerated.The pharmacokinetic parameters of coclaurine and magnoflorine were not evidently affected between the two groups.These results indicate that the pathological state of insomnia altered the plasma pharmacokinetics of spinosin,6000-feruloylspinosin,JuA,and JuB in the ZSS aqueous extract,providing an experimental basis for the role of ZSS in insomnia treatment.The comparative pharmacokinetics-based UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS using full-scan mode can therefore provide a reliable and suitable means for the screening of potentially effective substances applied as quality markers of ZSS.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Shengjiang decoction in rats with acute pancreatitis for protecting against multiple organ injury

AIM To explore the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Shengjiang decoction(SJD) in rats with acute pancreatitis(AP) for protecting against multiple organ injury.METHODS An AP model was established by retrograde perfusion of 3.5% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct, and a control group(CG) received 0.9% sodium chloride instead. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a CG treated with SJD(CG + SJD) and a model group treated with SJD(MG + SJD), both of which were orally administered with SJD(5 g/kg) 2 h after surgery. Blood samples were collected via the tail vein at 10, 20, and 40 min and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after a single dose of SJD to detect its main components using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetic parameters were compared. In the pharmacodynamic experiment, 18 male SpragueDawley rats were randomly divided into a CG, an AP model group(MG), and an SJD treated AP group(SJDG). Serum amylase, lipase, and inflammatory cytokines were measured, and heart, lung, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, and intestine tissues were collected for pathological examination.RESULTS The MG + SJD displayed significantly shorter mean residence time(MRT) and higher clearance(CL) for emodin and aloe-emodin; significantly shorter time of maximum concentration and T1/2 and a lower area under curve(AUC) for aloe-emodin; a significantly higher AUC and lower CL for rhein; and longer MRT and lower CL for chrysophanol than the CG + SJD. In the pharmacodynamic experiment, the amylase, interleukin(IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α levels in the MG were higher than those in the CG(P < 0.05). After the herbal decoction treatment, the SJDG had higher IL-10 and lower TNF-α levels than the MG(P < 0.05). The MG had the highest pathological scores, and the pathological scores of the lung, pancreas, kidney, and intestine in the SJDG were significantly lower than those in the MG(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION AP may have varying effects on the pharmacokinetics of the major SJD components in rats. SJD might alleviate pathological injuries of the lung, pancreas, kidney, and intestine in rats with AP via regulating pro-and antiinflammatory responses, which might guide the clinical application of SJD for AP treatment.

Virtual population pharmacokinetic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for evaluating bioequivalence of oral lacidipine formulations in dogs

The aim of the present study was to investigate virtual population pharmacokinetic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic(PBPK) model for evaluating bioequivalence of oral lacidipine formulations in dogs. The dissolution behaviors of three lacidipine formulations including one commercial product and two self-made amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs)capsules were determined in 0.07% Tween 80 media. A randomized 3-period crossover design in 6 healthy beagle dogs after oral administration of the three formulations at a single dose of 4 mg was conducted. The PBPK modeling was utilized for the virtual bioequivalence study.In vitro dissolution experiment showed that the dissolution behaviors of lacidipine amorphous solid dispersions(ASDs) capsules, which was respectively prepared by HPMC-E5 or Soluplus, as polymer displayed similar curves compared with the reference formulation in 0.07% Tween 80 media. In vivo pharmacokinetics experiments showed that three formulations had comparable maximum plasma drug concentration(Cmax), and the time(Tmax) to reach Cmax of lacidipine tablet, which was prepared by Soluplus, as polymer was slower than other two formulations in consistency with the in vitro dissolution rate. The 90% confidence interval(CI) for the Cmax, AUC0–24 h and AUC0–∞ of the ratio of the test drug to the reference drug exceeded the acceptable bioequivalence(BE) limits(0.80–1.25). However, the 90% CI of the AUC0–24 h, AUC0–∞ and Cmax of the ratio of test to reference drug were within the BE limit,calculated using PBPK modeling when the virtual subjects reached 24 dogs. The results all demonstrated that virtual bioequivalence study can overcome the inequivalence caused by inter-subject variability of the 6 beagle dogs involved in in vivo experiments.

Simultaneous determination of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a human pharmacokinetic study

A simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of pioglitazone and candesartan in human plasma.Irbesartan was used as an internal standard.The analytes were extracted from human plasma samples by solid-phase extraction technique using a Strata-X 33 mm polymeric sorbent.The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a C18 column by using a 80:20(v/v) mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.The calibration curves obtained were linear(rZ0.99) over the concentration range of 15-3000 ng/mL for pioglitazone and 5-608 ng/mL for candesartan.The results of the intra-and inter-day precision and accuracy studies were well within the acceptable limits.A run time of 2.7 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 300 plasma samples per day.The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.

Quantification of desloratadine in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS/MS and application to a pharmacokinetic study

A simple, sensitive, and specific liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/ MS) method was developed for the quantification of desloratadine (DL) in human plasma using desloratadine-d5 (DLD5) as an internal standard (IS). Chromatographic separation was performed using an Xbridge C18 column (50 mm 4.6 mm, 5 mm) with an isocratic mobile phase composed of 10 mM ammonium formate: methanol (20:80, v/v), at a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min. DL and DLD5 were detected with proton adducts at m/z 311.2-259.2 and 316.2-264.3 in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) positive modes, respectively. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method was used to extract the drug and the IS. The method was validated over a linear concentration range of 5.0-5000.0 pg/mL with a correlation coefficient of (r2)Z0.9994. This method demonstrated intra- and inter-day precision within 0.7-2.0% and 0.7-2.7%, and an accuracy within 101.4-102.4%, and 99.5-104.8%. DL was found to be stable throughout the freeze-thaw cycles, bench-top, and postoperative stability studies. This method was successfully applied in the analysis of plasma samples following oral administration of DL (5 mg) in 35 healthy Indian male human volunteers under fasting conditions.

Preparation, characterization, pharmacokinetics and anticancer effects of PEGylated β-elemene liposomes

Objective:This study aimed to develop a new polyethylene glycol(PEG)ylatedβ-elemene liposome(PEG-Lipo-β-E)and evaluate its characterization,pharmacokinetics,antitumor effects and safety in vitro and in vivo.Methods:The liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection and high-pressure micro-jet homogenization.Characterization of the liposomes was conducted,and drug content,entrapment efficiency(EE),in vitro release and stability were studied by ultra-fast liquid chromatography(UFLC)and a liquid surface method.Blood was drawn from rats to establish the pharmacokinetic parameters.The anticancer effect was evaluated in a KU-19-19 bladder cancer xenograft model.Histological analyses were performed to evaluate safety.Results:The PEG-Lipo-β-E showed good stability and was characterized as 83.31±0.181 nm in size,0.279±0.004 in polydispersity index(PDI),-21.4±1.06 mV in zeta potential,6.65±0.02 in pH,5.024±0.107 mg/mL inβ-elemene(β-E)content,and 95.53±1.712%in average EE.The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)indicated the formation of PEG-Lipo-β-E.Compared to elemene injection,PEG-Lipo-β-E demonstrated a 1.75-fold decrease in clearance,a 1.62-fold increase in half-life,and a 1.76-fold increase in area under the concentration-time curves(AUCs)from 0 hour to 1.5 hours(P<0.05).PEG-Lipo-β-E also showed an enhanced anticancer effect in vivo.Histological analyses showed that there was no evidence of toxicity to the heart,kidney,liver,lung or spleen.Conclusions:The present study demonstrates PEG-Lipo-β-E as a new formulation with ease of preparation,high EE,good stability,improved bioavailability and antitumor effects.

High performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometric method for the simultaneous quantification of pravastatin and aspirin in human plasma:Pharmacokinetic application

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric(LC-MS/MS) assay method has been developed and fully validated for the simultaneous quantification of pravastatin and aspirin in human plasma.Furosemide was used as an internal standard.Analytes and the internal standard were extracted from human plasma by liquid-liquid extraction technique using methyl tertiary butyl ether.The reconstituted samples were chromatographed on a Zorbax SB-C_18 column by using a mixture of 5 mM ammonium acetate buffer and acetonitrile(20:80,v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min.The calibration curve obtained was linear(r≥0.99) over the concentration range of 0.50-600.29 ng/mL for pravastatin and 20.07-2012.00 ng/mL for aspirin.Method validation was performed as per FDA guidelines and the results met the acceptance criteria.A run time of 2.0 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 400 human plasma samples per day.The proposed method was found to be applicable to clinical studies.