Kinetics and dynamics of intravenous adinazolam, N-desmethyl adinazolam, and alprazolam in healthy volunteers.

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of adinazolam mesylate (10 mg), N-desmethyl adinazolam mesylate (NDMAD, 10 mg), and alprazolam (1 mg) were investigated in 9 healthy male subjects in a randomized, blinded, single-dose, 4-way crossover study. All drugs were intravenously infused over 30 minutes. Plasma adinazolam, NDMAD, and alprazolam concentrations, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the beta (12-30 Hz) range, performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and subjective measures of mood and sedation were monitored for 12 to 24 hours. Mean pharmacokinetic parameters for adinazolam, NDMAD, and alprazolam, respectively, were as follows: volume of distribution (L), 106, 100, and 77; elimination half-life (hours), 2.9, 2.8, and 14.6; and clearance (mL/min), 444, 321, and 84. More than 80% of the total infused adinazolam dose was converted to systemically appearing NDMAD. All 3 benzodiazepine agonists significantly increased beta EEG activity, with alprazolam showing the strongest agonist activity and adinazolam showing the weakest activity. Alprazolam and NDMAD significantly decreased DSST performance, whereas adinazolam had no effect relative to placebo. Adinazolam, NDMAD, and alprazolam all produced significant observer-rated sedation. Plots of EEG effect versus plasma alprazolam concentration demonstrated counterclockwise hysteresis, consistent with an effect site delay. This was incorporated into a kinetic-dynamic model in which hypothetical effect site concentration was related to pharmacodynamic EEG effect via the sigmoid E(max) model, yielding an effect site equilibration half-life of 4.8 minutes. The exponential effect model described NDMAD pharmacokinetics and EEG pharmacodynamics. The relation of both alprazolam and NDMAD plasma concentrations to DSST performance could be described by a modified exponential model. Pharmacokinetic-dynamic modeling was not possible for adinazolam, as the data did not conform to any known concentration-effect model. Collectively, these results indicate that the benzodiazepine-like effects occurring after adinazolam administration are mediated by mainly NDMAD.

Kinetics and EEG effects of midazolam during and after 1-minute, 1-hour, and 3-hour intravenous infusions.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the kinetics and dynamics of midazolam when administered by three different infusion schemes, using electroencephalography to measure pharmacodynamic effects. In a three-way crossover study, 8 volunteers received midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) by constant-rate intravenous infusion. The durations of midazolam infusions for the three trials were 1 minute, 1 hour, and 3 hours. Plasma midazolam concentrations and electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in the 13- to 30-Hz range were monitored for 24 hours. Based on separate analysis of each subject-trial, mean values for volume of distribution and distribution or elimination half-life did not significantly vary. Central compartment volume and clearance differed among the three midazolam infusion trials; however, the magnitude of change was small. EEG activity in the 13- to 30-Hz range significantly increased for all three midazolam infusion trials. Plots of midazolam plasma concentration versus pharmacodynamic EEG effect for the 1-hour and 3-hour infusion trials did not reveal evidence of either counterclockwise or clockwise hysteresis. Plots from the 1-minute infusion trial demonstrated counterclockwise hysteresis, consistent with an equilibration effect-site delay. This was incorporated into a kinetic-dynamic model in which hypothetical effect-site concentration was related to pharmacodynamic EEG effect via the sigmoid E(max) model. Analysis of all three infusion trials together yielded the following mean estimates: maximum EEG effect, 16.3% over baseline; 50% maximum effective concentration, 31 ng/mL; and an apparent rate constant for drug disappearance from the effect compartment which approached infinity. Despite the delay in effect onset during the 1-minute midazolam infusion, midazolam infusions in duration of up to 3 hours produce CNS sedation without evidence of tolerance.