Pharmacokinetics of phenprobamate after oral administration to healthy subjects.

Phenprobamate (CAS 673-31-4) is a centrally acting skeletal-muscle relaxant agent. There are only two studies in the literature about the pharmacokinetics of phenoprobamate in man. The inconsistency between the results of these studies can be attributed partly to the different analytical methodologies used. A sensitive, specific and reproducible HPLC-assay, which may increase the reliability of the pharmacokinetic studies of phenprobamate in plasma, has been developed recently. The objective of this investigation was to assess the single-dose kinetics of phenprobamate in human and to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of clinical and regulatory concern. The plasma pharmacokinetics of phenprobamate have been investigated following single oral administration at a dose of 800 mg in eleven healthy volunteers.

The Microsponge Delivery System (MDS): a topical delivery system with reduced irritancy incorporating multiple triggering mechanisms for the release of actives.

The Microsponge Delivery System (MDS) is a unique technology for the controlled release of topical agents and consists of macroporous beads, typically 10-25 microns in diameter, loaded with active agent. When applied to the skin, the MDS releases its active ingredient on a time mode and also in response to other stimuli (rubbing, temperature, pH, etc). MDS technology is being used currently in cosmetics, over-the-counter (OTC) skin care, sunscreens and prescription products. By delivering the active gradually to the skin, MDS-benzoyl peroxide formulations, for example, have excellent efficacy with minimal irritation. These are typical benefits from the use of the MDS.

Time-dependent absorption of phenprobamate following multiple dosing in rats.

Unusual serum profiles of phenprobamate, a centrally skeletal muscle relaxant, were observed in Sprague Dawley rats receiving multiple doses of phenprobamate suspension. The concentrations of phenprobamate were higher after the morning doses than after the evening doses, synchronizing with the day-night pattern of drug administration. Crossover studies were conducted to investigate the apparent time-dependent kinetics of phenprobamate. Phenprobamate emulsion was orally administered as a single dose to a group of six rats at 0900 hr and again, after a washout period of 3 days, at 2100 hr. Another group of six rats was treated similarly with intraperitoneal drug administration. Blood samples were collected at various times for 12 hr. The AUCs were 146.56 +/- 31.77 micrograms.hr/ml for the morning oral dose and 111.31 +/- 21.32 micrograms.hr/ml for the evening oral dose (P less than 0.001). Administered intraperitoneally, the AUCs were 179.89 +/- 37.50 and 185.58 +/- 28.51 micrograms.hr/ml for the morning and evening doses, respectively, the difference of which was not significant. The paired t test indicated a significant morning-evening difference in AUC following oral but not intraperitoneal drug administration. This suggests the absorption rather than metabolism as a contributing factor to the time-dependent kinetics of phenprobamate in rats.

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis, plasma protein binding and red blood cell partitioning of phenprobamate.

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure for the analysis of phenprobamate, a skeletal muscle relaxant in biologic fluids was developed. The method used a C18 reverse phase column, a mobile phase of methanol/acetonitrile/water (33:15:52), and UV detection at 215 nm. The assay procedure was applied to the determination of phenprobamate binding to rat and human plasma proteins using the equilibrium dialysis method. In addition, the red blood cell/plasma partitioning was determined in the whole blood of rats and humans. Phenprobamate exhibited a moderate binding to plasma proteins of rat (74.3 +/- 2.2 per cent) and human (80.5 +/- 1.1 per cent). The protein binding was concentration-independent in the range of 10 to 80 micrograms ml-1. Phenprobamate binding to plasma proteins was also determined in the presence of 10 micrograms ml-1 acetaminophen. The protein binding of phenprobamate was not significantly altered by acetaminophen (74.4 +/- 0.6 per cent for rat plasma; 75.7 +/- 1.6 per cent for human plasma). The distribution ratios of phenprobamate between the red blood cells and plasma were greater than unity, 1.86 and 1.59 in rat and human, respectively, indicating a preferential partitioning of the drug in the red blood cells.

Solubility and ionization characteristics of doxepin and desmethyldoxepin.

The theromdynamic pKa values for doxepin and its metabolite desmethyldoxepin were determined by the solubility method to be 8.96 and 9.75, respectively at 25 degrees. The intrinsic solubilities for doxepin and desmethyldoxepin were linearly dependent upon ionic strength. The intrinsic solubilities at zero ionic strength and 25 degrees were determined to be 1,13 x 10(-4) M for doxepin and 3.95 x 10(-4) M for desmethyldoxepin. The solubility experiment was repeated at different temperatures and a constant ionic strength of 0.167 M. The change in enthalpy (6.71 kcal/mole) and entropy (-4.16 cal/mole degrees K) of solution for doxepin was determined from a van't Hoff plot for this nonideal system. The apparent partition coefficient between hexane and water for the doxepin free base was determined to be 13,615 at an ionic strength of 0.067 M.

Dissolution behavior of commercial enteric-coated aspirin tablets.

Dissolution behavior was studied for four commercial batches of enteric-coated aspirin tablets from two companies. The USP XIX dissolution procedure was modified by including pretreatment in simulated gastric juice. The effects of five pretreatment times were studied. Pretreated tablets yielded higher dissolution profiles and fewer undissolved fractions than nonpretreated tablets. Among pretreatments, 15 min was adequate and 60 min produced the highest dissolution profiles. None of the pretreatments differed significantly from each other. An F test and conducted on the data indicated that Product X was significantly better than Product Y at the p=0.05 level. Batch C was ranked as the best batch irrespective of pretreatment time, followed by Batch D. Batches A and B were equal, although Batch A appeared to be better than B for the 60-min pretreatment, as indicated by the lower t80% value.

Effect of orange juice consumption on urinary pH.

The effect of orange juice consumption on urinary pH was studied in seven adult male subjects, each of whom served as his own control. The diet of the subjects was standardized during the work-day. The effects of two regimens of orange juice were studied: 1500 ml divided into five 300-ml portions during the day, and 300 ml once in the morning. Urine was collected, its pH recorded, and titrated with HCl to determine the mEq of base excreted per unit time. The consumption of 300 ml of orange juice did not significantly alter urinary pH. The consumption of 1500 of orange juice changed the urinary pH by an average of one pH unit. A change of this magnitude could cause clinically significant variation in the overall excretion pattern of acidic or basic drugs.