Modeling of the Weight Status and Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Elderly Individuals: The Potential Impact of the Disulfide Bond-Forming Oxidoreductase A-Like Protein (DsbA-L) Polymorphism on the Weight Status.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with obesity. Disulfide bond-forming oxidoreductase A-like protein (DsbA-L) is known to be a key molecule in protection against obesity and obesity-induced inflammation. In the present study, we used a modeling and simulation approach in an attempt to develop body mass index (BMI) and BMI-based NAFLD prediction models incorporating the DsbA-L polymorphism to predict the BMI and NAFLD in 341 elderly subjects. A nonlinear mixed-effect model best represented the sigmoidal relationship between the BMI and the logit function of the probability of NAFLD prevalence. The final models for BMI and NAFLD showed that DsbA-L rs1917760 polymorphism, age, and gender were associated with the BMI, whereas gender, patatin-like phospholipase 3 rs738409 polymorphism, HbA1c, and high-density and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with the risk of NAFLD. This information may aid in the genetic-based prevention of obesity and NAFLD in the general elderly population.

The Effect of Yokukansan, a Traditional Herbal Preparation Used for the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, on the Drug-Metabolizing Enzyme Activities in Healthy Male Volunteers.

The concomitant use of herb and prescription medications is increasing globally. Herb-drug interactions are therefore a clinically important problem. Yokukansan (YKS), a Japanese traditional herbal medicine, is one of the most frequently used herbal medicines. It is effective for treating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. We investigated the potential effects of YKS on drug-metabolizing enzyme activities in humans. An open-label repeat-dose study was conducted in 26 healthy Japanese male volunteers (age: 22.7±2.3 years) with no history of smoking. An 8-h urine sample was collected after a 150-mg dose of caffeine and a 30-mg dose of dextromethorphan before and after the administration of YKS (2.5 g, twice a day for 1 week). The activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A, xanthine oxidase (XO) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) were assessed based on the urinary metabolic indices of caffeine and dextromethorphan, and the urinary excretion ratio of 6ß-hydroxycortisol to cortisol. There were no statistically significant differences in the activities of the examined enzymes before or after the 7-d administration of YKS. Although further studies assessing the influence of YKS on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the substrates of the drug-metabolizing enzymes are needed to verify the present results, YKS is unlikely that a pharmacokinetic interaction will occur with concomitantly administered medications that are predominantly metabolized by the CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A, XO and NAT2.

Influence of the cytochrome P450 2D6 *10/*10 genotype on the pharmacokinetics of paroxetine in Japanese patients with major depressive disorder: a population pharmacokinetic analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Although the reduced function of the cytochrome P450 2D6*10 (CYP2D6*10) allele is common among Asian populations, existing evidence does not support paroxetine therapy adjustments for patients who have the CYP2D6*10 allele. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the degree of the impact of different CYP2D6 genotypes on the pharmacokinetic (PK) variability of paroxetine in a Japanese population using a population PK approach. METHODS: This retrospective study included 179 Japanese patients with major depressive disorder who were being treated with paroxetine. CYP2D6*1, *2, *5, *10, and *41 polymorphisms were observed. A total of 306 steady-state concentrations for paroxetine were collected from the patients. A nonlinear mixed-effects model identified the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) and the maximum velocity (Vmax) of paroxetine; the covariates included CYP2D6 genotypes, patient age, body weight, sex, and daily paroxetine dose. RESULTS: The allele frequencies of CYP2D6*1, *2, *5, *10, and *41 were 39.4, 14.5, 4.5, 41.1, and 0.6%, respectively. There was no poor metabolizer who had two nonfunctional CYP2D6*5 alleles. A one-compartment model showed that the apparent Km value was decreased by 20.6% in patients with the CYP2D6*10/*10 genotype in comparison with the other CYP2D6 genotypes. Female sex also influenced the apparent Km values. No PK parameters were affected by the presence of one CYP2D6*5 allele. CONCLUSION: Unexpectedly, elimination was accelerated in individuals with the CYP2D6*10/*10 genotype. Our results show that the presence of one CYP2D6*5 allele or that of any CYP2D6*10 allele may have no major effect on paroxetine PKs in the steady state.

Determination of the Optimal Concentration of Valproic Acid in Patients with Epilepsy: A Population Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Analysis.

Valproic acid (VPA) is one of the most widely prescribed antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of epileptic seizures. Although it is well known that the doses of VPA and its plasma concentrations are highly correlated, the plasma concentrations do not correlate well with the therapeutic effects of the VPA. In this study, we developed a population-based pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) model to determine the optimal concentration of VPA according to the clinical characteristics of each patient. This retrospective study included 77 VPA-treated Japanese patients with epilepsy. A nonlinear mixed-effects model best represented the relationship between the trough concentrations of VPA at steady-state and an over 50% reduction in seizure frequency. The model was fitted using a logistic regression model, in which the logit function of the probability was a linear function of the predicted trough concentration of VPA. The model showed that the age, seizure locus, the sodium channel neuronal type I alpha subunit rs3812718 polymorphism and co-administration of carbamazepine, clonazepam, phenytoin or topiramate were associated with an over 50% reduction in the seizure frequency. We plotted the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the logit(Pr) value of the model and the presence or absence of a more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, and the areas under the curves with the 95% confidence interval from the ROC curve were 0.823 with 0.793-0.853. A logit(Pr) value of 0.1 was considered the optimal cut-off point (sensitivity = 71.8% and specificity = 80.4%), and we calculated the optimal trough concentration of VPA for each patient. Such parameters may be useful to determine the recommended therapeutic concentration of VPA for each patient, and the procedure may contribute to the further development of personalized pharmacological therapy for epilepsy.