Chronic administration of calcitriol enhanced neuregulin-1/ErbB signaling in rat myocardium.

Although emerging evidence suggests that vitamin D has beneficial effects in the cardiovascular health, the underlying mechanisms are far from fully elucidated. Given the indispensable role of neuregulin-1 (NRG1)/ErbB signaling in the cardiovascular system, the present study investigated the influences of prolonged administration of calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on the NRG1/ErbB system. We examined the protein expression of NRG1, ErbB receptors (ErbB2 and ErbB4) and their phosphorylated forms in the myocardium of rats following 6-week administration of calcitriol (50 ng/kg/day or 100 ng/kg/day). We further assessed the myocardial vitamin D receptor (VDR) to confirm the effect of calcitriol treatment. Additionally, serum neuregulin-1 level was also analyzed. Generally, calcitriol enhanced myocardial VDR expression and NRG1/ErbB signaling. Calcitriol increased NRG1 protein level at the higher dose, while both doses promoted ErbB2 and phosphorylated ErbB2 expression. Although calcitriol has no significant influence on ErbB4 expression, phosphorylated ErbB4 receptors were enhanced at the higher dose. Furthermore, the serum neuregulin-1 concentration was increased at both doses. Overall, our data firstly showed that chronic calcitriol administration enhanced NRG1/ErbB signaling in the heart, indicating a novel mechanism underlying the cardiac effects of vitamin D.

Dysregulation of Neuregulin-1/ErbB signaling in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Exposure to chronic stress increases the likelihood of developing depression, but the underlying mechanisms remain equivocal. While recent evidence has indicated that Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) and its ErbB receptors play an essential role in neural development and function, and NRG1 has emerged as a novel modulator involved in the response of brain to stress, there is limited evidence concerning the effects of chronic stress exposure on NRG1/ErbB signaling. To fill this critical gap, we examined the protein expression of NRG1 and ErbB receptors in the brain of rats following chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) exposure. After 6weeks of CUMS procedures, the rats were induced to a depression-like state. The stressed rats displayed elevated expression of NRG1 and phosphorylated ErbB4 (pErbB4) in the prefrontal cortex, whereas ErbB2 and pErbB2 were inhibited. In the hippocampus, CUMS also attenuated activation of the both ErbB receptors and suppressed the downstream Akt and ERK phosphorylation. Meanwhile, administration of sertraline enhanced NRG1/ErbB signaling and partly normalized the stress-induced behavioral changes and the disturbances of NRG1/ErbB system in CUMS rats. Combined, our data firstly showed the aberrant changes of NRG1/ErbB system in the brain of the animal model of depression, providing new evidence for the involvement of NRG1/ErbB pathway in the development and treatment of depression.

Effects of repeated administration of rifampicin and isoniazid on vitamin D metabolism in mice.

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in tuberculosis (TB) patients and the anti-TB drugs, especially rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), are associated with altered endocrine actions of vitamin D. Although it is well-known that these two drugs can affect a variety of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activity, their influence on the CYP450 enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism remains largely unknown. To fill this critical gap, serum vitamin D status and the expression of hepatic CYP2R1 and CYP27A1 and renal CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 were assessed in mice following 3-week exposure to 100 mg/kg/day RIF or (and) 50 mg/kg/day INH. Unexpectedly, we found either RIF or co-treatment the two drugs increased the concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3), without affecting 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) status. In parallel, enhanced hepatic expressions of 25-hydroxylase enzymes, CYP2R1 and (or) CYP27A1, were found in RIF and RIF+INH groups. However, co-administration of RIF and INH inhibited the expression of CYP27B1, while inducing CYP24A1 expression. Collectively, our data firstly showed that RIF and co-treatment of RIF and INH can both enhance 25-hydroxylation and 24-hydroxylation of vitamin D, providing novel evidence for the involvement of anti-TB drugs in the metabolism of vitamin D.

Determination of metoclopramide in human plasma by LC-ESI-MS and its application to bioequivalance studies.

An LC-MS method for the determination of metoclopramide in human plasma was developed and validated. Sample preparation involved extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Thermo Hypersil-Hypurity C18 (150 mm x 2.1 mm, 5 microm) with the mobile phase consisting of 40 mM ammonium acetate-methanol-acetonitrile. A single-quadrupole mass spectrometer with an electrospray interface was operated in the selected-ion monitoring mode to detect the [M+H]+ ions at m/z 300 for metoclopramide and at m/z 384 for the internal standard (prazosin). The method was validated over 0.78-50.00 ng mL(-1) for metoclopramide. The recovery was 67.8-83.1%, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) detection was 0.78 ng mL(-1) for metoclopramide. The intra- and inter-day precision of the method at three concentrations was 5.0-13.6% with accuracy of 99.2-104.0%. Stability of compounds was established in a battery of stability studies. The method was successfully applied to bioequivalence studies of metoclopramide hydrochloride tablets to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters.

Quantitative determination of pimozide in human plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and its application in a bioequivalence study.

A simple, sensitive and specific LC-ESI/MS method was developed for the determination of pimozide in human plasma. Pimozide and cinnarizine (internal standard) were isolated from plasma samples by liquid-liquid extraction. The chromatographic separation was accomplished on a Thermo Hypersil-HyPURITY C18 reversed-phase column (150mmx2.1mm, i.d., 5microm) with the mobile phase consisting of 5mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.5, adjusted with acetic acid)-methanol-acetonitrile (39:5:56, v/v/v). The lower limit of quantification was 0.02ng/mL, and the assay exhibited a linear range of 0.025-12.800ng/mL. The established method has been successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of 2 pimozide formulations in 32 healthy male Chinese volunteers.

Quantification of prochlorperazine maleate in human plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Application to a bioequivalence study.

A sensitive and specific method using a one-step liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane followed by liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric was developed and validated to determine prochlorperazine maleate in human plasma using amitriptyline hydrochloride as an internal standard. The samples were separated using a Thermo Hypersil-Hypurity C18 reversed-phase column (150mmx2.1mm i.d., 5mum). A mobile phase containing 10mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.6)-methanol-acetonitrile (27:68:5, v/v/v) was used isocratically eluting at a flow rate of 0.22ml/min. The average extraction recovery of prochlorperazine and internal standard were 81.8+/-2.2% and 79.5+/-3.7%, respectively. Prochlorperazine maleate and internal standard were measured by electrospray ion source in positive selective ion monitoring mode. The method demonstrated that good linearity ranged from 0.20 to 6.40ng/ml with r(2)=0.9989. The limit of quantification for prochlorperazine maleate in the plasma was 0.20ng/ml. The established method has been successfully applied to a bioequivalence study of two prochlorperazine maleate formulations in 18 healthy male Chinese volunteers.

Determination of mianserin in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/MS): application to a bioequivalence study in Chinese volunteers.

This study aims to develop a standard protocol for the bioequivalence study of mianserin hydrochloride tablets--a tetracyclic antidepressant drug. For this purpose, a rapid, convenient and selective method using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI/MS) has been developed and validated to determine mianserin in human plasma. Mianserin and the internal standard (I.S.), cinnarizine were extracted from plasma by N-hexane:dimethylcarbinol (98:2, v/v) after alkalinized with sodium hydroxide. LC separation was performed on a Thermo Hypersil-Hypurity C18 (5 microm, 150 mm x 2.1 mm) with the mobile phase consisting of 10mM ammonium acetate (pH 3.4)-methanol-acetonitrile (35:50:15, v/v/v) at 0.22 ml/min. The retention time of mianserin and cinnarizine was 3.4 and 2.1 min, respectively. Quadrupole MS detection and quantitation was done by monitoring at m/z 265 [M+H]+ for mianserin and m/z 369 [M+H]+ for cinnarizine. The method was validated over the concentration ranges of 1.0-200.0 ng/ml for mianserin. The recovery was 81.3-84.1%, intra- and inter-day precision of the assay at three concentrations were 9.6-11.4% with accuracy of 97.5-101.2% and the lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) detection was 1.0 ng/ml for mianserin. The stability of compounds was established in a battery of stability studies, i.e., short-term and long-term storage stability as well as freeze-thaw cycles. This method proved to be suitable for the bioequivalence study of mianserin hydrochloride tablets in healthy human male volunteers.

Determination of talinolol in human plasma by high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetic study.

A rapid and sensitive method for determination and screening in human plasma of talinolol is described using propranolol as the internal standard. The analytes in plasma were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction using methyl t-butyl ether. After removed and dried the upper organic phase, the extracts were reconstituted with a fixed volume of buffer of ammonium acetate and acetonitrile (60:40, v/v). The extracts were analyzed by a HPLC coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/ESI). The HPLC separation of the analytes was performed on a Phenomenex C18 (250 mmx4.6 mm, 5 microm, USA) column, with a flow rate of 0.85 mL/min. The complete elution was obtained within 5.5 min. The calibration curve was linear in the 1.0-400.0 ng/mL range for talinolol, with a coefficient of determination of 0.9996. The average extraction recovery was above 83%. The methodology recovery was between 101% and 102%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.3 ng/mL for talinolol. The intraday and inter-day coefficients of variation were less than 6%. This HPLC-MS/ESI procedure was used to assess the pharmacokinetics of talinolol. A single oral 50 mg dose of talinolol tablet was administered to 12 healthy Chinese volunteers, the main pharmacokinetic data are as follows: Cmax was 147.8+/-63.8 ng/mL; tmax was 2.0+/-0.7 h; t1/2 was 12.0+/-2.6 h. The method is accurate, sensitive and simple for the pharmacokinetic study of talinolol.

Determination of duloxetine in human plasma via LC/MS and subsequent application to a pharmacokinetic study in healthy Chinese volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The pharmacokinetics of duloxetine hydrochloride have been well studied after its approval for clinical use. However, few such data have been reported in the English language literature. We developed a method to determine the pharmacokinetics of duloxetine enteric-coated capsules in healthy Chinese volunteers. METHODS: A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric (LC/MS) method for the determination of duloxetine in human plasma using flupentixol as the internal standard (I.S.) was developed and validated. Sample preparation of the plasma involved deproteination with acetonitrile twice, repeatedly. Samples were then analyzed by HPLC on a Thermo Hypersil-Hypurity C18 column (150 x 2.1 mm, 5 microm). A single-quadrupole mass spectrometer with an electrospray interface was operated in the selected-ion monitoring mode to detect the [M+H](+) ions at 298 m/z for duloxetine and at 435 m/z for the internal standard. RESULTS: Pharmacokinetics were measured in 12 healthy Chinese male volunteers (6 males and 6 females) who received a single regimen with 3 different dosages at 22.4, 44.8 and 67.2 mg of duloxetine enteric-coated capsules. CONCLUSION: A sensitive and specific method for quantifying duloxetine levels in human plasma has been devised and successfully applied to a clinic pharmacokinetic study of an enteric-coated capsule of duloxetine hydrochloride administered as a single oral dose.

LC-MS determination and relative bioavailability of doxazosin mesylate tablets in healthy Chinese male volunteers.

This study aims to develop a standard protocol for the relative bioavailability testing of doxazosin mesylate tablets. For this purpose, a simple rapid and selective LC-MS method using a single quadrupole mass spectrometer was developed and validated to determine the concentration of doxazosin mesylate in human plasma. Using this method, we carried out a study of relative bioavailability. N-Hexylane-tertiary butyl methyl ether (1:1, v/v) was used to extract doxazosin mesylate and terazosin (internal standard, I.S.) from an alkaline plasma sample. LC separation was performed on a Thermo Hypersil-Hypurity C18 (5 microm, 150 mm x 2.1mm) using aqueous solution (20 mmol/l ammonium acetate, pH 4.28), methanol and acetonitrile (55:10:35, v/v/v) as the mobile phase. The retention time of doxazosin and the internal standard was 2.7 and 1.8 min, respectively. Quadrupole MS detection was done by monitoring at m/z 388 (M+1) corresponding to doxazosin mesylate and at m/z 452 (M+1) for I.S. The assay method described above showed acceptable precision, accuracy, linearity, stability, and specificity. The bioavailability of doxazosin mesylate was evaluated in 12 healthy Chinese male volunteers. The following pharmacokinetic parameters were elucidated after administering a single dose of 4 mg doxazosin. The area under the plasma concentration versus time curve from time 0 to 72 h (AUC(0-72 h)) 743.4+/-149.5 ngh/ml; peak plasma concentration (C(max)) 47.66 ng/ml; time to C(max) (T(max)) 3.0+/-1.0 h; and elimination half-life (t(1/2)) 18-20 h. The method was successfully used to determine the relative bioavailability of doxazosin mesylate.

Determination of perospirone by liquid chromatography/electrospray mass spectrometry: application to a pharmacokinetic study in healthy Chinese volunteers.

Perospirone is a novel atypical antipsychotic with a unique combination of 5-HT(1A) receptor agonism as well as 5-HT(2A) and D(2) receptor antagonism. A simple rapid and selective LC-MS method utilizing a single quadrupole mass spectrometer was developed and validated for the determination of perospirone hydrochloride in human plasma. N-hexane was used to extract perospirone hydrochloride and amlodipine benzenesulfonate (internal standard (IS)) from an alkaline plasma sample. LC separation was performed on a XTerra MS C(18) column (100mmx2.1mm, i.d. 3.5microm) using methanol -10mM ammonium acetate (84:16, v/v) as a mobile phase. The quantification of target compounds was obtained by using a selected ion monitoring (SIM) at m/z 427.5 [M+H](+) for perospirone hydrochloride, and at m/z 431.4 [M+Na](+) for IS (amlodipine benzenesulfonate). Perospirone and IS eluted as sharp, symmetrical peaks with retention times of 3.11+/-0.01min and 4.15+/-0.2min, respectively. Calibration curves of perospirone hydrochloride in human plasma at concentrations ranging from 0.10 to 21.1ng/mL exhibited excellent linearity (r(2)=0.9997). The mean absolute recovery of the drug from plasma was more than 85%. Intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 6.43% and 11.9% for perospirone hydrochloride at the range from 0.32 to 10.6ng/mL. Stability characteristics of the drug-containing plasma were thoroughly evaluated to establish appropriate conditions to process, store and prepare for chromatographic analysis without inducing significant chemical degradation. The following pharmacokinetic parameters were elucidated after administering a single dose of 8mg perospirone hydrochloride. The area under the plasma concentration versus time curve from time 0 to 24h (AUC(0-24)) was 15.48+/-4.23microg/Lh; peak plasma concentration (C(max)) was 2.79+/-0.78microg/L; time to C(max) (T(max)) was 1.79+/-0.45h; and elimination half-life (t(1/2)) 6.78+/-1.38h. The described assay method showed acceptable precision, accuracy, linearity, stability, and specificity and can be used for pharmacokinetic studies, therapeutic drug monitoring, and drug abuse screening.