Specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen concentration in annual and perennial grass species growing in Mediterranean old-fields.

Specific leaf area (the ratio of leaf area to leaf dry mass) and leaf nitrogen concentration were measured on ten annual and nine perennial grass species growing in two old-fields of southern France, under a sub-humid Mediterranean climate. Specific leaf area (SLA) was found to be significantly higher in annuals than in perennials, but leaf nitrogen concentration expressed on a dry mass basis (LNCm) was similar in both life-forms; expressed on an area basis, leaf nitrogen concentration (LNCa) was significantly higher in perennials. The correlation between SLA and LNCm was negative in annuals and positive in perennials, while that between the inverse of specific leaf area (1/SLA) and LNCa was positive in annuals and not significant in perennials. It is hypothesized that these contrasting patterns depend on whether the two components of SLA - leaf thickness and density - vary in opposite directions. For nine of the species studied (six annuals and three perennials), relative growth rate data obtained in the laboratory under non-limiting nutrient supply were available; positive correlations were found between these values and both SLA and LNCm obtained in the field, suggesting that the interspecific differences in structural and chemical characteristics of leaves are maintained under a wide range of growing conditions.

Isolation and purification of three glucuronides of antipyrine. Proposal for an original analytical method for quantitation of sulpho- and glucuroconjugated metabolites.

The determination of the concentrations of antipyrine metabolites in biological fluids is hampered by the difficulty in obtaining pure conjugated compounds to be used as standards. Most authors have proposed determination of total forms by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after deconjugation of these metabolites using chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis. Up to now there is no satisfactory hydrolysis method for the study of all antipyrine metabolites. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the deconjugated metabolites are highly unstable whichever technique is being used. Because of the lack of stability of all these molecules it has been necessary to isolate the glucuroconjugated compounds from urine. We describe a method which allows us to obtain highly purified glucuroconjugated metabolites of antipyrine. Sulphoconjugated compounds have been synthesized previously. We are thus able to propose a chromatographic procedure which allows us to determine simultaneously all stable phase I and phase II metabolites of antipyrine in biological fluids without any step of extraction. This analytical technique allows us to study the activity of the different isoenzymes implicated in the metabolism of antipyrine.

Separation and identification of the 4-hydroxyantipyrine sulphoconjugate.

In a previous study we observed, during separation of total antipyrine metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography and after enzymatic hydrolysis, an unidentified peak corresponding to an ionic compound with pyrazolinone features. In the present study, this compound was identified as the 4-hydroxyantipyrine sulphoconjugate, and its structure was definitively confirmed by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis and by the use of pure synthetic substance. We also demonstrated the inhibitory effect of sodium metabisulphite, a necessary preservative of urinary samples, on hydrolysis of this conjugate in the presence of sulphatases from Helix pomatia or Aerobacter aerogenes. This inhibitory effect makes it impossible to perform a global assay of antipyrine metabolites after enzymatic or chemical hydrolysis and confirms the value of direct assay of the 4-hydroxyantipyrine sulphoconjugate.

Compared plasma and brain pharmacokinetics of clomipramine and its metabolite demethylclomipramine in two strains of mice (NMRI and CD1).

The fate of clomipramine (CMI) and its main demethylated metabolite demethylclomipramine (DCMI) was studied in two strains of Swiss mice (NMRI and CD1) after intraperitoneal injection. A study of its distribution among various tissues showed that fixation was most marked in lungs, perirenal fat and kidneys, and only moderate in the brain. The pharmacokinetic parameters of both molecules were determined in brain tissue and plasma. Absorption was rapid (tmax CMI = 14 min), metabolism prompt (tmax DCMI = 17 or 18 min according to the breed) and elimination rapid from both plasma and brain tissue. The first two stages were similar in the two strains, but elimination of CMI from both plasma and brain was faster in the NMRI mice (plasma t1/2 = 53 min against 165 min in the CD1 mice). Both values were well below that reported for man (mean plasma t1/2 = 24 h). The data presented can serve as a basis for designing true chronic administration protocol in animals.

Pharmacokinetics of molsidomine and its active metabolite, linsidomine, in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The pharmacokinetics of molsidomine were investigated in six healthy volunteers and in seven patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. After a 2 mg oral dose, molsidomine elimination half-life was prolonged in cirrhotic patients (13.1 +/- 10.0 h vs 1.2 +/- 0.2 h, P less than 0.01) because of a decrease in its apparent plasma clearance (CL/F) (39.8 +/- 31.9 ml h-1 kg-1 in patients with cirrhosis vs 590 +/- 73 ml h-1 kg-1 in volunteers). The elimination half-life of the active metabolite, linsidomine (SIN-1) was also prolonged in cirrhotic patients (7.5 +/- 5.4 h vs 1.0 +/- 0.19 h, P less than 0.05). The AUC values of both molsidomine and linsidomine were increased in the cirrhotic group, but the increase in the former was considerably greater than in the latter as shown by the significant decrease of the ratio AUClinsidomine/AUCmolsidomine x 100 (4.5 +/- 6.1 in cirrhotic patients vs 23.5 +/- 3.4 in healthy volunteers, P less than 0.001). These results suggest that liver cirrhosis profoundly alters the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of molsidomine.

[Diffusion of minocycline in pulmonary tissue]. / Diffusion de la minocycline dans le tissu pulmonaire.

The penetration of minocycline into lung tissue was evaluated in 14 patients about to undergo excision of the lung for cancer. The patients received minocycline orally in doses of 100 mg twice a day for 3 days, the 100 mg in the morning of the operation day. Minocycline concentrations were measured in plasma samples taken before surgery and in the lung tissue resected. The mean tissue/plasma concentration ration was 3.17 +/- 0.41 (range: 1.5 to 7.48). The same ratios were obtained in peritumoral and tumoral tissues. These results indicate that minocycline penetrates well into tissues.

Pharmacokinetics of molsidomine and of its active metabolite, SIN-1 (or linsidomine), in the elderly.

The pharmacokinetics of molsidomine were investigated in six young (25.5 +/- 0.6 years) and in six elderly healthy volunteers (81.1 +/- 3.1 years). After a 2 mg oral administration, molsidomine elimination half-life was prolonged in elderly subjects (1.9 +/- 0.2 h versus 1.2 +/- 0.1 h, P less than 0.05) because of a decrease in its plasma clearance (15.1 +/- 3.2 l.h-1 versus 41.8 +/- 2.5 l.h-1 (P less than 0.01) in young volunteers). The elimination half-life of the active metabolite, SIN-1 or linsidomine was also prolonged in elderly subjects (1.8 +/- 0.2 h versus 1.0 +/- 0.08 h, P less than 0.05). AUCs of both molsidomine and SIN-1 were increased in the elderly subjects, but the increase in the former was greater (x 3.4) than the increase in the latter (x 1.6). These results suggest that pharmacokinetics and metabolism of molsidomine are impaired in elderly subjects.

High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of the three main oxidative and 3-carboxylic antipyrine metabolites in human urine.

The oxidative metabolism of xenobiotics is usually explored using the antipyrine test, which consists of determining the production clearances and urinary percentages of three major antipyrine metabolites 4-hydroxyantipyrine, norantipyrine and 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine. The total forms of these compounds are generally determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the 3-carboxylic acid metabolite (3-carboxyantipyrine), which is the ultimate oxidation form in the 3-hydroxylation pathway, should also be taken into account, but so far its determination by HPLC has not been reported. A simple and accurate HPLC method has now been developed to determine the three major metabolites plus 3-carboxyantipyrine. In this method, all compounds are extracted in an aprotic non-polar solvent, at pH 3.5 for the major metabolites and unchanged antipyrine, then at pH 0.9 for 3-carboxyantipyrine. Total forms are evaluated after enzymatic hydrolysis. Throughout the procedure, attention is paid to the relative instability of norantipyrine and 4-hydroxyantipyrine. Recovery, accuracy and precision are discussed. The method has been applied to the determination of relative amounts (percentage of the dose administered) excreted in the urine of ten adult subjects 48 h after ingestion of antipyrine (600 mg). The proportion of 3-carboxyantipyrine excreted was 4.5 +/- 0.2%, which is in agreement with published values obtained by gas chromatography. The excretion rates of the major metabolites also were similar to those reported in the literature, thereby confirming that the reported method is valid. 3-Carboxyantipyrine is totally excreted as the free form and norantipyrine almost completely as glucuroconjugate.

Determination of the active metabolite of molsidomine in human plasma by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method, with ultraviolet detection, is proposed for the plasma determination of SIN-1, the active metabolite of molsidomine, which involves propoxycarbonyl derivatization. The internal standard is the ethoxycarbonyl derivative of SIN-1 (i.e. molsidomine). Derivatization and extraction are each performed in one step (2 min) with 70% yield. The nature of a by-product is discussed. The method provides rapid elution (less than 15 min), linearity over the range 0.4-200 ng/ml, day-to-day precision between 2.5 and 11.3% and a limit of determination of 0.5 ng/ml. This method is also suitable for the simultaneous determination of molsidomine and SIN-1. In this case the internal standard is an ethoxycarbonyl derivative of a piperazino-3-sydnonimine, a SIN-1 analogue.

Pharmacokinetics of the trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole combination in the elderly.

The pharmacokinetics of a co-trimoxazole preparation (Bactrim Forte) containing trimethoprim (TMP) 160 mg and sulphamethoxazole (SMZ) 800 mg were determined in six young adults (29.3 +/- 4.4 s.d. years) and six elderly people (78.6 +/- 6.6 s.d. years). Following oral administration of a single dose, the pharmacokinetic parameters of SMZ and its N4-acetylated metabolite (N4SMZ) were similar in both groups. However Cmax of TMP was greater (2.06 +/- 0.29 s.d. vs 1.57 +/- 0.32 s.d. mg l-1; P less than 0.01) and its area under the curve was larger (34.30 +/- 6.98 s.d. vs 23.87 +/- 3.82 s.d. mg l-1 h; P less than 0.001) in elderly people than in younger subjects. Total clearance (CL/F) of TMP normalized to body weight was not significantly different in the two groups. There was no significant difference in serum protein binding of TMP and SMZ between the two groups. Urinary excretion of TMP, SMZ and N4SMZ was reduced by about 50% in the elderly compared to the young subjects. Renal clearance of TMP was significantly lower in the elderly group (19 +/- 10 s.d. vs 55 +/- 14 s.d. ml h-1 kg-1; P less than 0.001). Renal clearance of SMZ was not significantly different in the two groups. A study of plasma concentrations of TMP, SMZ and N4SMZ during continuous dosing in seven elderly patients treated for urinary or respiratory infections showed that steady state was reached after 3 days of treatment and that plasma drug concentrations were about two to three times higher than those observed after a single dose.

Determination of trimethoprim, sulphamethoxazole and its N4-acetyl metabolite in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to determine therapeutic concentrations of trimethoprim, sulphamethoxazole, and its N4-acetyl derivative in biological fluids. The compounds are extracted at pH 6.2 using ethyl acetate--chloroform in a single extraction. The detection limit is 15 ng/ml for trimethoprim, 20 ng/ml for sulphamethoxazole, and 10 ng/ml for its N4-acetyl metabolite. The method is rapid, sensitive, precise, and well suited to clinical pharmacokinetic investigations.