Comparative bioavailability between two Tramadol once-daily oral formulations.

The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic profile and oral bioavailability of Tramadol Contramid once-daily (o.d.) 200 mg tablets (Labopharm, Canada) with that of Zytram 200 mg tablets (Zambon, Spain), following single-dose administration in 26 healthy volunteers. The study had an open, randomized, crossover design with a 7-day wash-out. Data from 24 subjects were used for the pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis. Racemic tramadol and racemic O-demethyltramadol (M1) were assayed in plasma using a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method. Primary PK parameters estimated were AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), C(max), C(24 h), and T(max). Results were compared using an ANOVA, and the residual variability thereby obtained was used to construct the classical 90% confidence intervals. The parametric Schuirmann's test was also performed. T(max) was analyzed by a nonparametric approach. For both racemic tramadol and racemic O-demethyltramadol, the ANOVA showed a statistically significant formulation effect. Significantly higher values were obtained for Tramadol Contramid o.d. for all PK parameters, except for T(1/2). For Tramadol Contramid o.d., mean tramadol plasma levels were maintained at a plateau level above 200 ng/ml from 4 to 16 h after dose, while for the reference formulation, that level was sustained from 4 to only 6 h. Consistent results for both formulations were obtained for the metabolite. At the end of the dosing interval, plasma tramadol and O-demethyltramadol concentrations were 39% and 49% higher, respectively, for Tramadol Contramid o.d. than those for Zytram (p < 0.0001). Tramadol Contramid o.d. could be considered suprabioavailable to Zytram o.d.

[Structural requirements of guanine aminohydrolase (author's transl)]. / Requerimientos estructurales de la guanina aminohidrolasa de cerebro de cobaya.

Structural requirements of substrates and inhibitors of guinea-pig brain guanine aminohydrolase (GAH; E.C. 3.5.4.3), have been established by working with guanine analogs (8-azaguanine, 1-methylguanine, thioguanine and guanosine), purine precursors (5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide), purinic bases (xanthine, hypoxanthine, adenine and uric acid) and pyrimidinic bases (citosine, thymine and uracil). The need of the purine ring for the compounds to behave as substrate has been shown. The carbonyl group placed in position 6, plays an essential role in purine and pyrimidine binding to the enzymatic molecule. 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide and allopurinol are enzyme inhibitors, while guanosine, thioguanine and 2,6-diaminopurine are not. Groups in positions 2, 6, 7 and 9 play a significant role in the union of the guanine molecule with guanine aminohydrolase.

[Liver and brain guinea-pig guanine aminohydrolase (author's transl)]. / Guanina aminohidrolasa de hígado y de cerebro de cobaya.

Guinea-pig brain guanine aminohydrolase (E.C. 3.5.4.3) (M = 120,000 +/- 5,000 daltons) only exhibited one active electrophoretic band; its mobility is similar with that observed for the guinea-pig liver molecular form III. Both forms appear to have coincident activity with pH, as well as an analogous thermal stability and Km values with different substrates showing a different behaviour with the molecular form I of guinea-pig liver enzyme. Brain guanine aminohydrolase and liver molecular form III have similar pK'a values suggesting the participation of histidine and cysteine (-SH) in the enzymatic catalysis. The competitive inhibition by p-chloromercuribenzoate may corroborate the intervention of the last-one.

[Molecular forms of guanine aminohydrolase (author's transl)]. / Formas moleculares de la guanina aminohidrolasa de hígado de cobaya.

Guanine aminohydrolase (E.C. 3.5.4.3) has been purified 11-fold from the supernatant fraction of guinea-pig liver homogenates in 0.25 M sucrose (centrifuged at 50,000 X g) through thermic denaturation at 60 degrees C and ammonium sulphate fractionation (30--60% saturation). The enzyme in the homogenates and purified preparations exhibited two Km values. In both preparations four enzymatic electrophoretic bands have been detected. Purified guanine aminohydrolase is chromatographically resolved on DEAE-sephadex in three components whose active forms appeared separately on their pherograms. The enzymatic form eluted at lower ionic strength has the least anodic mobility, is inhibited by guanine (4 X 10(-5) M) and presents only one Km value (1.5 X 10(-5) M). The enzymatic form eluted at greater ionic strength exhibits the highest anodic mobility, is also inhibited by guanine (7 X 10(-5) M) and its Km value seems to be 6.3 X 10(-6) M. Molecular weight of enzymatics forms determined by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, is 120,000 +/- 5,000. The preceding results, correlated with the chromatographic homogeneity of guanine aminohydrolase, purified in Sephadex G-100, suggests that the four molecular forms of the native enzyme may be considered as isozymes.