Metabolism of retigabine (D-23129), a novel anticonvulsant.

Retigabine (D-23129, N-(2-amino-4-(4-fluorobenzylamino)-phenyl) carbamic acid ethyl ester) is a potent anticonvulsant in a variety of animal models. Rats metabolized [14C]retigabine mainly through glucuronidation and acetylation reactions. Glucuronides were detected in incubates with liver microsomes or slices, in plasma, and in bile and feces but were absent in urine (0-24 h) that contained about 2% of the dose as retigabine and approximately 29% of the dose in > 20 metabolites, which are derived mainly from acetylation reactions. About 67% of the radioactivity was excreted into feces, approximately 10% of the dose as glucuronide. The metabolite pattern in the urine (0-24 h) of dogs was comparatively simple in that retigabine (13%), retigabine-N-glucuronide (5%), and retigabine-N-glucoside (1%) were present. In the same 24-h interval, about 39% of unchanged retigabine was excreted into feces. Plasma profiling and spectroscopic analysis (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry NMR) of two isolated urinary metabolites obtained after single oral dosing of 600 mg retigabine in healthy volunteers indicated that both acetylation and glucuronidation are major metabolic pathways of retigabine in humans. We found that in vitro assays with liver slices from rat and humans reveal the major circulating metabolites in vivo.

Potentially reactive cyclic carbamate metabolite of the antiepileptic drug felbamate produced by human liver tissue in vitro.

Felbamate (FBM) is a novel antiepileptic drug that was approved in 1993 for treatment of several forms of epilepsy. After its introduction, toxic reactions (aplastic anemia and hepatotoxicity) associated with its use were reported. It is unknown whether FBM or one of its metabolites is responsible for these idiosyncratic adverse reactions. Although the metabolism of FBM has not been fully characterized, three primary metabolites of FBM have been identified, i.e. 2-hydroxy, p-hydroxy, and monocarbamate metabolites. In addition, the monocarbamate metabolite leads to a carboxylic acid, which is the major metabolite of FBM in humans. Formation of the hydroxylated products of FBM involves cytochrome P450 enzymes, but the enzymes involved in the formation and further metabolism of the monocarbamate have not yet been elucidated. Recently, mercapturate metabolites of FBM have been identified in human urine, and a metabolic scheme involving reactive aldehyde metabolite formation from the monocarbamate metabolite has been proposed. The present study confirmed the formation of the proposed metabolites using human liver tissue in vitro. The aldehyde intermediates were trapped as oxime derivatives, and the cyclic equilibrium product (proposed as a storage and transport form for the aldehydes) was monitored directly by HPLC or GC/MS. Formation of putative toxic aldehyde intermediates and the major carboxylic acid metabolite of FBM was differentially effected with the cofactors NADP+ and NAD+. It is possible that the cofactors may influence the relative metabolism via activation and inactivation pathways.

In vitro glucuronidation of D-23129, a new anticonvulsant, by human liver microsomes and liver slices.

1. The metabolic profile of D-23129, a new anticonvulsant agent, was studied in vitro using human liver microsomes and fresh liver slices. 2. Oxidative metabolism appeared to be minimal with D-23129. The percent mean total radioactivity not associated with the parent compound recovered from oxidative metabolism studies from three individual liver donors was 0.7% +/- 0.6 SD and was not significantly different from [14C]-D-23129 incubated with heat inactivated microsomes, mean = 0.5% +/- 0.4 SD. 3. Phase II conjugation dominated the metabolism of D-23129 producing two distinct N-glucuronides as the primary metabolites. These metabolites were identified by electrospray ionization LC/MS. 4. The apparent Km for one of the glucuronide metabolites was determined in human liver microsome preparations from two individual liver donors to be 131 and 264 microM respectively, Vmax determined for the same microsomal preparations yielded 48.9 and 59.9 pmol/min/mg protein.

Stereoselective metabolism of a new anticonvulsant drug candidate, losigamone, by human liver microsomes.

Losigamone (LSG) is a new candidate anticonvulsant drug under going preclinical and clinical development. Metabolism of racemic (+/-)-LSG and its two enantiomers, AO-242 [(+)-LSG] and AO-294 [(-)-LSG], was studied using human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 isozymes. HPLC with both UV and electrochemical detection was used for analysis of the incubation media. Five metabolites (M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5) were generated from racemic (+/-)-LSG by both human liver microsomes and recombinant enzymes. Stereoselective metabolism was observed when each enantiomer was incubated separately with human liver microsomes. M1 was the major metabolite produced from (+)-LSG, whereas M3, M4, and M5 were primarily produced from (-)-LSG. The production of M1 from (+)-LSG was markedly inhibited by (-)-LSG, indicating a metabolic enantiomer/enantiomer interaction. (+/-)-LSG enantiomers were selectively metabolized by recombinant cytochrome P450 2A6, and the metabolism of (+)-LSG and (-)-LSG by human liver microsomes was preferentially inhibited by coumarin, a cytochrome P450 2A6-selective compound.

Determination of ceftiofur in bovine milk by liquid chromatography.

A liquid chromatographic procedure is described for determination of ceftiofur (CEF) residues in milk. Milk samples were diluted with ammonium acetate solution and extracted on a C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) column. After the analyte was eluted from the SPE column with methanol, extract volumes were reduced under nitrogen, diluted to 2.0 mL with acetate buffer, and filtered. CEF was determined after separation of milk components by reverse-phase chromatography with UV detection at 293 nm. Recoveries of CEF from bovine milk fortified at 25, 50, and 100 ppb were 86.1, 90.8, and 92.0%, respectively, with coefficients of variation (CVs) of 6.4, 7.3, and 3.9%, respectively. Values of CEF obtained from analysis of milk containing 2 levels of biologically incurred residues were 26.1 and 67.3 ppb with CVs of 3.8 and 4.4%, respectively. The limits of detection and quantitation were estimated to be 4 and 7 ppb, respectively.