Research Note: Pharmacokinetics of bromhexine hydrochloride in broilers after single oral and intravenous administration.

The current study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of bromhexine hydrochloride in broilers after single intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration at 2.5 mg/kg body weight (BW). The trial adopted a randomized, parallel-controlled design, where 20 twelve-wk-old broilers were randomly assigned to either the PO or IV group. Blood samples were collected at predetermined time points, and plasma was further separated for analysis. The bromhexine hydrochloride concentrations in plasma samples were determined using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. Noncompartmental analysis (NCA) using Phoenix software was conducted to analyze the concentration versus time data of bromhexine hydrochloride in every chicken. Subsequently, the main pharmacokinetic parameters between the 2 groups were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results from NCA revealed that after oral administration at 2.5 mg/kg BW, bromhexine hydrochloride exhibited slow absorption, reaching an average peak concentration of 32.72 ng/mL at 1.78 h. However, incomplete absorption was observed, with an absolute bioavailability of only 20.06% ± 10.84%. Additionally, bromhexine hydrochloride displayed wide distribution, with a steady-state distribution volume (VSS) of 22.55 ± 13.45 L/kg, and slow elimination, with a clearance (Cl) of 1.52 ± 0.38 L/h/kg. Furthermore, gender effects were assessed on the pharmacokinetics of bromhexine hydrochloride in broilers, revealing better absorption in male broilers compared to females. This disparity may be attributed to the faster blood flow and richer blood volume typically found in male broilers.

Effect of drug content and agglomerate size on tabletability and drug release characteristics of bromhexine hydrochloridetalc agglomerates prepared by crystallo-co-agglomeration.

The objective of the investigation was to study the effect of bromhexine hydrochloride (BXH) content and agglomerate size on mechanical, compressional and drug release properties of agglomerates prepared by crystallo-co-agglomeration (CCA). Studies on optimized batches of agglomerates (BXT1 and BXT2) prepared by CCA have showed adequate sphericity and strength required for efficient tabletting. Trend of strength reduction with a decrease in the size of agglomerates was noted for both batches, irrespective of drug loading. However, an increase in mean yield pressure (14.189 to 19.481) with an increase in size was observed for BXT2 having BXH-talc (1:15.7). Surprisingly, improvement in tensile strength was demonstrated by compacts prepared from BXT2, due to high BXH load, whereas BXT1, having a low amount of BXH (BXH-talc, 1:24), showed low tensile strength. Consequently, increased tensile strength was reflected in extended drug release from BXT2 compacts (Higuchi model, R(2) = 0.9506 to 0.9981). Thus, it can be concluded that interparticulate bridges formed by BXH and agglomerate size affect their mechanical, compressional and drug release properties.

Quantification of the major metabolites of bromhexine in human plasma using RRLC-MS/MS and its application to pharmacokinetics.

(E)-4-hydroxydemethylbromhexine (E-4-HDMB) and (E)-3-hydroxydemethylbromhexine (E-3-HDMB) were found as major metabolites, while (Z)-4-hydroxydemethylbromhexine and (Z)-3-hydroxydemethylbromhexine as minor metabolites of bromhexine in human plasma. These compounds were identified in comparison with synthetic authentic samples. A sensitive and selective rapid resolution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-MS/MS) method was developed to quantify the concentration of bromhexine and its two major metabolites (E-4-HDMB and E-3-HDMB) in human plasma. Following solid phase extraction, the analytes were separated on a Zorbax 1.8microm particle size reversed-phase C(18) column, using a gradient elution program with solvents consisting of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in 5mM ammonium acetate at a flow rate of 0.7mL/min. Detection was carried out with an Agilent 6460 triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer operated with an electrospray ionization source mode operated in the positive ion mode. The recovery of bromhexine, E-4-HDMB, E-3-HDMB, and internal standard (IS) was 63.1-70.9%, 60.5-68.4%, 57.0-63.5%, and 87.8%, respectively. The matrix factors of bromhexine, E-4-HDMB, E-3-HDMB, and IS were 89.9-96.7%, 89.6-94.8%, 90.4-91.4%, and 103%, respectively. After an oral administration of 8.0mg bromhexine to five healthy male subjects, AUC(0-24h) values of bromhexine, E-4-HDMB, and E-3-HDMB were found to be 93.5+/-31.9, 34.0+/-14.5, and 15.8+/-6.89ngh/mL, respectively; while C(max) values were 24.6+/-5.16, 3.11+/-1.13, and 5.36+/-2.55ng/mL, respectively. Plasma concentration of bromhexine, E-4-HDMB, and E-3-HDMB declined with t(1/2) which gave 3.6+/-0.5, 8.4+/-2.7, and 6.4+/-2.5h, respectively.

Bioequivalence study of bromhexine by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry after oral administration of bromhexine hydrochloride tablets.

A simple, sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method was developed for the quantitative determination of bromhexine in human plasma. Sample preparation involved simple liquid-liquid extraction. Simvastatin was used as internal standard. The separation of the analyte, internal standard and possible endogenous compounds were accomplished on a Shim-pack ODS column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm) with methanol-water (98:2, v/v) as mobile phase. Detection was performed in positive selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode at m/z 264.1 (for bromhexine) and m/z 441.7 (for IS). The method was validated over the range of 0.5-60 ng/mL and the results were acceptable. The method could offer the advantages of shorter run time (5.5 min) and lower LLOQ (0.5 ng/mL) with a decreased plasma volume requirement (250 microL) and it had been successfully applied to a bioequivalence study in healthy Chinese volunteers after single oral administration of 16 mg bromhexine.

Pharmacokinetic interaction between cefaclor and bromhexine in healthy Chinese volunteers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pharmacokinetic interaction between cefaclor and bromhexine in healthy Chinese volunteers. METHODS: Twelve subjects received a cefaclor (CEF) treatment, a bromhexine (BHX) treatment, and a co-treatment of CEF and BHX with a 3 x 3 Latin square design. The wash-out time between periods was 14 days. The plasma and urine drug concentrations of CEF and BHX were detected by HPLC-UV and LC/MS, respectively. RESULTS: All the 12 volunteers completed the study. There were no significant differences in AUC 0-t and Cmax of CEF in logarithm between the single administration group of CEF and the co-administration group of CEF with BHX. Two one sided t-test showed that CEF was bioequivalent in the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in tmax, MRT, t1/2, and Clr between the 2 groups. Vd/F was significantly lower in the single CEF group than in the co-administration group of CEF and BHX. There were no significant differences of AUC 0-t and Cmax of BHX in logarithm between the single administration group of BHX and the co-administration group of BHX with CEF. Two one sided t-test showed that BHX was bioequivalent in the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in tmax, MRT, t1/2, Vd/F, and Clr between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: There is no significant pharmacokinetic parameter change in the drug absorption, metabolism, and excretion, but Vd/F of CEF significant increases in the co-administration of CEF with BHX. The co-administration of CEF and BHX has no adverse drug interaction. The increase of Vd/F may be a favorable drug interaction, which may be the mechanism of the synergistic effect of the 2 drugs.

[Determination of bromhexine in plasma by gas chromatography-electron capture detection and pharmacokinetic studies].

This paper reports a gas chromatography-electron capture detection(GC-ECD) method for the study of pharmacokinetics of bromhexine in healthy human body. A2 m x 3 mm i.d. silanized glass column packed with 5% SE-30 was used. The carrier gas was nitrogen. The internal standard was 5-chloro-2-amino-diphenyl ketone. After NaH2PO4-Na2HPO4 buffer (pH 6.0) being added, the plasma was extracted with n-hexane-dichloromethane (9:1, V/V). A good linearity was obtained from 1.0 microgram/L to 50.0 micrograms/L of bromhexine in human plasma, r = 0.9994. The detection limit of bromhexine in plasma was 0.5 microgram/L. The average recovery was 97.5%. The pharmacokinetics of bromhexine was determined by this method after a single oral dose of 8 mg bromhexine capsule given to each of 8 volunteers. The results showed that the plasma concentration-time courses conformed to one compartment model. The established GC-ECD method is a good method for the determination of bromhexine in human plasma. The method is rapid, simple, precise and sensitive.

Improvement of some pharmaceutical properties of drugs by cyclodextrin complexation. 3. Bromhexine hydrochloride.

The potentiality of interaction of bromhexine (1) with beta-cyclodextrin was investigated by spectrophotometric methods. Differential UV spectrophotometry revealed a decrease in the optical density of the drug in presence of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and a hypsochromic shift in one of the two wavelengths of maximum absorption of the drug from 312 to 309 nm in presence of beta-CD. The continuous variation method based on spectrophotometric measurements revealed the formation of 1:1 complex between the drug and beta-CD. The solubility of 1 in presence of beta-CD was found to increase to a marked extent. Also the dissolution profiles of the drug, physical mixture of the drug and beta-CD as well as the prepared complex showed a great enhancement of the dissolution properties of 1 in presence of beta-CD either in a physical mixture or in complexed state. The partition coefficient between n-octanol and phosphate buffer of pH 7.4 of 1 and its beta-CD complex was also determined. Investigation of the transdermal diffusion of the drug and the complex in different dermatological vehicles was carried out using abdominal rat skin. A linear relationship was found to exist between the amount of drug released and the square root of the time. The drug showed the highest release characteristics from methyl cellulose > PVP > PEG 400, also inclusion complexation of 1 in beta-CD causes an improvement in the release properties of the drug from the investigated dermatological vehicles.

Evaluación comparativa del tratamiento con yodo y bromhexina en la queratoconjuntivitis sicca / A comparative evaluation of the keratoconjuntivitis sicca treatment between iodine and bromhexine

Presentamos aqui los resultados de un estudio clinico, con la administracion de yodo en pacientes con Queratoconjuntivitis Sicca (QCS) o Sindrome de Sjogren (SS), con el fin de estimular su secreción lagrimal, más del 80%respondieron al tratamiento satisfactoriamente, asi como el 71%de los tratados con bromhexina (grupo control), conocida ya como lacrimoestimulantes. Ambos tratamientos mejoraron la xerostomia en la mayoria de pacientes son (SS)

Pharmacokinetics and first-pass effect of bromhexine in rats.

The pharmacokinetics and first-pass effect of bromhexine (BH) were studied in rats. Upon i.v. administration of 0.3 and 1 mg/kg of BH hydrochloride to normal rats, the plasma concentrations followed a biexponential curve, with slower terminal elimination (t1/2 beta = 8.9-11 h). In bile duct cannulated rats, the plasma concentration-time profile was similar to that of normal rats and the bile excreted within 30 h contained only 1.5 +/- 1.2% of the dose as intact and conjugated BH. These results suggest that a slower terminal elimination of BH after i.v. injection is due to a relatively small plasma clearance and large distribution volume rather than the enterohepatic recycling of the drug. Renal clearance of BH was negligible since urinary excretion of intact BH for 24 h after i.v. injection did not exceed 1% of the dose. After oral administration of BH, the systemic availability ranged only 1.8-3.9% based on i.v. and oral data, showing the poor bioavailability of oral BH. The first-pass effect of BH was measured by comparing the area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) after i.v., oral or hepatic portal (h.p.v.) administration of the drug. The AUC following h.p.v. dosing was only one-tenth of that obtained following i.v. administration and the AUC after oral dose was a quarter of that after h.p.v. administration. The hepatic extraction ratio was estimated to be 0.92. A low bioavailability after oral BH was explained by both hepatic and intestinal first-pass clearance, but mainly due to hepatic extraction.

In-vitro and in-vivo formation of N-nitrosomethylcyclohexylamine from bromhexin and sodium nitrite, and DNA methylation in rats.

After oral administration of a commercial bromhexin (N-methyl-N-cyclohexyl(2-amino-3,5-dibrombenzyl)ammonium chloride) solution (1-90 mg/kg) together with sodium nitrite (1-90 mg/kg) to female Wistar rats, ring-hydroxylated metabolites of N-nitrosomethyl-cyclohexylamine (NMCA) were excreted in urine as glucuronide/sulfate conjugates. When [14C-methyl]-bromhexin (30 mg/kg) was given intragastrically together with sodium nitrite (30 mg/kg), alkylated DNA adducts were detected in liver and oesophagus. Gastric juice of 75 healthy human volunteers (fasted, then ingesting up to 200 mg nitrate) was incubated in vitro with bromhexin (16 mg/100 ml). In only one sample, 50 ng NMCA/100 ml were formed.