Brain uptake, pharmacokinetics, and tissue distribution in the rat of neurotoxic N-butylbenzenesulfonamide.

The pharmacokinetics, cerebrovascular permeability, and tissue distribution of the neurotoxic plasticizer N-butylbenzenesulfonamide (NBBS) were determined in rats. A stable isotope-labeled form ([(13)C(6)]NBBS) was used to circumvent ubiquitous contamination that was evident whenever the native form was measured. Plasticizer decline in plasma, following an iv dose of 1 mg/kg, was described by a triexponential decay function. NBBS was cleared from plasma at a rate of 25 ml/min/kg, and 24 h after administration, plasma concentrations represented 0.04% of the administered dose. These data suggest rapid elimination and uptake into tissue; however, NBBS was not accumulated by any of the tissues studied (i.e., liver, kidney, muscle, adipose tissue, and brain). Given the critical interest in NBBS neurotoxicity, the brain uptake of [(13)C(6)]NBBS was further explored in experiments using the in situ brain perfusion technique. During perfusion with protein-free saline for 15-30 s, the single-pass brain extraction for free [(13)C(6)]NBBS was very high (73-100%) with a unidirectional blood-brain barrier transfer constant (K(in)) of > 0.08 ml/s/g. No significant differences were found in [(13)C(6)]NBBS content among the measured brain regions. Plasma protein binding (70%) only slightly lowered the single-pass brain extraction to 48%. In summary, the results demonstrate that NBBS distributes rapidly to tissues, including brain. Though highly lipophilic with a Log octanol/water partition coefficient of 2.17 +/- 0.09, brain:blood ratios (2:1) for NBBS were consistent throughout the experimental duration, with little indication of accumulation.

Alcohol and Aldehyde Dehydrogenases Contribute to Sex-Related Differences in Clearance of Zolpidem in Rats.

OBJECTIVES: The recommended zolpidem starting dose was lowered in females (5 mg vs. 10 mg) since side effects were more frequent and severe than those of males; the mechanism underlying sex differences in pharmacokinetics (PK) is unknown. We hypothesized that such differences were caused by known sex-related variability in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) expression. METHODS: Male, female, and castrated male rats were administered 2.6 mg/kg zolpidem, ± disulfiram (ADH/ALDH pathway inhibitor) to compare PK changes induced by sex and gonadal hormones. PK analyses were conducted in rat plasma and rat brain. KEY FINDINGS: Sex differences in PK were evident: females had a higher C MAX (112.4 vs. 68.1 ug/L) and AUC (537.8 vs. 231.8 h(∗)ug/L) than uncastrated males. Castration induced an earlier T MAX (0.25 vs. 1 h), greater C MAX (109.1 vs. 68.1 ug/L), and a corresponding AUC increase (339.7 vs. 231.8 h(∗)ug/L). Administration of disulfiram caused more drastic C MAX and T MAX changes in male vs. female rats that mirrored the effects of castration on first-pass metabolism, suggesting that the observed PK differences may be caused by ADH/ALDH expression. Brain concentrations paralleled plasma concentrations. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that sex differences in zolpidem PK are influenced by variation in the expression of ADH/ALDH due to gonadal androgens.

Brain uptake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, and indomethacin.

PURPOSE: To determine the roles of blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport and plasma protein binding in brain uptake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, and indomethacin. METHODS: Brain uptake was measured using in situ rat brain perfusion technique. RESULTS: [14C]Ibuprofen, [3H]flurbiprofen, and [14C]indomethacin were rapidly taken up into the brain in the absence of plasma protein with BBB permeability-surface area products (PS(u)) to free drug of (2.63 +/- 0.11) x 10(-2), (1.60 +/- 0.08) x 10(-2), and (0.64 +/- 0.05) x 10(-2) mL s(-1) g(-1) (n = 9-11), respectively. BBB [14C]ibuprofen uptake was inhibited by unlabeled ibuprofen (Km = 0.85 +/- 0.02 mM, Vmax = 13.5 +/- 0.4 nmol s(-1) g(-1)) and indomethacin, but not by pyruvate, probenecid, digoxin, or valproate. No evidence was found for saturable BBB uptake of [3H]flurbiprofen or [14C]indomethacin. Initial brain uptake for all three NSAIDs was reduced by the addition of albumin to the perfusion buffer. The magnitude of the brain uptake reduction correlated with the NSAID free fraction in the perfusate. CONCLUSIONS: Free ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, and indomethacin rapidly cross the BBB, with ibuprofen exhibiting a saturable component of transport. Plasma protein binding limits brain NSAID uptake by reducing the free fraction of NSAID in the circulation.

Role of site-specific binding to plasma albumin in drug availability to brain.

Many studies have reported greater drug uptake into brain than that predicted based upon existing models using the free fraction (f(u)) of drug in arterial serum. To explain this difference, circulating plasma proteins have been suggested to interact with capillary membrane in vivo to produce a conformational change that favors net drug dissociation and elevation of f(u). Albumin, the principal binding protein in plasma, has two main drug binding sites, Sudlow I and II. We tested this hypothesis using drugs that bind selectively to either site I (warfarin) or site II (ibuprofen), as well as mixed ligands that have affinity for both sites (tolbutamide and valproate). Brain uptake was determined in the presence and absence of albumin using the in situ rat brain perfusion technique. Unidirectional brain uptake transfer constants (K(in)) were measured and compared with those predicted using the modified Kety-Crone-Renkin model: K(in) = F(1-e(-f(u) x PS(u)/F)), where F is perfusion flow and PS(u) is the permeability-surface area product to free drug of brain capillaries. The results demonstrated good agreement between measured and predicted K(in) over a 100-fold range in perfusion fluid albumin concentration using albumin from three different species (i.e., human, bovine, and rat), as well as whole-rat serum. K(in) decreased in the presence of albumin in direct proportion to perfusion fluid f(u) with constant PS(u). The results show that brain uptake of selected Sudlow site I and II ligands matches that predicted by the modified Kety-Crone-Renkin model with no evidence for enhanced dissociation.