Absorption pattern of trospium chloride along the human gastrointestinal tract assessed using local enteral administration.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The antimuscarinic drug trospium chloride is hydrophilic and therefore does not enter the CNS when used for the treatment of overactive bladder disturbances. However, the same property is the main reason for low and variable oral bioavailability. The present study was performed to assess the influence of intestinal site on absorption of the drug as the basis for the development of modified release preparations. METHODS: In a change-over pilot study, 8 healthy male volunteers received single 20 mg doses oftrospium chloride orally as a tablet (reference), as Eudragit-coated tablets dissolving at pH 6.0 (local administration into the small intestine), and rectally via a mini enema (corresponding to local administration into the large intestine). Plasma concentrations of trospium chloride were determined up to 36 hours after administration using GC/MS. RESULTS: Extent and rate of trospium chloride absorption declined rapidly upon administration into more distal regions of the gastrointestinal tract. C(max) (median: 6.42 ng/ml) and AUC(0.tlast) (42.28 ng/ml x h) were highest and t(max) (3.5 h) was shortest after administration of the reference tablet. AUC(0-tlast) reached 78% (90% CI 43 - 139%) after small intestine administration and 2% (90% CI 1 - 9%) following rectal administration, respectively, relative to the values for the oral tablet. CONCLUSION: Trospium chloride is absorbed primarily in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Development of modified release preparations must balance prolonged apparent absorption rates of the drug against a decrease in bioavailability.

Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of tiropramide in healthy volunteers.

Two formulations of tiropramide ((+/-)alpha-(benzoylamino)-4-[2-(diethylamino) ethoxy]-N,N-dipropyl-benzenepropanamide hydrochloride, CAS 55837-29-1), an antispasmodic agent, were orally administered to 16 healthy volunteers by the Latin cross-over design with the purpose of evaluating bioequivalence and pharmacokinetics of tiropramide. Tiropramide in human plasma was determined by a gas chromatography/nitrogen phosphorus detector. The detection limit of tiropramide was 5 ng/ml. Cmax values of test and reference formulations were 93.9 +/- 54.3 and 96.4 +/- 51.6 ng/ml, respectively. AUC0-->last and AUC0-->inf were 330.7 +/- 193.9 and 349.5 +/- 205.3 ng.h/ml, respectively, for the test formulation, 348.9 +/- 207.7 and 380.8 +/- 239.0 ng.h/ml, respectively, for the reference formulation. The terminal half-life was 2.34-2.61 h. Bioavailability differences for Cmax and AUC0-->last were -2.48% and -5.22%, respectively. Minimum detection differences were less than 20% for both Cmax and AUC0-->last. The 90% confidence limits of geometric mean values for logarithmically transformed Cmax and AUCs were within 0.8-1.25. Based on these results, the two formulations of tiropramide are considered to be bioequivalent.

Quantitative analysis of tiropramide in human blood by gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detector.

The analytical method of antispasmodic agent tiropramide ((+/-)alpha-(benzoylamino)-4-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]-N,N-dipropylbenzenepropanamide hydrochloride) was developed by gas chromatography/nitrogen-phosphorus detector (GC/NPD) in human plasma. Two kinds of tiropramide tablets were orally administered to volunteers by Latin square crossover design, and blood was withdrawn as designed schedule. The plasma of 1 mL was loaded on Sep-pak C18 cartridge and eluted with methanol after washing with 30% methanol. The residue dissolved in 100 microL of methanol after evaporation was analyzed by GC/NPD. Precision (CV%) of intra-day was located within 2.6% and accuracy was less than 9.7%. Inter-day precision was below 8.7% and accuracy was relatively good as less than 14%. Plasma samples obtained from human volunteers were analyzed for the determination of tiropramide concentration by using this method. The method was sensitive, rapid and suitable enough to be applied for pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies of tiropramide in human volunteers.