α1-and ß-adrenergic antagonist labetalol induces morphological changes in human erythrocytes.

Labetalol is one of the most used drugs for the treatment of hypertension. This molecule is able to bind to both alpha-1 (α1) and beta (ß) adrenergic receptors present in vascular smooth muscle among other tissues. It has been determined that human erythrocytes possess both alpha receptors and beta-adrenergic receptors expressed on their surface. The objective of this work was to study the effect of labetalol on the morphology of human erythrocytes. To accomplish this goal, human erythrocytes and model membranes built of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) were used. These lipid species are present in the outer and inner monolayers of the red blood cell membrane, respectively. Our findings obtained by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicate that labetalol interacted with both lipids in a process dependent on concentration. In fact, at low concentrations labetalol preferentially interacted with DMPE. On the other hand, results obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that labetalol alters the normal biconcave form of erythrocytes to stomatocytes and knizocytes (cells with one or more cavities, respectively). According to the bilayers couple hypothesis, this result implied that the drug inserted in the inner monolayer of the human erythrocyte membrane.

Stereoselective analysis of labetalol in human plasma by LC-MS/MS: application to pharmacokinetics.

Labetalol is clinically available as a mixture of two racemates (four stereoisomers). The stereoisomer (R,R) has as main activity the beta1-antagonism and the stereoisomer (S,R) is highly selective for the alpha1 adrenoceptor and is responsible for most of the alpha-blocker activity. In the present investigation, a method for the analysis of labetalol stereoisomers in human plasma was developed and applied to pharmacokinetic studies. Plasma samples (0.5 ml) were extracted with methyl tert-butyl ether at pH 9.5. The four labetalol stereoisomers were analyzed by LC-MS/MS on a Chirobiotic V column using a mobile phase consisting of methanol, acetic acid, and diethylamine, with a recovery of more than 90% for all four. The quantitation limit was 0.5 ng/ml and linearity was observed at 250 ng/ml plasma for each stereoisomer. Studies of precision and accuracy presented coefficients of variation and percentage inaccuracy of less than 15%, indicating that the method is precise and accurate. The method was applied to the study of the kinetic disposition of labetalol over a period of 12 h after oral administration of a single 100 mg dose to a hypertensive pregnant woman. The clinical study revealed stereoselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of labetalol, with a lower plasma proportion for the active stereoisomers (R,R)-labetalol and (S,R)-labetalol. The stereoselectivity observed after oral administration is due to the hepatic metabolism and the first pass effect, with an AUC(R,R)/AUC(S,S) ratio of 0.5.