Metabolites of antihypertensive drugs. An updated review of their clinical pharmacokinetic and therapeutic implications

Human DBS sampling with LC–MS/MS for enantioselective determination of metoprolol and its metabolite O-desmethyl metoprolol

>Background: The dried blood spots (DBS) sampling technique has been gaining wide interest in preclinical and clinical studies due to its inherent advantages. However, the impact of DBS sampling on chiral compounds in terms of stability and detection sensitivity has not been studied yet. Results: A high-throughput, sensitive and enantioselective LC–MS/MS-based bioanalytical method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of individual enantiomers of metoprolol and its metabolite O-desmethylmetoprolol (O-DMM)in human whole blood using the DBS sampling technique. Conclusions: The developed DBS LC–MS/MS assay has a run time of 3 min, shorter than all previous methods while achieving complete baseline separation of enantiomeric metoprolol and O-DMM. This study demonstrates the applicability of DBS for chiral molecules analysis.

Enantioselectivity in the steady-state pharmacokinetics of metoprolol in hypertensive patients

In the present study we investigated the enantioselectivity in the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol administered in a multiple-dose regimen as the racemate. The study was conducted on 10 patients of both sexes with mild to severe essential hypertension, aged 28 to 76 years, with normal hepatic and renal function and phenotyped as extensive metabolizers of debrisoquine (urine debrisoquine to 4-hydroxydebrisoquine ratios of 0.28 to 6.56). The patients were treated with racemic metoprolol (two 100 mg tablets every 24 h) for 7 days. Serial blood samples were collected at times zero, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 22, and 24 h and urine at each 6 h period until 24 h after metoprolol administration. The plasma concentrations of the (-)-(S)- and (+)-(R)-metoprolol enantiomers were determined by HPLC using a chiral stationary phase (Chiralpak AD, 4.6 x 250 mm) and fluorescence detection. The enantiomeric ratios differing from one were evaluated by the paired t test and the results are reported as means (95% CI). No differences were observed between metoprolol enantiomers in half-lives and absorption, distribution and elimination rate constants. However, the following differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the (-)-(S) and (+)-(R) enantiomers: maximum plasma concentration, C(max), 179.99 (123. 33-236.64) versus 151.30 (95.04-207.57) ng/mL; area under the plasma concentration versus time curve, AUC(0-24)(SS), 929.85 (458.02-1401. 70) versus 782.11 (329.80-1234.40) ng h/mL; apparent total clearance, Cl(T)/f, 1.70 (0.79-2.61) versus 2.21 (1.06-3.36) L/h/kg, apparent distribution volume, Vd/f, 10.51 (6.35-14.68) versus 13.80 (6.93-20. 68) L/kg, and renal clearance, Cl(R), 0.06 (0.05-0.08) versus 0.07 (0.05-0.09) L/kg. The enantiomeric ratios AUC((-)-(S))/AUC((+)-(R)) ranged from 1.14 to 1.44, with a mean of 1.29. The data obtained demonstrate enantioselectivity in the kinetic disposition of metoprolol, with plasma accumulation of the pharmacologically more active (-)-(S)-metoprolol enantiomer in hypertensive patients phenotyped as extensive metabolizers of debrisoquine.

Cardiac arrhythmia therapy

Cardiac dysfunction is often manifested as arrhythmia, with disruption of the normal periodicity and regularity of electromechanical activity. The therapy for arrhythmia begins with proper diagnosis, since many pharmacological interventions are themselves arrhythmogenic. Intervention for acute arrhythmia involves correction of underlying systemic conditions by ensuring adequate oxygenation, ventilation, acid-base homeostasis, electrolyte balance, and fluid status. Classification of antiarrhythmic agents assists in a structured treatment approach that utilizes different agents based on the etiology of the arrhythmia and the drug's mechanism of action. A deliberate treatment strategy guided by the morphological criteria of the arrhythmia modified by the rate and duration of complexes, noting symptoms and hemodynamic stability, is desirable.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in renal failure

Arterial hypertension occurs frequently in patients with chronic renal failure. Antihypertensive treatment of arterial hypertension with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown to be effective with a low incidence of adverse effects compared with other drug classes. Furthermore, treatment with ACE inhibitors may slow the progression of renal function impairment in certain groups of patients, such as those with diabetes. Most ACE inhibitors are prodrugs which are converted by hepatic esterolysis to an active diacid metabolite. Only captopril and lisinopril have sufficient oral bioavailability and are given as active drugs. ACE inhibitors can be subdivided into 3 classes with regard to the active group: the majority of ACE inhibitors are carboxyl-containing drugs, a new class of ACE inhibitors possess a phosphoryl-group and captopril and related compounds are sulfhydryl-containing drugs. The predominant elimination pathway of ACE inhibitors is excretion via the kidneys. Therefore, renal insufficiency is associated with reduced elimination of most ACE inhibitors and, thus, altered pharmacokinetic properties. This is most evident in chronic renal failure when glomerular filtration rates (GFR) are < 30 to 40 ml/min (1.8 to 2.4 L/h). As renal clearance decreases, the peak plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of the active drugs or diacids are increased and time to peak concentrations and half-life are prolonged. However, there are large between-drug differences in the changes in pharmacokinetic parameters, resulting in different degrees of drug accumulation after consecutive administration. This leads, for example, to high accumulation rates for drugs such as lisinopril, or cilazaprilat. In contrast, fosinopril, which is also excreted to a large extent by the hepatobiliary pathway, does not seem to accumulate in renal failure. In general, pharmacokinetics and conversion of prodrugs seem to be slightly affected in chronic renal failure; however, these changes do not appear to be clinically relevant. Efficiency of clearance for prodrugs or active drugs and their respective metabolites by haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis varies considerably. For some ACE inhibitors, such as captopril or enalapril, the high elimination fraction by haemodialysis necessitates a supplemental dose after dialysis. Other ACE inhibitors, such as quinapril or cilazapril, are only poorly eliminated by haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Dosage recommendations for treatment with ACE inhibitors in chronic renal failure depend on the specific pharmacokinetic properties of the various agents. For most ACE inhibitors, dosage adjustment is recommended in moderate and severe impairment of renal function, with resultant dosages being 25 to 50% of those recommended for patients with normal renal function.