CBD and THC in Special Populations: Pharmacokinetics and Drug-Drug Interactions

Cannabinoid use has surged in the past decade, with a growing interest in expanding cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) applications into special populations. Consequently, the increased use of CBD and THC raises the risk of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Nevertheless, DDIs for cannabinoids, especially in special populations, remain inadequately investigated. While some clinical trials have explored DDIs between therapeutic drugs like antiepileptic drugs and CBD/THC, more potential interactions remain to be examined. This review summarizes the published studies on CBD and THC-drug interactions, outlines the mechanisms involved, discusses the physiological considerations in pharmacokinetics (PK) and DDI studies in special populations (including pregnant and lactating women, pediatrics, older adults, patients with hepatic or renal impairments, and others), and presents modeling approaches that can describe the DDIs associated with CBD and THC in special populations. The PK of CBD and THC in special populations remain poorly characterized, with limited studies investigating DDIs involving CBD/THC in these populations. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate potential DDIs between CBD/THC and medications that are commonly used in special populations. Modeling approaches can aid in understanding these interactions.

WHO CAN USE YOUR CELLS OR TISSUES FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH?

Informed consent is the process of obtaining permission from human participants to use their cells and tissues or otherwise include them in research studies. With informed consent, scientists can use human cells or tissues in experiments to learn more about the human body and to test new medicines. This article describes how these tissues are obtained, and the ethical concerns regarding the use of human tissues in research. The story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal HeLa cell line is discussed, to demonstrate the importance of informed consent and to showcase Henrietta's valuable contributions to research and modern medicine.

Advances and Challenges in Modeling Cannabidiol Pharmacokinetics and Hepatotoxicity

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a pharmacologically active metabolite of cannabis that is FDA-approved to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex in children aged one year and older. During clinical trials, CBD caused dose-dependent hepatocellular toxicity at therapeutic doses. The risk for toxicity was increased in patients taking valproate (VPA), another hepatotoxic antiepileptic drug, through an unknown mechanism. With the growing popularity of CBD in the consumer market, an improved understanding of the safety risks associated with CBD is needed to ensure public health. This review details current efforts to describe CBD pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of hepatotoxicity using both pharmacokinetic models and in vitro models of the liver. In addition, current evidence and knowledge gaps related to intracellular mechanisms of CBD-induced hepatotoxicity are described. The authors propose future directions that combine systems-based models with markers of CBD-induced hepatotoxicity to understand how CBD pharmacokinetics may influence the adverse effect profile and risk of liver injury for those taking CBD. Significance Statement This review describes current pharmacokinetic modeling approaches to capture the metabolic clearance and safety profile of cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is an increasingly popular natural product and FDA-approved antiepileptic drug known to cause clinically significant enzyme-mediated drug interactions and hepatotoxicity at therapeutic doses. CBD metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and putative mechanisms of CBD-induced liver injury are summarized from available preclinical data to inform future modeling efforts for understanding CBD toxicity.

A Review of CYP-Mediated Drug Interactions: Mechanisms and In Vitro Drug-Drug Interaction Assessment

Drug metabolism is a major determinant of drug concentrations in the body. Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) caused by the co-administration of multiple drugs can lead to alteration in the exposure of the victim drug, raising safety or effectiveness concerns. Assessment of the DDI potential starts with in vitro experiments to determine kinetic parameters and identify risks associated with the use of comedication that can inform future clinical studies. The diverse range of experimental models and techniques has significantly contributed to the examination of potential DDIs. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are responsible for the biotransformation of many drugs on the market, making them frequently implicated in drug metabolism and DDIs. Consequently, there has been a growing focus on the assessment of DDI risk for CYPs. This review article provides mechanistic insights underlying CYP inhibition/induction and an overview of the in vitro assessment of CYP-mediated DDIs.

Novel Approaches to Characterize Individual Drug Metabolism and Advance Precision Medicine

Interindividual variability in drug metabolism can significantly affect drug concentrations in the body and subsequent drug response. Understanding an individual's drug metabolism capacity is important for predicting drug exposure and developing precision medicine strategies. The goal of precision medicine is to individualize drug treatment for patients to maximize efficacy and minimize drug toxicity. While advances in pharmacogenomics have improved our understanding of how genetic variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) affect drug response, nongenetic factors are also known to influence drug metabolism phenotypes. This minireview discusses approaches beyond pharmacogenetic testing to phenotype DMEs-particularly the cytochrome P450 enzymes-in clinical settings. Several phenotyping approaches have been proposed: traditional approaches include phenotyping with exogenous probe substrates and the use of endogenous biomarkers; newer approaches include evaluating circulating noncoding RNAs and liquid biopsy-derived markers relevant to DME expression and function. The goals of this minireview are to 1) provide a high-level overview of traditional and novel approaches to phenotype individual drug metabolism capacity, 2) describe how these approaches are being applied or can be applied to pharmacokinetic studies, and 3) discuss perspectives on future opportunities to advance precision medicine in diverse populations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This minireview provides an overview of recent advances in approaches to characterize individual drug metabolism phenotypes in clinical settings. It highlights the integration of existing pharmacokinetic biomarkers with novel approaches; also discussed are current challenges and existing knowledge gaps. The article concludes with perspectives on the future deployment of a liquid biopsy-informed physiologically based pharmacokinetic strategy for patient characterization and precision dosing.

Vaping additives cannabinoid oil and vitamin E acetate adhere to and damage the human airway epithelium

E-cigarette, or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), is a severe respiratory disorder that caused a sudden outbreak of hospitalized young people in 2019. Using cannabis oil containing vaping products, including vitamin E acetate contaminants, was found to be strongly associated with EVALI. However, the underlying tissue impacts of the condition are still largely unknown. Here, we focused on the vehicle cannabinoid oil (CBD oil) and contaminant vitamin E acetate (VEA) effects on airway epithelial cells. Primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cultures were exposed to e-liquid aerosols that contained CBD oil and VEA in combination or the common e-liquid components PG/VG with and without nicotine. Cell viability analysis indicated dramatically increased cell death counts after 3 days of CBD exposure, and this effect was even higher after CBD + VEA exposure. Microscopic examination of the cultures revealed cannabinoid and VEA depositions on the epithelial surfaces and cannabinoid accumulation in exposed cells, followed by cell death. These observations were supported by proteomic analysis of the cell secretions that exhibited increases in known markers of airway epithelial toxicity, such as xenobiotic enzymes, factors related to oxidative stress response, and cell death indicators. Overall, our study provides insights into the association between cannabinoid oil and vitamin E acetate vaping and lung injury. Collectively, our results suggest that the adherent accumulation of CBD oil on airway surfaces and the cellular uptake of both CBD oil- and VEA-containing condensates cause elevated metabolic stress, leading to increased cell death rates in human airway epithelial cultures.

Verifying in vitro-determined enzyme contributions to cannabidiol clearance for exposure predictions in human through physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modeling

Cannabidiol (CBD) is approved for treatment of seizures associated with two forms of epilepsy that become apparent in infancy or early childhood. To consider an adult physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for pediatric scaling, we assessed in vitro-derived cytochrome P450 (CYP) and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme contributions to CBD clearance in human. An i.v. PBPK model was constructed using CBD physicochemical properties and knowledge of disposition. The i.v. datasets were used for model building and evaluation. Oral PBPK models for CBD administered in fasted and fed states were developed using single dose oral datasets and parameters optimized from the i.v. model and evaluated with multiple dose datasets. Relative contributions of CBD metabolizing enzymes were partitioned according to in vitro studies. Clinical drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies were simulated using CBD fed state, itraconazole, fluconazole, and rifampicin PBPK models. Linear mixed effect modeling was used to estimate area under the concentration-time curve from zero to infinity (AUC0-∞ ) perpetrator + CBD versus CBD alone. The i.v. and oral datasets used in model evaluation produced acceptable average fold error (AFE) of 1.28 and absolute AFE of 1.65. Relative contributions of drug-metabolizing enzymes to CBD clearance were proposed from in vitro data: UGT1A7 4%, UGT1A9 16%, UGT2B7 10%, CYP3A4 38%, CYP2C19 21%, and CYP2C9 11%. The simulated DDI studies using the in vitro-derived values produced AUC0-∞ treatment ratios comparable to observed: itraconazole 1.24 versus 1.07, fluconazole 1.45 versus 1.22, and rifampicin 0.49 versus 0.69. The constructed CBD PBPK models can predict adult exposures and have potential for use in pediatrics where exposure estimates are limited.

Interindividual Variability in Cytochrome P450 3A and 1A Activity Influences Sunitinib Metabolism and Bioactivation

Sunitinib is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor associated with idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity; however, the mechanisms of this toxicity remain unclear. We have previously shown that cytochromes P450 1A2 and 3A4 catalyze sunitinib metabolic activation via oxidative defluorination leading to a chemically reactive, potentially toxic quinoneimine, trapped as a glutathione (GSH) conjugate (M5). The goals of this study were to determine the impact of interindividual variability in P450 1A and 3A activity on sunitinib bioactivation to the reactive quinoneimine and sunitinib N-dealkylation to the primary active metabolite N-desethylsunitinib (M1). Experiments were conducted in vitro using single-donor human liver microsomes and human hepatocytes. Relative sunitinib metabolite levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In human liver microsomes, the P450 3A inhibitor ketoconazole significantly reduced M1 formation compared to the control. The P450 1A2 inhibitor furafylline significantly reduced defluorosunitinib (M3) and M5 formation compared to the control but had minimal effect on M1. In CYP3A5-genotyped human liver microsomes from 12 individual donors, M1 formation was highly correlated with P450 3A activity measured by midazolam 1'-hydroxylation, and M3 and M5 formation was correlated with P450 1A2 activity estimated by phenacetin O-deethylation. M3 and M5 formation was also associated with P450 3A5-selective activity. In sandwich-cultured human hepatocytes, the P450 3A inducer rifampicin significantly increased M1 levels. P450 1A induction by omeprazole markedly increased M3 formation and the generation of a quinoneimine-cysteine conjugate (M6) identified as a downstream metabolite of M5. The nonselective P450 inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole reduced each of these metabolites (M1, M3, and M6). Collectively, these findings indicate that P450 3A activity is a key determinant of sunitinib N-dealkylation to the active metabolite M1, and P450 1A (and potentially 3A5) activity influences sunitinib bioactivation to the reactive quinoneimine metabolite. Accordingly, modulation of P450 activity due to genetic and/or nongenetic factors may impact the risk of sunitinib-associated toxicities.

Cytochrome P450-Catalyzed Metabolism of Cannabidiol to the Active Metabolite 7-Hydroxy-Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring nonpsychotoxic phytocannabinoid that has gained increasing attention as a popular consumer product and for its use in Food and Drug Administration-approved Epidiolex (CBD oral solution) for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. CBD was previously reported to be metabolized primarily by CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, with minor contributions from UDP-glucuronosyltransferases. 7-Hydroxy-CBD (7-OH-CBD) is the primary active metabolite with equipotent activity compared with CBD. Given the polymorphic nature of CYP2C19, we hypothesized that variable CYP2C19 expression may lead to interindividual differences in CBD metabolism to 7-OH-CBD. The objectives of this study were to further characterize the roles of cytochrome P450 enzymes in CBD metabolism, specifically to the active metabolite 7-OH-CBD, and to investigate the impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism on CBD metabolism in genotyped human liver microsomes. The results from reaction phenotyping experiments with recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes and cytochrome P450-selective chemical inhibitors indicated that both CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 are capable of CBD metabolism to 7-OH-CBD. CYP3A played a major role in CBD metabolic clearance via oxidation at sites other than the 7-position. In genotyped human liver microsomes, 7-OH-CBD formation was positively correlated with CYP2C19 activity but was not associated with CYP2C19 genotype. In a subset of single-donor human liver microsomes with moderate to low CYP2C19 activity, CYP2C9 inhibition significantly reduced 7-OH-CBD formation, suggesting that CYP2C9 may play a greater role in CBD 7-hydroxylation than previously thought. Collectively, these data indicate that both CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 are important contributors in CBD metabolism to the active metabolite 7-OH-CBD. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study demonstrates that both CYP2C19 and CYP2C9 are involved in CBD metabolism to the active metabolite 7-OH-CBD and that CYP3A4 is a major contributor to CBD metabolism through pathways other than 7-hydroxylation. 7-OH-CBD formation was associated with human liver microsomal CYP2C19 activity, but not CYP2C19 genotype, and CYP2C9 was found to contribute significantly to 7-OH-CBD generation. These findings have implications for patients taking CBD who may be at risk for clinically important cytochrome P450-mediated drug interactions.