High-performance liquid chromatography method using ultraviolet detection for the quantification of aripiprazole and dehydroaripiprazole in psychiatric patients

BACKGROUND

Aripiprazole (ARI) is an antipsychotic drug that is metabolized to dehydroaripiprazole (DARI) by CYP2D6. Because of the large interindividual variability in ARI and DARI plasma concentrations, therapeutic drug monitoring may be of use in psychiatric patients during treatment with ARI. The aim of the present study was to develop a simple and reliable method for the quantitative determination of ARI and DARI in plasma using liquid-liquid extraction and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) detection. The method was tested in psychiatric patients during regular treatment with ARI.

METHODS

Separation was by the liquid-liquid method, and UV detection at 254 nm. Linear responses for ARI and DARI were obtained between 2 and 1000 ng/mL, and precision assays were lower than 10.4 for both analytes.

RESULTS

Lower limit of quantification and detection were 1 and 0.38 ng/mL for ARI and 0.78 and 0.44 ng/mL for DARI, respectively. The method was successfully applied to plasma samples drawn from 22 patients with concentrations ranging between 2 and 189 ng/mL for ARI and between 11 and 359 ng/mL for DARI.

CONCLUSIONS

The chromatographic method developed has been demonstrated to be sensitive and reliable for the measurement of ARI and DARI simultaneously in human plasma, and the present method represents an alternative procedure to evaluate plasma concentration in patients during treatment with ARI.

Relevance of CYP2D6-1584C>G polymorphism for thioridazine:mesoridazine plasma concentration ratio in psychiatric patients

Aims: The CYP2D6 -1584C>G (rs1080985) polymorphism has been identified as another major factor for CYP2D6 function that is possibly associated with ultrarapid metabolism. The mutant -1584G promoter genotype seems to be consistently related to a higher protein expression than -1584C. However, the impact this SNP in the CYP2D6 promoter region has on plasma levels of patients taking CYP2D6 substrates, such as thioridazine, has not been studied. Previously, we showed the validity of the mesoridazine:thioridazine ratio to assess CYP2D6 activity in clinical settings. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the presence of the CYP2D6 -1584C>G polymorphism and the plasma concentrations of thioridazine and its metabolites in a previously studied population of patients in order to evaluate the implications for CYP2D6 hydroxylation capacity. Materials & methods: The CYP2D6 -1584C>G polymorphism was determined by using a PCR-RFLP method in 61 Caucasian psychiatric patients receiving thioridazine monotherapy. Results: Among patients with two active CYP2D6 genes, there were significant differences in the thioridazine:mesoridazine plasma concentrations ratio (p < 0.05) among the three CYP2D6 -1584C>G genotype groups. Moreover, in this group of patients the thioridazine:mesoridazine ratio was lower (p < 0.05) in carriers of CYP2D6 -1584G allele than in patients homozygous for CYP2D6 -1584C allele. However, no differences in thioridazine or its metabolite concentrations between homozygous CYP2D6 -1584C allele carriers and carriers of the -1584G allele were found. Conclusion: According to the present results the concentration ratio of thioridazine to mesoridazine was related to the CYP2D6 -1584C>G polymorphism. It is likely that individuals who carry CYP2D6 -1584G versus homozygotes for the -1584C allele may present an increased CYP2D6 activity.

QTc interval, CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes and risperidone plasma concentrations

The role of certain drug metabolizing enzymes in cardiotoxicity, such as CYP2D6 for thioridazine, has been suggested. Risperidone has been shown to inhibit the delayed rectifier leading to lengthening of cardiac repolarization. The heart-rate corrected QT (QTc) interval lengthening has been reported in psychiatric patients receiving risperidone under steady-state conditions. CYP2D6 is involved in the metabolism of risperidone to 9-hydroxy (OH)-risperidone. CYP2C9 enzyme is also involved in the metabolism of several psychotropic drugs, although there are no data about its implication in risperidone metabolism. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes, and plasma concentrations of risperidone and 9-OH-risperidone on the QTc interval in patients under steady-state conditions. The relevance of CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes on risperidone metabolism was also analysed. Thirty-five White European psychiatric patients receiving risperidone monotherapy were studied. QTc interval was longer (p < 0.05) in subjects with one active CYP2D6 gene compared to those with two. The number of CYP2D6 active genes was related to the dose-corrected plasma concentration of risperidone (p < 0.05), the active moiety (risperidone plus 9-OH-risperidone) (p < 0.05) and the risperidone/9-OH-risperidone ratio (p < 0.05). CYP2C9 genotypes were not related to plasma concentrations of risperidone or 9-OH-risperidone, nor QTc interval. The results suggest that CYP2D6, but not CYP2C9, may be related to QTc lengthening during treatment with risperidone. The effect of the CYP2D6 genotype in risperidone metabolism is also shown.

Relationship between Haloperidol Plasma Concentration, Debrisoquine Metabolic Ratio,CYP2D6andCYP2C9Genotypes in Psychiatric Patients

BACKGROUND

Around seven percent of Caucasians are poor metabolizers of cytochrome P450, CYP2D6 due to genetically impaired activity of the enzyme. Haloperidol in vitro and in vivo inhibits the activity of CYP2D6 and also the involvement of the enzyme in haloperidol metabolism has been reported. The present study was aimed to evaluate the possible inhibition of CYP2D6 during haloperidol treatment, and to determine the effect of CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes on the plasma concentration of haloperidol.

METHODS

Thirty Caucasian psychiatric patients under haloperidol monotherapy were studied. CYP2D6 activity was evaluated by the debrisoquine metabolic ratio (MR), subjects with MR > 12.6 were named as poor metabolizers. Haloperidol plasma concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

The number of patients with debrisoquine MR > 12.6 was higher than the expected comparing to healthy volunteers (13 % vs. 6.6 %, respectively). Debrisoquine MR was correlated with the dose of haloperidol (r = 0.40, p < 0.05), and also with the plasma concentration (r = 0.58, p < 0.001). Additionally, three patients comedicated with inhibitors of CYP2D6 were studied, all of them had a debrisoquine MR > 12.6, however only one was genetically poor metabolizer of CYP2D6. CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes were not related to the dose or plasma concentration of haloperidol.

CONCLUSIONS

The present data support the dose-dependent inhibitory effect of haloperidol on CYP2D6, and the influence of this enzyme activity on haloperidol plasma concentration under steady-state conditions. The inhibitory effect of haloperidol on CYP2D6 enzyme activity may result in drug interactions and unexpected high plasma concentrations when drugs metabolized by the same enzyme are given concomitantly with haloperidol.

Thioridazine steady-state plasma concentrations are influenced by tobacco smoking and CYP2D6, but not by the CYP2C9 genotype

BACKGROUND

Approximately 7% of Caucasians have genetically impaired activity of the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6 and are classified as poor metabolizers (PM). The disposition of thioridazine has been related to the CYP2D6 phenotype. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 genotypes, and tobacco smoking on steady-state thioridazine plasma levels.

METHODS

Seventy-six Caucasian psychiatric patients receiving thioridazine monotherapy were studied. Debrisoquine metabolic ratio (MR) and steady-state plasma levels of thioridazine and its metabolites, mesoridazine and sulforidazine, as well as CYP2D6 (in 74 patients) and CYP2C9 (in 63 patients) genotypes were determined.

RESULTS

The median dose-corrected, steady-state plasma concentrations (C/D) of thioridazine were related to the number of functional CYP2D6 alleles ( P<0.01), being 15.2, 7.2, 4.0, 4.2 nmol/l per milligram in subjects with no, one, two, and three or more functional CYP2D6 genes, respectively. No significant differences were found in the C/Ds of mesoridazine or sulforidazine. No relationship was found between CYP2C9 genotype and plasma levels of thioridazine or its metabolites. The median C/D of thioridazine was significantly ( P<0.001) lower in smokers (4.0 nmol/l per milligram, range: 1.0-15.5; n=58) than in nonsmokers (7.4 nmol/l per milligram, range: 2.8-23.6; n=18). Also, the C/Ds of mesoridazine and sulforidazine were lower in smokers ( P<0.01). The plasma thioridazine/mesoridazine ratio significantly correlated with the debrisoquine MR ( r(2)=0.30, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results show that the plasma concentrations of thioridazine and its metabolites are influenced by tobacco smoking and the CYP2D6 genotype, and support the dose-dependent inhibition of CYP2D6 by thioridazine. CYP2C9 does not play an important role in thioridazine metabolism.

Schizophrenia and tobacco smoking in a Spanish psychiatric hospital

This study in a Spanish hospital replicated two US studies suggesting that schizophrenia is associated with smoking when compared with other severe mental illnesses. Neither antipsychotics nor institutionalism could explain this relationship. Seventy of the 100 schizophrenic and 53 of the 100 non-schizophrenic inpatients were current smokers. After correcting for confounding factors, schizophrenia increased the risk of smoking by 2- to 3-fold. Heavy smoking was not associated with schizophrenia.

Determination of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection in psychiatric patients

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the simultaneous determination of the widely used antidepressant drug, fluoxetine and its principal metabolite norfluoxetine in plasma. After liquid-liquid extraction the compounds were separated in a reversed-phase column and assayed by ultraviolet absorption at 226 nm. The analytical interference from psychoactive drugs and their metabolites was also studied. The extraction recoveries were 93 and 87% for norfluoxetine and fluoxetine, respectively. The limit of quantitation under the described conditions was 14 nmol/l for both compounds. The method was found to be reproducible with coefficients of variation less than 10%. A great variability in plasma concentrations of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine as well as in fluoxetine/norfluoxetine ratios was found among the 29 patients studied. This result suggests the implication of genetically polymorphic enzymes, presumably CYP2D6, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in the metabolism of fluoxetine to norfluoxetine. Therapeutic drug monitoring should thus be useful in patients treated with regular doses.

QTc interval lengthening is related to CYP2D6 hydroxylation capacity and plasma concentration of thioridazine in patients

Thioridazine cardiotoxicity has been associated with a prolonged heart-rate corrected QT (QTc) interval. However, no systematic studies have been performed on patients at therapeutic doses. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of dose and plasma concentration of thioridazine and CYP2D6 enzyme status on the QTc interval in psychiatric patients. Sixty-five Spanish European psychiatric patients receiving thioridazine antipsychotic monotherapy were studied. The plasma levels of thioridazine and its metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. All patients were phenotyped for CYP2D6 activity with debrisoquine during treatment. Thirty-five patients (54%) had a QTc interval over 420 ms. The lengthening of QTc interval was correlated with plasma concentration (p < 0.05) and daily dose (p < 0.05) of thioridazine. CYP2D6 enzyme hydroxylation capacity, evaluated by debrisoquine metabolic ratio (MR) (p < 0.05) and thioridazine/mesoridazine ratio (p < 0.05), was also correlated with QTc intervals. The present study shows the relationship between QTc interval lengthening among psychiatric patients treated at therapeutical doses with the dose and the plasma concentration of thioridazine. Since debrisoquine MR has been shown to be correlated with the QTc intervals, CYP2D6 enzyme hydroxylation capacity might be relevant in determining the risk for QTc interval lengthening. Patients with impaired CYP2D6 enzyme activity due to enzyme inhibition by thioridazine might be more prone to increased risk of sudden death due to torsade de pointes type cardiac dysrhythmia.