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E Schleyer

Publications and source records attributed to E Schleyer.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Oral idarubicin pharmacokinetics--correlation of trough level with idarubicin area under curve.

Idarubicin is the first anthracycline that can be successfully administered via the oral route and thus may facilitate antineoplastic chemotherapy at an improved quality of life. These perspectives are somewhat hampered by the large variation in bioavailability between individual patients and the obvious requirement to monitor plasma concentration and area-under the curve values (AUC) for an appropriate adjustment of idarubicin dose. In this study we describe the pharmacokinetics of idarubicin and its main metabolite idarubicin in 12 patients after oral application of 20 mg/m2 idarubicin on 3 consecutive days and demonstrate that the 24-h trough levels shows high correlation with AUC and may thus allow a rapid and easy determination of individual drug concentrations and an appropriate dose adjustment. The average terminal half-life was 30.5h for idarubicin and 66.9 h for idarubicinol. The AUC for idarubicin and its main metabolite idarubicinol revealed a substantial interpatient variation with AUC values ranging from 25.7 to 114 ng x h/ml (average 58.1 ng x h/ml) for idarubicin and from 109.4 - 445.2 ng x h/ml (average 287.3 ng x h/ml) for idarubicinol. However, the ratio of idarubicin/idarubicinol differed only two-fold from 1:3.7 to 1:7.7 with an average of 1:5.1. Both idarubicin and idarubicinol concentrations were highly reproducible, however, upon measurements after repeated applications within individual patients. Moreover, idarubicinol and idarubicin AUCs showed a good correlation with r=0.78, indicating that the interindividual variations of idarubicin AUC reflects differences in absorptions rather than metabolism. In order to describe the interindividual bioavailability of idarubicin - represented by AUC - measurement of a single data point with a high correlation with the AUC would be ideal. Our study demonstrates that the 24-h trough level shows such an excellent correlation (r=0.96) with AUC, making it the perfect candidate for fast estimates of the individual bioavailability in a given patient. On this basis, the longitudinal measurement of the 24-h trough level may allow the assessment of the impact of interindividual variations in AUC of clinical outcome and toxicity.

Acute Disease

Highly sensitive coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the separation and quantitation of the diastereomers of leucovorin and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in serum and urine.

A column-switching chiral HPLC assay was developed that allows the separation and quantitation of the diastereomers of leucovorin (LV, 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid) and its metabolite 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (METHF) in serum and urine by means of fluorescence detection. The analysis procedure consists of an on-line concentration of the folates in the HPLC system which is followed by the elution and separation of folates on an achiral 3-microns Microbore C18 column in (6R,S)-LV and (6R,S)-METHF. (6R,S)-LV and (6R,S)-METHF are subsequently transferred on-line onto a chiral 7-microns bovine serum albumin column through a Rheodyne valve system and are separated into their diastereometers. Time of analysis is 70 min. Detection limit is 5 ng/ml for each diastereometer. The within-day variation ranges between 3.2 and 15.8% in relation to the measured concentration. Between-day variation is 4.4-12.1% for a concentration of 100 ng/ml for each diastereometer. (6R,S)-LV and (6S)-LV pharmacokinetics were assessed by analyzing serum and urine samples of four-healthy volunteers.

Antineoplastic Agents

Highly sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearyl phosphate (cytarabine-ocfosfate).

An ion-pair HPLC method for the determination of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearyl phosphate (cytarabine-ocfosfate I) was developed, using a phenyl-bonded column under reversed-phase conditions with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-buffered water (pH 6.8) (50:50) for isocratic elution. A reproducible sample clean-up was achieved by solid-phase extraction. In order to reach the low limit of detection of 2 ng/ml, an enrichment switching system was used. The present validation leads to a limit of quantification of 5 ng/ml with a coefficient of variation (C.V.) of 10%. The total time of measurement was shortened by a back-flush procedure to restore the conditions after each run. UV detection at 275 nm was applied. The recoveries for plasma samples ranged from 56.4 to 64.1%, regardless of drug concentrations. The intra-assay C.V. was about 4% (40 measurements at four different concentrations). The inter-assay recovery (ten measurements over ten days) at a plasma concentration of 50 ng/ml was 57% with a C.V. of 8.25%. Based on this HPLC method, the pharmacokinetics of I were measured during a clinical phase I/II study.

Antineoplastic Agents

[Pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine in subcutaneous administration].

UNLABELLED: In this study investigations were carried out on pharmacokinetics of buprenorphine after it had been applied subcutaneously. Up to now no pharmacokinetic data exist using this kind of application with relevant clinical doses. METHODS: With 6 patients, who had major general surgery under balanced anaesthesia, buprenorphine was given in a single subcutaneous injection of 5 micrograms/kg bodyweight for postoperative pain relief. Over a period of 48 hours the level of buprenorphine in blood plasma was measured. The analyses were done with a modified HPLC method with electrochemical detection which is able to achieve measurements as low as 40 pg/ml of plasma. The pharmacokinetic values were calculated with the "Topfit" pharmacokinetic computerised programme. RESULTS: Whereas the period of time (tmax) to reach peak plasma concentration (Cmax) after subcutaneous application is much longer than with other parenteral application forms, the plasma concentration levels tend to be similar after 20 minutes. The most important finding of this study is that the mean terminal half-life (t1/2c) of buprenorphine is 23 hours. However, the presently available data for other application forms in respect to terminal half-life did not produce the same results. This can be explained by the use of insufficiently sensitive analytical procedures and by too short periods of observation of 3 and 13 hours respectively, leading to values of t1/2c of 2 and 5 hours. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the terminal half-life (t1/2c) of buprenorphine is much longer than had been supposed. It confirms clinical findings of sufficient pain relief by showing measurable uptake of buprenorphine after subcutaneous application.

Aged

Blast cell proliferative activity and sensitivity to GM-CSF in vitro are associated with early response to TAD-9 induction therapy in acute myeloid leukemia.

The current study was undertaken to determine the relevance of leukemic blast cell proliferative activity, cellular parameters of Ara-C metabolism and the in vitro sensitivity to GM-CSF in association with the clinical response to TAD-9 induction therapy in 66 patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Proliferative activity was assessed by 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) incorporation and thymidine kinase (TK) activity, parameters of Ara-C metabolism comprised the activities of deoxycytidine kinase (DCK) and DNA polymerase alpha (poly alpha) as well as Ara-CTP concentrations and 3H-Ara-C uptake into DNA. GM-CSF sensitivity was determined by in vitro incubation of blasts for 48 h with or without GM-CSF (100 U/ml) followed by an additional 4 h concurrent exposure to GM-CSF and 3H-TdR (0.5 microCi/ml). The following results were obtained as expressed by median values and ranges: 3H-TdR incorporation: 1.07 pmol/10(5) cells (0.0-10.1), TK: 7.3 pmol/min/mg protein (1.3-56.0), DCK: 9.3 pmol/min/mg protein (0.77-47.1), poly alpha: 1.7 pmol/min/mg protein (0.00-28.9), Ara-CTP: 53.3 ng/10(7) cells (13.3-211.0), 3H-Ara-C uptake: 0.06 pmol/10(5) cells (0.0-0.57). 3H-Ara-C uptake was correlated with 3H-TdR incorporation (r = 0.74) and with the (S-phase dependent) activities of TK (r = 0.73) and poly alpha (r = 0.71, but not with DCK activity or intracellular Ara-CTP content. Blast cells of 37 from 55 analyzed patients were found to be sensitive to GM-CSF stimulation as defined by an increase in 3H-TdR incorporation > or = 1.5-fold over control values after the 48 h GM-CSF exposure. In vitro data were related with clinical response to TAD-9 induction therapy in 43 patients with newly diagnosed AML, taking the blast cell reduction at day 10 or 16 to < 5% or > or = 5% residual blasts as early parameter for adequate or inadequate response, respectively. While neither 3H-Ara-C uptake, nor intracellular Ara-CTP concentration, TK nor DCK activity were predictive for response, a high 3H-TdR incorporation and a high poly alpha activity were associated with adequate blast cell reduction. Median values of 3H-TdR incorporation were 2.26 pmol/10(5) cells for patients with adequate blast cell clearance and 0.80 pmol/10(5) cells for patients with inadequate blast cell clearance (P = 0.11), the respective values for poly alpha were 3.22 pmol/min/mg protein for responders and 1.1 pmol/min/mg protein for non-responders (P = 0.0085).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

Pharmacokinetics of Ara-CMP-Stearate (YNK01): phase I study of the oral Ara-C derivative.

Ara-CMP-Stearate (1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearylphosphate, YNK 01, Fosteabine) is the orally applicable prodrug of cytosine-arabinoside (Ara-C). During a phase I study in patients with advanced low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas or acute myeloid leukemia, the pharmacokinetic parameters of Ara-CMP-Stearate (kindly provided by ASTA Medica, Frankfurt, Germany) were determined by HPLC analysis. Seventy-two hours after a first starting dose which served for the determination of baseline pharmacokinetic parameters, Ara-CMP-Stearate was administered over 14 days by daily oral application. Ara-CMP-Stearate was started at a dose of 100 mg/day and was escalated in subsequent patients to 200 mg/day and 300 mg/day. Plasma and urine concentrations of Ara-CMP-Stearate, Ara-C and Ara-U were measured during the initial treatment phase and within 72 h after the end of the 14-day treatment cycle. So far six patients have been treated with 100 mg/day, three with 200 mg/day and another six with 300 mg/day. One patient was treated consecutively with 100 mg, 300 mg and 600 mg. Fitting the results of the plasma concentration measurements of Ara-CMP-Stearate to a one-compartment model, the following pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained (average and variation coefficient VC). Ara-CMP-Stearate dose-independent parameters: lag time = 1.04 h (0.57); tmax = 5.72 h (0.30); t1/2 = 9.4 h (0.36). Dose-dependent parameters: at 100 mg: AUC = 1099 ng/h/ml (0.31); concentration(max) = 53.8 ng/ml (0.28); at 200 mg: AUC = 2753 ng/h/ml (0.32); concentration(max) = 154.8 ng/ml (0.46); at 300 mg: AUC = 2940 ng/h/ml (0.66); concentration(max) = 160.0 ng/ml (0.59). The long lag time and late tmax can be explained by resorption in the distal part of the small intestine. No Ara-CMP-Stearate was detected in urine samples (limit of detection = 500 pg/ml). Pharmacokinetic parameters of Ara-C following Ara-CMP-Stearate application showed the following characteristics: t1/2 = 24.3 h (0.39); AUC (100 mg) = 262 ng/h/ml (0.93); AUC (200 mg) = 502 ng/h/ml (0.87); AUC (300 mg) = 898 ng/h/ml (1.07). Since Ara-CMP-Stearate causes intravascular hemolysis after intravenous administration, it was not possible to determine its bioavailability by comparing the AUC after oral and i.v. application. Instead, the renal elimination of Ara-U, as the main metabolite of Ara-C was measured during the first 72-h period and after the last application.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Administration, Oral

New perspectives in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia by hematopoietic growth factors.

The application of hematopoietic growth factors in the treatment on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may principally aim at shortening the period of treatment associated neutropenia and reducing the rate of infectious complications by their post-therapeutic administration but may also be used to increase the sensitivity of leukemic blasts to antileukemic therapy by pretherapeutic growth stimulation. Both aspects were addressed in subsequent clinical phase II studies and preclinical investigations. In a first clinical trial, 36 patients with high-risk AML received granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) after successful cytoreductive chemotherapy and experienced a shortening of the period of post-therapeutic neutropenia by 6 to 9 days, leading to a significant reduction of treatment-associated deaths from 39% to 14%. In preclinical studies an enhancement of the cytotoxicity of cytosine arabinoside (AraC) on leukemic blasts could be shown by pretreatment with GM-CSF or IL-3. Investigations on the impact of hematopoietic growth factors on the intracellular metabolism of AraC indicated that this effect was primarily mediated by an increase in the activity of DNA-polymerase-alpha. The evaluation of different doses of AraC showed the most marked increase after the combination of GM-CSF with conventional rather than high doses of AraC. Based on these preclinical experiments, a prospective randomized trial was subsequently initiated investigating the effect of GM-CSF before and during induction, consolidation, and the first two cycles of maintenance chemotherapy in newly diagnosed AML. This ongoing trial has enrolled 67 patients at the current time. An early interim analysis showed no differences in remission rates but a tendency toward a longer remission duration in patients receiving GM-CSF. These data indicate that hematopoietic growth factors like GM-CSF in particular may provide a new perspective in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia with the possibility of reducing treatment associated mortality and perhaps of increasing the efficacy of antileukemic treatment.

Acute Disease

New aspects on the pharmacokinetics of mitoxantrone and its two major metabolites.

In spite of its broad clinical application in the treatment of malignant disorders, the pharmacokinetics of mitoxantrone are still not fully understood and warrant further investigation. Information is also limited about interindividual differences in the plasma AUC infinity (area-under-the-curve concentration to time infinity) and renal elimination of mitoxantrone and its main metabolites, mono- and dicarboxylic acid. In the present study, the plasma concentration of mitoxantrone was measured by HPLC during 120 h after the end of a 30-min infusion of 10 mg/m2 in 18 patients undergoing combination therapy with mitoxantrone and high-dose cytosine arabinoside for acute myeloid leukemia. Plasma kinetics and renal elimination of mono- and dicarboxylic acid were analyzed in addition in eight of these patients, and in five cases with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receiving a 30-min infusion of 5 mg/m2 mitoxantrone weekly for 3 consecutive weeks. Fitting the results to a three compartment model, a substantial interindividual variation was observed for plasma and urine pharmacokinetics. Plasma AUC infinity for mitoxantrone differed approximately 13-fold between individual patients and varied between 80-1030 ngh/ml. The corresponding values for mono- and dicarboxylic acid ranged from 23-147 ngh/ml and 51-471 ngh/ml, respectively. The median terminal half-life for mitoxantrone was similar to that of the mono- and dicarboxylic acid and was 75 h. Cumulative renal elimination ranged from 670-1950 micrograms for mitoxantrone, from 366-852 micrograms for monocarboxylic acid, and from 792-3420 micrograms for dicarboxylic acid. Renal clearance of mitoxantrone reached a median level of 69 ml/min and for the total plasma clearance a median of 1136 ml/min was found. The corresponding values for the mono- and dicarboxymetabolites were 57 and 67 ml/min. In contrast to the great interindividual differences in pharmacokinetic results, a low intraindividual variability was observed upon repeated determinations of renal elimination of mitoxantrone and its metabolites at weekly intervals in five patients. These data provide new insights into the pharmacokinetic of mitoxantrone and its main metabolites revealing substantial differences in drug metabolism and elimination between individual patients. Further studies are needed to explore the potential impact on response and/or toxicity and the requirement of a pharmacokinetic directed adjustment of drug dosage in clinical trials.

Acute Disease

Modulation of intracellular metabolism of cytosine arabinoside in acute myeloid leukemia by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

The current study investigated the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on the intracellular metabolism and cytotoxicity of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) in leukemic cells of 45 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML blasts from bone marrow (BM) (n = 39) and peripheral blood (PB) (n = 17) were incubated for 48 h with or without GM-CSF (100 U/ml) followed by a concurrent treatment with increasing concentrations of araC (0.06-100 microM) for an additional 24 h. After GM-CSF a 1.5-8.4-fold (median 2.3) increase in 3H-araC incorporation into the DNA was observed in ten of 14 peripheral blast specimens and in 23 of 28 bone marrow samples, 18 of whom also showed an enhanced 3H-TdR incorporation (1.5-8.5-fold, median 2.0-fold). Four different types of response were identified when analyzing 3H-araC incorporation into the DNA of bone marrow samples in relation to the applied araC dose: (i) 8/28 cases had increases of the araC incorporation at all araC dose levels applied (0.06-100 microM), (ii) 12/28 at low araC concentrations only (0.06-1.0 microM), (iii) 3/28 at high araC concentrations only (10-100 microM), and (iv) 5/28 showed no increase at any dose level given. Hence, 20 of the 23 responding patients revealed a GM-CSF induced enhancement of araC incorporation at low or conventional doses of araC (0.06-1.0 microM). Fourteen of the 18 cases with concomitant rises of 3H-TdR and 3H-araC incorporation into the DNA after GM-CSF had elevated DNA polymerase alpha activity (16-531%, median 72%) and in ten cases overall DNA polymerase activity was enhanced (10-70%, median 22.5%). In contrast, thymidine kinase (TK) and deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) activity were elevated after GM-CSF in only ten and five patients, respectively. An increase in the fraction of cells in S phase was found in 11/21 bone marrow specimens and in 5/9 peripheral blast samples. However, no correlation was observed between increases in the proportion of cells in S phase and enhancements in enzyme activities. In 13 cases the cytotoxicity of araC with and without GM-CSF was assessed by means of a blast cell colony assay. Preincubation with GM-CSF increased the araC mediated cytotoxicity in ten of 13 patients by a median of 3.2-fold (range 2.2-229-fold). The respective LD50 values for araC were reduced from 0.45 to 0.19 microM on average.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent

Column-switching solid-phase trace-enrichment high-performance liquid chromatographic method for measurement of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in human plasma and urine by electrochemical detection.

We describe a new high-performance liquid chromatographic method using electrochemical detection for the determination of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine in plasma and urine. The minimum concentration for detection of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine is 40 pg/ml. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (C.V.) in plasma and urine samples ranges from 6 to 17% depending on the drug concentration. At a plasma concentration of 500 pg/ml the inter-assay C.V. is 8% for buprenorphine and 9% for norbuprenorphine. The analysis duration is 16 min. After solid-phase extraction and evaporation a valve-switching system with two Rheodyne valves enables sample enrichment, optimal sample cleaning and rapid elution of long-retained substances.

Buprenorphine

Differences in the intracellular pharmacokinetics of cytosine arabinoside (AraC) between circulating leukemic blasts and normal mononuclear blood cells.

The increasing insights into the pharmacokinetics and the metabolism of cytosine arabinoside (AraC) have improved the rationale for its application in leukemia therapy and have led to a pharmacologically directed design of antileukemic treatment. The current study aims at adding to this approach by detecting differences in the intracellular metabolism of AraC 5'-triphosphate (AraCTP) between leukemic and normal mononuclear blood cells. Measurements of intracellular AraCTP levels were complemented by determinations of plasma AraC and AraU concentrations and were performed in 32 patients with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing combination therapy including either conventional (100 mg/m2 daily) or high-dose (1.0 or 3.0 g/m2 twice daily) AraC. Plasma AraC concentration showed a linear relationship to the applied AraC dose but did not correlate with intracellular AraCTP levels. During conventional-dose AraC therapy little interpatient variation was observed in AraCTP retention times in leukemic blasts from 5 patients with t1/2 values ranging from 1.70 to 2.50 h (median 2.14 h). In all cases AraCTP levels declined rapidly after the end of the AraC infusion. Substantial differences in AraCTP retention times were revealed, however, during 3 h infusions of either 1.0 or 3.0 g/m2 AraC in leukemic blasts from 10 patients with t1/2 values between 1.60 to 7.63 h (median 2.42 h). In addition, AraCTP levels declined in only one patient by > 10% within the first hour after the end of therapy and remained constant or even increased up to 1.5-fold in a post-treatment period of 1 to 2.5 h in the other nine cases. In contrast, AraCTP retention times were relatively uniform in normal mononuclear blood cells from 11 patients with t1/2 values of 3.34 to 5.29 h (median 3.85 h). More importantly, AraCTP levels dropped by > 10% within the first hour after the end of the high-dose AraC infusion in eight of 11 cases. A post-therapeutic increase > 10% was not observed in any patient. Similar findings emerged after in vitro exposure of normal bone marrow cells from six healthy volunteers to 20 mumol/l AraC for 3 h revealing a > 10% decrease of intracellular AraCTP within the first post-treatment hour in all cases with AraCTP retention times of 2.29 to 8.63 h (median 3.20 h). These differences in AraCTP pharmacokinetics between leukemic and normal blood cells may provide the basis for a modified timing of AraC administration with the aim of selectively maintaining cytotoxic AraCTP levels in leukemic blasts while allowing an intermittent drop of AraCTP levels in normal cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acute Disease

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3 enhance the incorporation of cytosine arabinoside into the DNA of leukemic blasts and the cytotoxic effect on clonogenic cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

In the present study the effects of the 48-hour administration of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (100 U/mL) or interleukin-3 (IL-3) (100 U/mL) on the proliferative activity of leukemic cells and on the intracellular metabolism and cytotoxic efficacy of a subsequent 12-hour application of cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) at doses of 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, and 100.0 mumol/L were evaluated on bone marrow cells from 17 patients with acute myeloid leukemia. After GM-CSF or IL-3, a 1.2- to 2.4-fold increase in S-phase cells was observed in nine of 14 GM-CSF and seven of 11 IL-3 cases. 3H-Cytosine arabinoside incorporation into the DNA was enhanced 1.33- to 18.3-fold over respective controls in 14 of 17 patients. While in control specimens are ara-C dose-dependent increase in 3H-ara-C uptake was accompanied by a corresponding rise in intracellular ara-C-5' triphosphate (ara-CTP) levels, ara-CTP concentrations were not increased after GM-CSF or IL-3 exposure, resulting in a higher ara-C to ara-CTP ratio over controls. This finding may be explained by a stimulatory effect of GM-CSF and IL-3 on ara-C phosphorylating enzymes and a more rapid incorporation of ara-CTP into the DNA of leukemic blasts. These effects translated into a 2.2- to 229.0-fold increase in the cytotoxic activity of ara-C against clonogenic leukemic cells after GM-CSF or IL-3 pretreatment. Hence, GM-CSF and IL-3 enhance the intracellular metabolism of ara-C and its incorporation into the DNA of leukemic cells leading to a higher antileukemic activity of ara-C on clonogenic leukemic cells (CFU-L).

Acute Disease

Intracellular cytosine arabinoside accumulation and cytosine arabinoside triphosphate formation in leukemic blast cells is inhibited by etoposide and teniposide.

Cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) is one of the most active compounds in the treatment of acute leukemias. In the majority of current protocols ara-C is combined with other cytotoxic agents in an attempt to increase antileukemic activity. The present study investigated the impact of etoposide, teniposide, amsacrine, mitoxantrone, anthracyclines, and asparaginase on the cellular accumulation of ara-C and its intracellular metabolism in order to provide a better rationale for combination therapy. Intracellular accumulation and phosphorylation of ara-C were determined in peripheral blast cells from twenty patients with acute leukemias after exposure to 1 and 10 mumol/l ara-C alone and after preincubation with 1 and 10 micrograms/ml etoposide, 10 and 100 micrograms/ml teniposide, 10 mumol/l amsacrine, 500 ng/ml mitoxantrone (or daunorubicin or doxorubicin) or 10 mumol/l asparaginase. Ara-C accumulation at 10 mumol/l was decreased by 1 microgram/ml etoposide (67 +/- 18% of control), 10 micrograms/ml etoposide (30 +/- 22%), 10 micrograms/ml teniposide (12 +/- 23%), 100 micrograms/ml teniposide (10 +/- 18%), and amsacrine (51 +/- 21%). Intracellular ara-CTP formation was determined at an extracellular concentration of 10 mumol/l and preincubation with these drugs. The intracellular formation of ara-CTP was decreased by 1 microgram/ml etoposide (77 +/- 15% of control), 10 micrograms/ml etoposide (32 +/- 22%), 10 micrograms/ml teniposide (10 +/- 9%), 100 micrograms/ml teniposide (0 +/- 0%), but not by amsacrine. These data indicate that prior exposure to etoposide and teniposide influence ara-C metabolism and possibly cytotoxicity, and thus should not immediately precede ara-C administration in clinical trials.

Acute Disease

High-dose versus intermediate-dose cytosine arabinoside in combination with mitoxantrone for the treatment of relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia--preliminary clinical and pharmacological data of a randomized comparison.

The present randomized trial addressed the pending question whether cytosine arabinoside (AraC) should be given at high or intermediate dose to patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Based upon the previously established regimen of the sequential administration of AraC and mitoxantrone (S-HAM) patients below 60 years of age were randomized to receive AraC at either 3.0 g/m2 vs. 1.0 g/m2 per dose while older patients were randomly assigned to either 1.0 g/m2 or 0.5 g/m2 AraC. Concurrent pharmacokinetic analyses were performed to determine the plasma AraC pharmacokinetics as well as the intracellular AraCTP peak concentrations and retention times. At the present stage 65 patients are evaluable for response and toxicity. Complete remissions were achieved at similar frequencies for patients treated with 3.0 g/m2 or 1.0 g/m2 AraC with 56% and 50%, respectively. Reasons for failure were different, however, with a higher incidence of resistant disease in patients treated with 1.0 g/m2 AraC and more early deaths in the higher dose treatment group. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated a homogeneous distribution of AraC plasma concentrations but a substantial interpatient variability for intracellular AraCTP peak concentrations and retention times.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

Detection and separation of intracellular 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5-triphosphate by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography.

An ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatographic method, using a reversed-phase C18 column, was developed to provide an isocratic, sensitive, fast and reproducible separation of intracellular 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5-triphosphate and its measurement at a low limit of 5 pmol by ultraviolet absorbance at 280 nm with a coefficient of variation lower than 10%. A rapid separation is achieved by using a backflush procedure at 16 min and the retention time is 14 min.

Arabinofuranosylcytosine Triphosphate