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Studies on the pharmacokinetics of chlorambucl and prednimustine in patients using a new high-performance liquid chromatographic assay

  • Original Articles
  • Prednimustine, Chlorambucil, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Comparative Pharmacokinetics
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Summary

Following the oral administration of either chlorambucil/prednisolone or prednimustine to patients, the plasma levels of free chlorambucil and phenylacetic acid mustard, the β-oxidation product of chlorambucil, were measured using a new high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay. This assay permitted the simultaneous detection of the analyzed compounds with a lower limit of detection of 30 ng/ml. The pharmacokinetics of chlorambucil and phenylacetic acid mustard were found to be entirely different when prednimustine was administered as opposed to its components chlorambucil and prednisolone together. After the ingestion of the conjugate, the plasma concentration-time curves of chlorambucil and phenylacetic acid mustard showed a “delayed” pattern compared with those obtained after the administration of the components. The mean area under the concentration-time curves (AUCs) of prednimustine-derived chlorambucil and phenylacetic acid mustard were 25% and 40%, respectively, of the areas obtained after a stoichiometrically equivalent dose of chlorambucil. Free plasma prednimustine could not be detected at any time. This different pharmacokinetic behavior might offer an explanation for the superior therapeutic effects of prednimustine demonstrated by clinical studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-5300, Bonn 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    Matthias M. Oppitz, Eugen Musch, Mouhammad Malek, Hans P. Rüb, Gerd E. von Unruh & Ulrich Loos

  2. Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, D-5300, Bonn 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    Brigitte Mühenbruch

Authors
  1. Matthias M. Oppitz
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  2. Eugen Musch
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  3. Mouhammad Malek
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  4. Hans P. Rüb
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  5. Gerd E. von Unruh
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  6. Ulrich Loos
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  7. Brigitte Mühenbruch
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Supported by the Ministry of Science and Research, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen

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Oppitz, M.M., Musch, E., Malek, M. et al. Studies on the pharmacokinetics of chlorambucl and prednimustine in patients using a new high-performance liquid chromatographic assay. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 23, 208–212 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00451643

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00451643

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