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This study aimed to evaluate plasma 4β-hydroxycholesterol as an endogenous marker of CYP3A4/5 activity in early postpartum women and its impact on the plasma disposition of amlodipine. Twenty-seven early postpartum women treated with amlodipine for pregnancy-induced hypertension were enrolled. The plasma concentration of 4β-hydroxycholesterol and its ratio to cholesterol in postpartum and in non-perinatal women were evaluated. The predose plasma concentration of amlodipine was determined at steady state. The medians of the plasma 4β-hydroxycholesterol concentration at day 0-3 and 8-21 after delivery were 146 and 161 ng/mL, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the plasma concentration of 4β-hydroxycholesterol between the postpartum periods. The plasma concentration of 4β-hydroxycholesterol and its ratio to cholesterol in postpartum women were significantly higher than those in non-perinatal women. A large individual variability was observed in the dose-normalized plasma concentration of amlodipine in early postpartum women. A weak negative correlation was observed between the dose-normalized plasma concentration of amlodipine and the plasma concentration of 4β-hydroxycholesterol. In conclusion, early postpartum women possessed higher CYP3A activity based on plasma 4β-hydroxycholesterol and had a large pharmacokinetic variability in amlodipine. CYP3A activity during the early postpartum period had an effect on the plasma disposition of amlodipine.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the concentrations of plasma fentanyl and serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol based on CYP3A5 genotype and gender in cancer patients. Thirty-three Japanese cancer patients treated with transdermal fentanyl were enrolled. The concentrations of plasma fentanyl and norfentanyl, and serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol and total cholesterol were determined at day 8 or later after starting the medication. The plasma fentanyl concentration was significantly higher in the CYP3A5*3/*3 group than in the *1 allele carrier group. The *3/*3 group had a lower metabolic ratio of fentanyl. The serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol concentration and its ratio to total cholesterol were significantly lower in the CYP3A5*3/*3 group than in the *1 allele carrier group. The concentrations of plasma fentanyl and serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol were significantly higher in women than in men. Gender did not affect the metabolic ratio of fentanyl or the concentration ratio of 4β-hydroxycholesterol. The plasma fentanyl concentration was not correlated with the serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol concentration, while the metabolic ratio of fentanyl was slightly correlated with the serum concentration ratio of 4β-hydroxycholesterol. In conclusion, CYP3A5*3 and gender affected the plasma fentanyl and serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol concentrations in cancer patients. However, the plasma disposition of fentanyl was not determined using the serum 4β-hydroxycholesterol concentration.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of CYP3A5 and ABCB1 gene polymorphisms on fentanyl pharmacokinetics and clinical responses in cancer patients undergoing conversion to a transdermal system. Sixty Japanese cancer patients being treated with a fentanyl transdermal reservoir system according to the current Japanese guidelines were enrolled. Blood samples were obtained 192 h after conversion to the fentanyl transdermal system. Clinical responses after fentanyl application were evaluated by determining the incidences of adverse effects and rescue medication. The plasma concentration of fentanyl normalized with the measured absorption rate was significantly higher in the CYP3A5*3/*3 group than in the *1/*1 and *1/*3 groups (p = 0.048 and 0.021, respectively). Greater incidences of central adverse effects were observed in CYP3A5*3/*3 patients than in *1/*1+*1/*3 patients (odds ratio [OR], 3.49; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.13-10.75; p = 0.029). Fewer patients with the ABCB1 1236TT allele than the 1236C allele needed rescue medication (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.89; p = 0.036). CYP3A5*3 affected the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl and increased the incidence of central adverse effects. ABCB1 1236TT was associated with decreased administration of rescue medication after switching to the transdermal fentanyl system. In conclusion, these gene polymorphisms may predict clinical responses to fentanyl in cancer patients being converted to the transdermal system.

The aim of this open-label, randomized, and 3-period crossover study was to evaluate the influences of concomitant antacid administration on the plasma disposition, intestinal absorption, and urinary excretion of gabapentin in humans. Gabapentin (200 mg) was orally administered alone, with 1 g magnesium oxide (MgO), or with 20 mg omeprazole to 13 healthy adult subjects. Oral bioavailability (BA) of gabapentin was estimated by 24-h urine collection. The C(max), T(max) and AUC(0-∞) of gabapentin + MgO were significantly lower than that of gabapentin alone (by 33%, 36% and 43%, respectively) and gabapentin + omeprazole (by 29%, 46% and 40%, respectively). In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the plasma disposition parameters of gabapentin between the treatments with and without omeprazole. The gabapentin BA in the MgO treatment was significantly lower, by 32% and 39%, compared to the gabapentin alone and with omeprazole treatment, respectively. There was no significant difference in the gabapentin BA between the gabapentin alone and with omeprazole treatment. Concomitant MgO and omeprazole did not affect the renal clearance of gabapentin. In conclusion, concomitant MgO decreased the gabapentin exposure through the reduction of intestinal absorption extent and rate. This reduction may be independent of the suppression of gastrointestinal acidification caused by antacids.