title: Kinetics, brain uptake, and receptor binding characteristics of flurazepam and its metabolites.
abstract: The benzodiazepine derivative flurazepam (FLZ) is widely used as a hypnotic, but the relative contributions of FLZ and its metabolites desalkylflurazepam (DA-FLZ), hydroxyethylflurazepam (ETOH-FLZ), and flurazepam aldehyde (CHO-FLZ) to overall clinical activity remain uncertain. A single 20 mg/kg dose of FLZ.HCl was administered to mice, with plasma and brain concentrations of FLZ and metabolites determined during 5 h after dosage. Brain and plasma concentrations of FLZ were maximal at 0.5 h after dosage, then declined rapidly in parallel, whereas those of DAFLZ were maximal at 2 h, then declined slowly. Concentrations of ETOH-FLZ, the most polar metabolite, were maximal at 0.5 h, and were undetectable after 3 h. Little CHO-FLZ was detected in either brain or plasma. A single 30-mg oral dose of FLZ.HCl was given to 18 human volunteers, with plasma levels determined over 9 days. FLZ was detected in plasma at low concentrations for no more than 3 h after dosage. ETOH-FLZ concentrations were higher and persisted for 8 h after dosage. CHO-FLZ reached intermediate peak levels and was present longer than FLZ or ETOH-FLZ. In contrast, DA-FLZ achieved the greatest peak concentrations, occurring at 10 h after dosage. Levels declined very slowly, with a mean half-life of 71.4 h, and were still detectable 9 days after FLZ dosage. Plasma free fractions (percent unbound) in mice were 40.3, 51.4, and 25.0% for FLZ, ETOH-FLZ and DA-FLZ, respectively; in humans, values were 17.2, 35.2, and 3.5%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Greenblatt
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Shader
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005479:Flurazepam / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005479:Flurazepam