title: Effect of L-leucine on oral melphalan kinetics in patients.
abstract: Melphalan uptake in the intestine has recently been shown to be an energy-dependent process which is affected by metabolic inhibitors. It is therefore theoretically possible that amino acids in food could reduce melphalan absorption by competing for uptake at the sites of absorption in the intestine. Since L-leucine has been shown to be the most potent inhibitor of melphalan transport into cells in vitro, this amino acid was chosen for the present study in patients. Oral melphalan (4.5 +/- 0.5 mg/m2) was given to ten fasting patients with and without a 2-g oral dose of L-leucine on separate randomized occasions at least 1 week apart. Melphalan plasma levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for 5-h after dosing. L-Leucine plasma levels were measured by HPLC before and at 1 h after dosing. The area under the curve for melphalan was lower in seven of the patients after L-leucine. Plasma L-leucine levels 1 h after melphalan administration were 15.4 +/- 3.7 micrograms/ml fasting and 35.4 +/- 5.2 micrograms/ml after L-leucine. The results indicate that L-leucine can reduce plasma melphalan levels in some patients, probably through a reduction in absorption of the drug from the gastrointestinal tract. However, the effect, like that of food, is highly variable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, SA.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotasek
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rogerson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sage
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007930:Leucine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007930:Leucine; D008558:Melphalan