title: The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the stereoisomers of mivacurium in patients receiving nitrous oxide/opioid/barbiturate anesthesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mivacurium consists of a mixture of three stereoisomers: cis-trans (34-40%), trans-trans (52-60%), and cis-cis (4-8%). These isomers differ in potency (the trans-trans and the cis-trans isomers are equipotent and the cis-cis isomer is 1/13th as potent a neuromuscular blocking agent) and in rates of in vitro hydrolysis (in vitro half-lives are less than 2 min for the cis-trans and trans-trans isomers and 276 min for the cis-cis isomer). The current study was undertaken to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of the individual stereoisomers of mivacurium, to evaluate the dose-proportionality of the more potent trans-trans and cis-trans isomers, and to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of mivacurium in healthy adult patients receiving a consecutive two-step infusion of mivacurium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen ASA physical status 1 or 2 adult male patients undergoing elective surgery under nitrous oxide/oxygen/fentanyl anesthesia were studied. Neuromuscular function was monitored using a mechanomyograph at a frequency of 0.15 Hz. An infusion of mivacurium was begun at 5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1. Sixty minutes later, the infusion rate was doubled to 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, and, 60 min after that, the infusion was discontinued. All patients were allowed to recover spontaneously from mivacurium-induced neuromuscular block. Venous blood samples were drawn for the determination of the plasma concentrations of each isomer of mivacurium by a stereospecific high performance liquid chromatographic method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using noncompartmental analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 5-micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion, patients developed 83.2 +/- 13.6% neuromuscular block. Increasing the infusion to 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 increased the depth of block to 99.0 +/- 2.0%. After discontinuation of the infusion, patients returned to 25% of their baseline muscle strength in 9.3 +/- 3.7 min and had 25-75% and 5-95% recovery indexes of 7.2 +/- 1.8 and 16.8 +/- 3.7 min, respectively. The volumes of distribution (V beta) of the cis-trans, trans-trans, and cis-cis isomers were 0.29 +/- 0.24, 0.15 +/- 0.05, and 0.34 +/- 0.08 l/kg, respectively. During the 5-micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion, the steady-state clearances of the potent cis-trans and trans-trans isomers were 106 +/- 67 and 63 +/- 34 ml.min-1.kg-1, respectively; the clearance of the less potent cis-cis isomer was 4.6 +/- 1.1 ml.min-1.kg-1. The elimination half-lives of the cis-trans and trans-trans isomers were 1.8 +/- 1.1 and 1.9 +/- 0.7 min, respectively, and that of the cis-cis isomer was 52.9 +/- 19.8 min. Clearance of the cis-trans and trans-trans isomers did not vary with infusion rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short elimination half-lives and high metabolic clearances of the potent cis-trans and trans-trans isomers are consistent with the short duration of action of mivacurium. The cis-cis isomer does not appear to produce significant neuromuscular block as evident by the return of twitch height to baseline despite persistent cis-cis isomer concentrations.
authors.affiliation: New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, New York 10021.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.forename: V D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Schmith
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Embree
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Belmont
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wargin
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Savarese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005283:Fentanyl; D006801:Humans; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077590:Mivacurium; D009407:Nerve Block; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D007546:Isoquinolines; D003473:Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents; D000077590:Mivacurium; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D005283:Fentanyl