title: CSF and plasma concentrations of morphine and morphine glucuronides in cancer patients receiving epidural morphine.
abstract: Thirty-five cancer patients, treated with chronic epidural morphine, were assayed for plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) minimum steady-state concentrations (Css min) of morphine (M), morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A linear dose-concentration relationship was found for the 3 substances in plasma and for morphine and M3G in CSF. The mean +/- S.E.M. CSF/plasma morphine ratio was 158 +/- 43. In CSF, the concentrations of morphine exceeded those of the metabolites substantially and, normalized to morphine, the mean CSF M/M3G/M6G ratio was 1:0.05:0.02. In plasma, the metabolite concentrations were higher than the parent drug and the plasma M/M3G/M6G ratio was 1:12:3. The mean M3G and M6G concentrations in CSF were 40-60% of those found in plasma. Indication of cerebral formation of M3G was found in 1 patient. Pain relief, evaluated by a visual analogue scale (VAS), did not correlate with the CSF M3G concentrations or with the M3G/M ratio. CSF M6G concentrations were low and did not contribute to any detectable analgesia. We conclude that after epidural administration of morphine, the M3G and M6G metabolites in CSF are low compared to unchanged morphine and seem to have little influence on analgesia. However, the fact that a significant passage of the glucuronide metabolites occurs to the CSF may indicate a role in morphine analgesia after other routes of administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Central Hospital, BoråsSweden Department of Clinical Pharmachology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, GöteborgSweden Department of Pain Research Institute, LiverpoolUK.
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samuelsson
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hedner
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venn
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michalkiewicz
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C035349:morphine-6-glucuronide; D009020:Morphine; C018108:morphine-3-glucuronide