title: Pharmacokinetics of artesunate following oral and rectal administration in healthy Sudanese volunteers.
abstract: The aims of this study were to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of a single dose of 200 mg oral and rectal artesunate in healthy volunteers, and to suggest a rational dosage regimen for rectal administration. The study design was a randomized open cross-over study of 12 healthy volunteers; the analytical method used was a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with post column derivatization and subsequent ultraviolet detection. Pharmacokinetic parameters were derived from the main metabolite alpha-dihydroartemisinin data due to the rapid disappearance of artesunate from the plasma. Dihydroartemisinin following oral administration of artesunate had a significantly higher AUC(0-infinity) (P<0.05 95% confidence interval (CI) -1168.73, -667.61 ng x h/mL(-1)) and Cmax (P<0.05; 95% CI -419.73, -171.44 ng/mL(-1)), and had shorter tmax (P<0.05; 95% CI -0.97, -0.10 h) than that following rectal artesunate. There was no statistically significant difference in the elimination half-life between both routes of administration (P>0.05; 95% CI -0.14, 0.53 h). The relative bioavailability of rectal artesunate was [mean (coefficient of variation %) 54.9 (24.8%) %]. On the basis of these data an 8 hourly dosing regimen per day with rectal artesunate is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. moneim99@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Eltayeb
authors.forename: O Z
authors.initials: OZ
authors.lastname: Baraka
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Behrens
authors.forename: A M Y
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Alkadru
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000077332:Artesunate; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D000077332:Artesunate