title: Pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid and its glucuronidated metabolites in stable lung transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil, an immunosuppressive agent commonly used in solid organ transplantation. MPA is metabolized to the inactive metabolite 7-O-mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG) and the active metabolite acyl glucuronide (AcMPAG). Pharmacokinetic profiling of MPA by determining AUC is a tool for determining drug exposure. Many studies, conducted primarily in kidney and some heart and liver transplant recipients, have shown wide interpatient variability in MPA's pharmacokinetic parameters. There have been few studies in the lung transplant group and, even though the lung is not involved in drug elimination, these patients may have different MPA pharmacokinetic characteristics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the pharmacokinetic parameters and metabolic ratios of MPA in stable adult lung transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an open-label manner, lung transplant recipients were recruited. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours postdose. Plasma was separated and acidified for drug concentration analysis (MPA, MPAG, AcMPAG) by an HPLC-ultraviolet detection method. Conventional pharmacokinetic parameters were determined via noncompartmental methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was large interpatient variability in all pharmacokinetic parameters of MPA, MPAG, and AcMPAG. Similar variability was observed after stratifying patients into concomitant medication groups: cyclosporine and tacrolimus. There was a trend for the tacrolimus group to have a higher dose-normalized AUC, higher AUC, lower apparent clearance, and lower AUC ratio of AcMPAG/MPA compared with the cyclosporine group. In addition, the cyclosporine group had a lower minimum concentration and higher AUC ratio of MPAG/MPA than did the tacrolimus group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of the large interpatient variability in the pharmacokinetic parameters of MPA, MPAG, and AcMPAG, therapeutic drug monitoring of MPA and its metabolites in lung transplant recipients may be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Lillian S L
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Nilufar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Partovi
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: K Wayne
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: Mary H H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ensom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D020719:Glucuronides / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D020719:Glucuronides; C113145:mycophenolic acid glucuronide; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid