title: [Pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid in Chinese patients with liver transplant].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA), an active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in Chinese adult liver transplant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight liver transplant patients (male 30, female 8) receiving MMF 1.0 g, twice daily in accordance with the recommended regimen were included in this study. Plasma MPA concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h after the administration of a single dose. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with 3P97 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma MPA concentration-time curve was characterized with an early sharp peak reached at 0.5 - 6.0 h after oral administration. And in some patients there was a small second peak due to enterohepatic circulation of mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG), which underwent deglucuronidation and re-absorption as MPA at 4 to 12 h postdose. The mean peak plasma concentration (C(max)) and area under concentration-time curve (AUC(0-12 h)) were (12 +/- 7) microg x mL(-1) and (44 +/- 16) microg x h x mL(-1), respectively. However, a large variability of pharmacokinetic parameters existed in these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In view of the inter-individual variability of MMF pharmacokinetics, plasma MPA concentration should be monitored routinely after MMF administration for individual patient.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai 200025, China. yzcheng66@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Zi-Cheng
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-Xia
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Pei-Jun
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guang-Wen
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong-Zhuan
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019540:Area Under Curve; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid