Sex affects the steady-state pharmacokinetics of primaquine but not doxycycline in healthy subjects.
We evaluated whether sex affects the steady-state pharmacokinetics of the antimalarial drugs, primaquine and doxycycline, in healthy subjects. Seventeen male and 17 female healthy Vietnamese subjects were administered 30 mg (base) of primaquine daily for 14 days. After a 2-week washout period, 14 male and 14 female subjects were administered 100 mg (base) of doxycycline daily for 14 days. Women had significantly higher median values of C(max) (212 versus 122 ng/mL, P< 0.001) and AUC(0-24) (1,909 versus 917 ng . h/mL, P < 0.001) of primaquine compared with men. Other than a longer t(max) in women, no sex-related differences were seen in the pharmacokinetics of doxycycline. The primaquine pharmacokinetic data suggest that women have increased exposure to primaquine, which may put them at increased risk for toxicity when administered the same maintenance dose as men. The similar pharmacokinetics of doxycycline between the two sexes justifies the same maintenance dose.
Department of Infectious Disease, Central Military Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vu Quoc
VQ
Binh
Nguyen Trong
NT
Chinh
Nguyen Xuan
NX
Thanh
Bui Tri
BT
Cuong
Nguyen Ngoc
NN
Quang
Bui
B
Dai
Thomas
T
Travers
Michael D
MD
Edstein
D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D019540:Area Under Curve; D044466:Asian People; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011319:Primaquine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
D000962:Antimalarials; D011319:Primaquine; D004318:Doxycycline