title: Gender-dependent pharmacokinetics of lignans in rats after single and multiple oral administration of Schisandra chinensis extract.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schisandra chinensis (S. chinensis), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used as sedatives and tonics in clinic. Schisandra lignans are believed to be the major bioactive components in S. chinensis. However, there is a lack of information about the effects of gender and repeated-dose on the pharmacokinetic properties of the schisandra lignans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study was performed to investigate the influence of gender on the pharmacokinetics of schisandra lignans after administration of S. chinensis extract and to compare their pharmacokinetic behaviors between single and multiple administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of rats (half male and half female) were received a single dose or multiple doses of S. chinensis extract, respectively. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to determine the plasma concentrations of schisandra lignans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pharmacokinetic parameters of schisandrin, schisandrol B, deoxyschisandrin, γ-schisandrin and schisantherin A were significantly different by gender difference. The t1/2 of all the tested schisandra lignans in female rats were 2-9 times longer than the corresponding values in male rats. The Cmax and AUC0-t of these schisandra lignans except schisantherin A in female rats were 5-50 times higher than those in male rats. The pharmacokinetic profiles of schisandrin, schisandrol B, deoxyschisandrin and schisantherin A in both gender rats after multiple doses were similar to the corresponding profile after single dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the tested schisandra lignans showed slower elimination and higher bioavailability in female rats after single or multiple administration of S. chinensis extract compared with male rats. Their pharmacokinetic profiles were not affected by repeated-dose except γ-schisandrin, which was eliminated more slowly in female rats after multiple administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmacy School, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ruiyang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001682:Biological Availability; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D017705:Lignans / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D032141:Schisandra / Q000737:chemistry; D012737:Sex Factors; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D017705:Lignans