The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of the CYP3A4*18B genotype with the cyclosporine metabolism in healthy subjects. We employed PCR-RFLP assays for analysis of the CYP3A4*18B genotype. Each of 26 subjects, comprising 12 CYP3A4*1/*1, 12 CYP3A4*1/*18B and 2 CYP3A4*18B/*18B, was given a single oral dose of cyclosporine (4 mgkg(-1)). The plasma concentrations of cyclosporine were measured for up to 24 h post dose by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry. We found that the mean Cmax (95% confidence intervals) of cyclosporine were 2237 (2905, 1859) (*1/*1), 2247 (2916, 1869) (*1/*18B), and 905 (1192, 506) ng ml(-1) (*18B/*18B)(p = 0.037) and the mean AUCO-4 were 5026 (6181, 4372) (*1/*1), 4434 (5481, 3841) (*1/*18B) and 2561 (3155, 1736) ng ml(-1) h (*18B/*18B) (p=0.021). The CL in the *18B/*18B group was significantly higher than in the *1/*1 group. However, Tmax exhibited no difference among the three genotypes. *18B/*18B group showed 50% reduction in concentration at 2 h post dose compared with *1/*18B (p = 0.062) or *1/*1 (p = 0.047), but no statistical significance was detected between*1/*1 and *1/*18B groups (p > 0.05). The data suggest that the CYP3A4*18B genotype affects cyclosporine pharmacokinetics probably resulting from a higher enzymatic activity of this mutation in healthy subjects.

The aim of this study was to explore potential herb-drug interaction between baicalin and rosuvastatin, a typical substrate for organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) related to different OATP1B1 haplotype groups. Eighteen unrelated healthy volunteers who were CYP2C9*1/*1 with different OATP1B1 haplotypes (six OATP1B1*1b/*1b, six OATP1B1*1b/*15, and six OATP1B1*15/*15) were selected to participate in this study. Rosuvastatin (20 mg orally) pharmacokinetics after coadministration of placebo and 50-mg baicalin tablets (three times daily orally for 14 days) were measured for up to 72 h by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in a two-phase randomized crossover study. After baicalin treatment, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC)(0-72) and AUC(0-infinity) of rosuvastatin decreased by 47.0+/-11.0% (P=0.001) and 41.9+/-7.19% (P=0.001) in OATP1B1*1b/*1b, 21.0+/-20.6% (P=0.035) and 23.9+/-8.66% (P=0.004) in OATP1B1*1b/*15, and 9.20+/-11.6% (P=0.077) and 1.76+/-4.89% (P=0.36) in OATP1B1*15/*15, respectively. Moreover, decreases of both AUC(0-72) and AUC(0-infinity) of rosuvastatin among different haplotype groups were significantly different (P=0.002 and <0.001). Baicalin reduces plasma concentrations of rosuvastatin in an OATP1B1 haplotype-dependent manner.

The aim of the study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of losartan in relation to the CYP2C9*13 allele. A single oral dose of 50 mg losartan was administrated to each of the 16 healthy male volunteers with a different genotype (CYP2C9*1/*1, n = 6; CYP2C9*1/*13, n = 4; and CYP2C9*1/*3, n = 6). Blood samples were collected from pre-dose up to 24 h after the drug administration. Plasma losartan and E3174 (an active metabolite of losartan) were assayed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All the subjects finished the study without adverse drug effects. In the present study, the frequencies of CYP2C9*13 and *13 alleles were 0.6% and 2.6% in Chinese healthy volunteers, respectively, and both alleles were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Compared with the subjects in the CYP2C9*1/*1 group, individuals carrying the CYP2C9*1/*13 genotype showed significantly a longer t(1/2) of losartan and E3174 and markedly increased the area under the curve (AUC) of losartan. Meanwhile, the CYP2C9*1/*3 genotype group had significant differences in t(1/2) and Cmax of E3174 compared with the CYP2C9*1/*1 group. The ratio of AUC(E3174)/AUC(losartan) after losartan administration in the CYP2C9*1/*13 and CYP2C9*1/*3 groups was also statistically different from that in the CYP2C9*1/*1 group. The data indicate that the presence of the CYP2C9*13 allele results in poor metabolism of losartan after a single oral dose.