Background The blood-brain barrier is richly populated by active influx and efflux transporters influencing brain drug concentrations. Morphine, a drug with delayed clinical onset, is a substrate for the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein in vitro and in animals. This investigation tested whether morphine is a transporter substrate in humans. Methods Fourteen healthy volunteers received morphine (0.1 mg/kg, 1 h intravenous infusion) in a crossover study after nothing (control) or the validated P-glycoprotein inhibitor cyclosporine (5 mg/kg, 2 h infusion). Plasma and urine morphine and morphine glucuronide metabolite concentrations were measured by mass spectrometry. Morphine effects were measured by miosis and analgesia. Results Cyclosporine minimally altered morphine disposition, increasing the area under the plasma morphine concentration versus time curve to 100 ± 21 versus 85 ± 24 ng/ml•hr (p < 0.05) without changing maximum plasma concentration. Cyclosporine enhanced (3.2 ± 0.9 vs. 2.5 ± 1.0 mm peak) and prolonged miosis, and increased the area under the miosis-time curve (18 ± 9 vs. 11 ± 5 mm-hr), plasma-effect site transfer rate constant (ke0, median 0.27 vs. 0.17 hr−1), and maximum calculated effect site morphine concentration (11.5 ± 3.7 vs. 7.6 ± 2.9 ng/ml) (all p < 0.05). Analgesia testing was confounded by cyclosporine-related pain. Conclusions Morphine is a transporter substrate at the human blood-brain barrier. Results suggest a role for P-glycoprotein or other efflux transporters in brain morphine access, although the magnitude of the effect is small, and unlikely to be a major determinant of morphine clinical effects. Efflux may explain some variability in clinical morphine effects.

Background Interindividual variability and drug interaction studies suggest that blood-brain barrier drug transporters mediate human methadone brain biodistribution. In vitro and animal studies suggest that methadone is a substrate for the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein, and that P-glycoprotein-mediated transport influences brain access and pharmacologic effect. This investigation tested whether methadone is a transporter substrate in humans. Methods Healthy volunteers received oral (N=16) or IV (N=12) methadone in different crossover protocols after nothing (control) or the validated P-glycoprotein inhibitor cyclosporine (4.5 mg/kg orally twice daily for 4 days, or 5 mg/kg IV over 2 hr). Plasma and urine methadone and metabolite concentrations were measured by mass spectrometry. Methadone effects were measured by miosis and thermal analgesia (maximally tolerated temperature and verbal analog scale rating of discreet temperatures). Results Cyclosporine marginally but significantly decreased methadone plasma concentrations and apparent oral clearance, but had no effect on methadone renal clearance or on hepatic N-demethylation. Cyclosporine had no effect on miosis, or on R-methadone concentration-miosis relationships after either oral or IV methadone. Peak miosis was similar in controls and cyclosporine-treated subjects after oral methadone (1.4 ± 0.4 and 1.3 ± 0.5 mm/mg, respectively) and IV methadone (3.1 ± 1.0 and 3.2 ± 0.8 mm respectively). Methadone increased maximally tolerated temperature, but analgesia testing was confounded by cyclosporine-related pain. Conclusions Cyclosporine did not affect methadone pharmacodynamics. This result does not support a role for cyclosporine-inhibitable transporters mediating methadone brain access and biodistribution.