TABLE 1.
Median or mean doses and pharmacokinetic variables following artesunate and DHA administrationa
| Drug | Median (range) dose
|
Tlag (h)b | Tmax (h)b | Cmax (nmol/liter)b | k01(h−1)b | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mg/kg | nmol/kg | |||||
| DHA | 4.17 (2.94-4.65) | 14,656 (10,341-16,353) | 0.96 (0-2.91) | 2.63 (0.50-8.83) | 4,028 (1,904-16,018) | 0.656 (0.178-2.456) |
| Artesunate | 4.17 (2.94-4.65) | 10,842 (7,650-12,098) | 0.22 (0-1.46) | 1.55 (0.50-6.08) | 3,889 (1,011-12,691) | 8.128 (0.264-23.417) |
| P value | 0.023 | 0.006 | 0.25 | 0.2 | ||
| k10 (h−1)b | t1/2 (h)b | AUC0-∞ (nmol · h/liter)b | V/f (liters/kg)b | CL/f (liters/kg/h)b | AICb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.615 (0.176-1.118) | 1.09 (0.59-3.94) | 14,804 (7,116-38,225) | 1.36 (0.51-4.38) | 1.03 (0.35-1.87) | 166 (156-176) |
| 0.578 (0.192-1.342) | 1.17 (0.52-3.62) | 12,664 (3,275-21,489) | 1.38 (0.73-8.44) | 0.94 (0.49-2.34) | 165 (154-175) |
| 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.031 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
a
Each drug was administered to 18 patients. Abbreviations: Tlag, absorption lag time; k01, absorption rate constant; K10, elimination rate constant; t1/2 elimination half-life; V/f, total apparent volume of distribution per kilogram of body weight; f, fraction of the oral drug that is absorbed; AIC, Akaike information Criterion. The other abbreviations are defined in the text. Bioassay results are in DHA equivalents. To convert DHA equivalents from nanomoles per liter to nanograms per milliter, divide by 3.517.
b
Data are the means (95% CIs).