TY - JOUR T1 - Diphenhydramine Disposition in the Sheep Maternal-Placental-Fetal Unit: Gestational Age, Plasma Drug Protein Binding, and Umbilical Blood Flow Effects on Clearance JF - Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO - Drug Metab Dispos SP - 279 LP - 285 VL - 28 IS - 3 AU - Sanjeev Kumar AU - George R. Tonn AU - K. Wayne Riggs AU - Dan W. Rurak Y1 - 2000/03/01 UR - http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/28/3/279.abstract N2 - The objective of this study was to examine the interrelationships between maternal and fetal plasma drug protein binding, umbilical blood flow (Qum), gestational age (GA), and maternal-fetal diphenhydramine (DPHM) clearances in chronically instrumented pregnant sheep. Maternal and fetal DPHM placental (CLmf and CLfm, respectively) and nonplacental (CLmo and CLfo, respectively) clearances and steady-state plasma protein binding were determined in 18 pregnant sheep at 124 to 140 days' gestation (term, ∼145 days). The data demonstrated a highly significant fall of ∼66% in CLfm and a decreasing trend in CLfo (∼47%) over the GA range studied. However, no such relationships existed between GA and CLmf or CLmo. Concomitant with this was a decrease in fetal DPHM plasma unbound fraction with GA, with no such change being evident in the mother. Both CLmo and CLfo were related to the respective DPHM plasma unbound fraction. A strong relationship also existed between fetal plasma unbound fraction and CLfm. Thus, the decrease in fetal unbound fraction of DPHM during gestation could contribute to the fall in CLfm, and possibly CLfo. However, over the GA range studied, fetal DPHM free fraction decreased by ∼47%, whereas CLfm fell by ∼66%. Because fetal unbound fraction and CLfm are linearly related, the GA-associated fall in unbound fraction appears to be insufficient to account for the entire decline in CLfm. In separate studies in pregnant sheep, we observed a ∼40% fall in weight-normalized Qum between 125 and 137 days' gestation. Because CLfm for DPHM is similar to that of flow-limited compounds (e.g., ethanol, antipyrine), this decrease in Qummay also contribute to the GA-related fall in CLfm. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -