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Notes on analytical reports prepared by Dr. Renwick, University
of Southampton.
X;hese reportsnow form a complete record of the analysis
of all_ the samples taken during the four phases of the
pl~armacokinetic / pi~armacodynamic studies at the General
Hospital, Southampton, jointly by the Clinical Pharmacology
Group (Professor C F George) an.] BAT. The planned experiment
was the largest and most comprehensive of its type although,
since beginning the work, several studies covering various
aspects of the ;.;ork, have appearred in the literature (e.g.
Benowitz's work and the ~",othman sponsore.~ stu~y). The purpose
of the study was to compare the phar~aacodynnmic effects of
nicotine (e.g. effects on heart rate, skin t~mperature (as an
index of peripheral blood flow), systolic and diastolic blood
pressure) wi~en the same dose of nicotine ,.-;as taken by
inhalation (via cigarette or by synthetic aerosol) an."] by
intravenous injection, thus deter~nininq the importance of route
of administration to the peak and trough levels of nicotine in
the plasma (and, by inference, in the central nervous system)
and on the physiological effects of the compound.
Subjects ~ere recruited as ~er the arranjed protocol
and, during the first phase of t!~e stu',~y, smoke.] a State
Express cigarette with nicotine delivery corresponding to th,eir
own preferred blend.
Durin,j phases 2 and 3, a sub-grou[; of ~ive subjects fron]
the main group of fifteen recei:zed ~he noL~in-,-ul dose o~P nicotine
of the cigarette smoki~, as a~,, intr..%venous dose either infused
over 10 minutes (phase 2) or as a series of boli at :~::I minute
intervals (phase 2).
Phase 4 involvec~ the sa~e d~e ef nicotine a<]:ninistere~!
as a series of 8 boli at I uinute i!~terva!s via an electronic
nebuliser.
Initially, the bloo:l sam!:~les taken during nicotine
dosing were analysed (as plasma) for nicoti:~e and cotinine
using an ,~LC metho~ develo[~ed at GR 3 UC, Southampton. This
method offered considerable a~]vanta.jes over existing
methodology, al!o~:ing determination of both nicotine and
cotinine in the same sample, at io~ levels of detection, by a
method capable of automation. Analysis of samples fro~] Phase I
(own blen~ smokinl) of the stu'.[y >;as undertaken at G2 .~, DC
butdata production did not keep up with arrival of samples.
~, the
Thus, in smite of the .aqvantages of ...... ~ by metho,], the
ma.npo~.:erava ilable prove~ un.~qu~l to t~.~e rate of
analysi~
required. Analysis ~.~as therefore contracte./ out to Dr A G
BAT Industries document for Province of British Columbia 17 November 2000
BAT INDUSTRIES
00290311

Renwick of Southampton University :.d]ose team had considerable
experience of sample purification and HPLC techniques. Dr
Renwick's group modified the G:", & DC methodology to includi a
3H nicotine internal standard (allowing accurate correction for
losses duri~.~g purification) and optimised the extraction
procedure to maximise both recovery and rate of
s~laple
throughput. :
Report number I covers most of this assay optimisation
procedure. It was decided that assay of the samples from Phase
I should be completed at G~ ,5 DC to avoid the problems
associated with change of method/o!?era tot mid sample. Dr
Renwick's group therefo~-e comr.~enced assay ~-it!~ the samples from
Phase 2. Data from Phase I sa~nples are available from Ian
Anderson.
Report number 2 concerns the data from sa,nples taken
following intravenous infusion of nicotine. Concentrations of
nicotine in the samples ;,~ere very io~.: and thus close to the
limit of detection of the methodolo,fy. In general, duplicate
results were reasonably reliable but there :.;ere also some
unaccountably Door matches. Cotinine concentrations ~.;ere, not
unexpec t~_dly, higher due to the lon~er half life of the
metabolite in plasma. Again, as e::pec~ed, large
interindividual " differences in cotinine concentrations were
apparent. Ho effects of the nicotine infusion on cotinine
levels were obvious, but a~Tain this mig!~thave been predicted
given (a) the large starting cotinine values and (b)
the
relatively short sampling period Vost infusio:~ (2 hours).
Reporting of the data from the intravenous infusion
studies (Phase 2) i~ complete.~ in Zeuort 3. Given t!~e complete
data for intravenous infusion fro:~ all 5 subjects in this phase
of the trial, several conclusions can }~,e dr:n:.~n from this part
of the study.
(a) Poor nicotine value dunlicates often seem to be due to
random contamination of the sa!.~pl-_~s rather than ~ipetting or
extraction errors since cetinine ,'].u:~ lica te s for the salae
samples are alright an'~ the 3[! nicotine soike recoveries are
reproducible.
(b) Caffeine interference still proves a problem occassionally
in spite of atte~p~s to :ninimise pre-e::Deriment c.=~ffeine intake
and modification of the UPLC methodolo,/y to ~.~a:,.imise the
se[]aration bet:..;ee,~ cotinine and caffeine peaks.
(c) Some subjects appear to l,ave c!,eate'~ !)y smohing i~!nnediately
prior to the study (pro-dose nicotine levels higher titan
pos~-dos9 levels ! )
BAT Industries document for Province of British Columbia 17 November 2000
BAT INDUSTRIES
00290312

Since the data are less than ideal, it is useless to
perform any sophisticated phar::lacokinetic analysis, howeve9 an
attempt to derive some useful data has been made.
U's ing corrected data (i.e. taking pre-dose nicotine
levels, into account) the area under the curve has been plotted
for each subject, ~.;here possible. [.]aturally, any existing
nicotine in plasma is eliminated at the same rate (i.e. with
the same tl/2 ) as the dosed nicotine , thus for this
calculation it is more correct to use unmodified data (i.e.
without correction for initial nicotine levels). Due to the
poor quality of the data, little new can be learned about
nicotine pharmacokinetics. This poor data quality is not a
reflection on the !IPLC assay, nor on the operators, since the
data are as good as could be expected given the low plasma
nicotine concentrations present.
Knowing the levels of plasma nicotine found for the
nicotine infusion.study, it comes as no surprise that the
concentrations of nicotine in the intravenous bolus study and
the aerosol study are, again, lo~;er than hoped. Forewarned, an
improvement was attempted by using ~he whole plasma sample for
a single estimate of nicotine (thus doubling the concentration
but removing the facility of duplicate estimates). Broadly, an
overall pattern' can be detected in the sa:~rples which is
consistent with the bolus nature of the do~ing, but auain the
data require considerable correction and deletion of
inappropriate values, where d_~ta do not meet pre-existing
quality criteria.
Overall, the plasma nicotine concentrations have been
too low for accurate d_~termina tion using the current
methodology. It is unfortunate that analysis of samples
not proceed apace at the outset of the study. It would then
have been clear, befor~ the intravenous or aerosol Dhases, that
the doses being administered ~;ere too low. Hi~her dose reuimes
could then have been instituted ( note that, in the absence of
data to the contrary, Professor George/~)r Upwoed insisted
lowe~ nicotine doses for the intravenous study than thoes which
. . t~_ absence
of
BAT personnel recommended) Alternatively, in ' ~
higher nicotine doses, fe~-~er but larger samples could have teen
taken to allow a larger amount of extractable nicotine in each
sample.
Despite the problems with the ~3ata, the concentrations
of. nicotine found are consistent with ,]ata re~orted by others
(notably Feyerabend et al, De~o~itz e~ al, ~inclair et al).
BAT Industries document for Province of British Columbia 17 November 2000
BAT INDUSTRIES
00290313

The maj or interindividual differences in plasma nicotine
concentrations suggest that the pharmacodynamic effects of the
dose may well be different in each individual, if there i~ any
relationship bet~.;een concentration and effect. This should be
checked.
Overail, the study has been disappointing in that no
re liable n e~.,; pharmacokinet ic data can be ,.~ er ived. In
retrospect, it is easy to see areas ;-;here tl~e study could have
been improved, however as a first "toe in the water" for BAT,
we all learned a lot. Unfortunately, the underaking of a
second study, benefiting from these mistakes, is unlikely.
BAT Industries document for Province of British Columbia 17 November 2000
BAT INDUSTRIES
00290314
