Publications by authors named "Pam Sheffels"

Background: The sevoflurane degradation product compound A is nephrotoxic in rats. In contrast, patient exposure to compound A during sevoflurane anesthesia has no clinically significant renal effects. The mechanism for this difference is incompletely understood.

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Objective: Levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM, levacetylmethadol) is a long-acting opioid agonist used for the prevention of opioid withdrawal. LAAM undergoes sequential N-demethylation to norLAAM and dinorLAAM, which are more potent and longer-acting than LAAM. Hepatic and intestinal microsomal N-demethylation in vitro is catalysed mainly by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4; however, the role of CYP3A in LAAM disposition in humans in vivo is unknown.

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The volatile anesthetic sevoflurane is degraded to fluoromethyl-2,2-difluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)vinyl ether (FDVE) in anesthesia machines. FDVE is nephrotoxic in rats. FDVE undergoes glutathione conjugation, subsequent conversion to cysteine and mercapturic acid conjugates, and cysteine conjugate metabolism by renal beta-lyase, which is a bioactivation pathway mediating nephrotoxicity in rats.

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A sensitive stereoselective bioanalytical liquid chromatographic assay with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS) was developed and validated for the on-line extraction and quantification of R- and S-methadone and the primary metabolite R- and S-2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) from human plasma. Deproteinized plasma was injected directly onto a small C8 column, washed and then back-flushed using a column switching valve and a second pump onto an alpha1-acid glycoprotein analytical column, and enantioselective separation achieved using a mobile phase gradient of methanol and ammonium formate. Analytes were validated over a range of 0.

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Introduction: There is considerable and unexplained individual variability in the morphine dose-effect relationship. The efflux pump P-glycoprotein regulates brain access and intestinal absorption of numerous drugs. Morphine is a P-glycoprotein substrate in vitro, and P-glycoprotein affects morphine brain access and pharmacodynamics in animals.

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