Chronopharmacokinetic studies of pranoprofen and procainamide

There is increasing evidence demonstrating that plasma drug concentrations are affected by their time of administration. In the current study, the chronopharmacokinetic profiles of an antipyretic agent, pranoprofen, and an antiarrhythmic agent, procainamide, were examined. In the first study, 75 mg of pranoprofen was given orally in seven healthy subjects at 10:00 (morning trial) or 22:00 (evening trial). In the second study, 500 mg of procainamide was given orally in eight subjects with premature ventricular contractions at 10:00 or 22:00. Blood samples for plasma drug concentrations were taken for a 10-hour (pranoprofen study) or a 24-hour (procainamide study) post-drug period. In the first (pranoprofen) study, the mean time to maximum concentration was significantly shorter, and the mean maximum plasma concentration as well as absorption rate constant had a tendency to be greater after the morning than after the evening trial. The mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve, elimination half-life or oral clearance of the morning and evening dosages did not differ. In the second (procainamide) study, no significant difference was observed in any pharmacokinetic parameter concerning procainamide or its active metabolite, N-acetyl-procainamide (NAPA) between the morning and evening trials. These data indicate that plasma levels of pranoprofen are affected by its administration time while plasma concentrations of procainamide and NAPA do not vary with the time of dosage.