Alpha1-acid glycoprotein concentrations and cerebrospinal fluid drug distribution after subarachnoid hemorrhage

To test the hypothesis that changes in alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) concentration alter central nervous system (CNS) drug distribution after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Two-phase, prospective study.

University-associated medical center.

Twenty-one patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

In phase I, serum AAG concentrations of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage were measured serially and compared with those in 21 controls undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures. In phase II, nimodipine was the pharmacologic probe to determine the relationship between drug distribution into the CNS and changes in AAG concentration.

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage treated with nimodipine and used to measure total and unbound drug concentrations. Concentrations of AAG were 39% higher in patients than in controls preoperatively. They decreased significantly by 24 hours after surgery in patients and increased in controls. In both groups the concentrations were higher than reported normal values. During the period of reduced AAG concentration, calculated unbound nimodipine concentrations were 3-fold higher (p<0.05) than at later periods, with a trend toward higher total concentrations. Overall, mean CSF nimodipine concentration was 6.4% of mean serum total concentration. The CSF concentrations decreased as AAG concentrations increased, independent of serum concentrations (r = -0.52, p<0.02).

Concentrations of AAG change after subarachnoid hemorrhage and are transiently influenced by surgery. Unbound drug concentration increases when AAG concentrations decrease, whereas CSF concentrations decrease when AAG concentrations increase. These preliminary findings suggest that changes in AAG concentrations can alter unbound serum nimodipine concentrations and may affect CSF drug distribution.