Purpose. The pharmacokinetics of modafinil were investigated in relation to gender and ethnicity in healthy young volunteers from Han, Mongolian, Korean, Uygur and Hui ( n = 10/group) following administration of a single 200 mg oral dose. Methods. Blood samples were collected over 48 h for the determination of plasma levels of modafinil and its acid metabolite by High performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector. Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated using noncompartmental methods. Results. Modafinil was well tolerated and safe at a single oral dose of 200 mg. All participants reported adverse events, none of which was serious or unexpected. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve for modafinil concentration versus time, which was extrapolated to infinity (AUC0-∞), were higher in women compared to men (p < 0.01). No gender-based difference was noted in the total body weight-normalized modafinil oral clearance. The total body weight-normalized modafinil apparent volume of distribution and the t1/2 was found to exhibit an ethnicity-based significant difference. Conclusion. The results of the current study suggest that there might be pharmacokinetic differences related to gender and ethnicity in the pharmacokinetics of modafinil.
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