Cyclosporine is extensively metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome-P450 3A (CYP3A) enzyme system & to a lesser degree by the GI tract & kidneys. At least 25 metabolites have been identified in human bile, feces, blood, & urine. Although the cyclic peptide structure of cyclosporine is relatively resistant to metab, the side chains are extensively metabolized. All of the metabolites have both reduced biological activity & toxicity compared to the parent drug.
◉ Summary of Use during Lactation:Cyclosporine levels vary considerably in several case reports and series. This variability seems to be partially due to inconsistent sampling times among the reports and probably related to the fat content of the milk at the time of sampling. With typical maternal cyclosporine blood levels, a completely breastfed infant would usually receive no more than about 2% of the mother's weight-adjusted dosage or pediatric transplantation maintenance dosage, and often less than 1%. In most breastfed infants, cyclosporine is not detectable in blood; however, occasionally infants have had detectable blood levels, even when milk levels and infant dosage were apparently low.
Numerous infants have been breastfed during maternal cyclosporine use, usually with a concurrent corticosteroid and sometimes with concurrent azathioprine. At least 2 mothers successfully breastfed a second infant after successfully breastfeeding the first infant. No reports of adverse effects on infants’ growth, development or kidney function have been reported, although thorough follow-up examinations have not always been performed or reported. United States and European expert guidelines, the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry and other experts consider cyclosporine to be probably safe to use during breastfeeding, although others have expressed concern.Breastfed infants should be monitored if this drug is used during lactation, possibly including measurement of serum levels to rule out toxicity if there is a concern.
Because absorption from the eye is limited, ophthalmic cyclosporine would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. To substantially diminish the amount of drug that reaches the breastmilk after using eye drops, place pressure over the tear duct by the corner of the eye for 1 minute or more, then remove the excess solution with an absorbent tissue.
◉ Effects in Breastfed Infants:One infant was breastfed and follow-up showed that the infant remained healthy and normal.
A mother who was taking cyclosporine 3 mg/kg twice daily completely breastfed her infant until weaning with partial breastfeeding until 14 months. The infant's kidney function was stable and she was healthy at 2 years of age. This mother also breastfed a second infant.
In 7 infants breastfed for 4 to 12 months during maternal cyclosporine and prednisolone (plus azathioprine in 6 of the 7), infant renal function was unaffected, and they grew normally.
One mother partially breastfed her infant during cyclosporine, azathioprine and prednisone use. No follow-up data were reported.
One infant was exclusively breastfed for 10.5 months during maternal use of cyclosporine 300 mg twice daily, azathioprine and prednisone. Partial breastfeeding continued for 2 years. The infant thrived with normal growth at 12 months. The mother also breastfed a second child while on the same drug regimen.
Four infants breastfed during maternal cyclosporine use. In three, no adverse effects were noted clinically on follow-up and one of these had normal serum creatinine and urea nitrogen (BUN) measured. No follow-up was reported on the fourth infant.
Two cases were reported of infants whose mothers were taking cyclosporine and breastfeeding. One mother was taking cyclosporine 200 mg daily as well as azathioprine, prednisone, diltiazem, and folate. The second mother was taking cyclosporine 120 mg daily as well as methyldopa, prednisone, and calcitriol. Both mothers exclusively breastfed their infants initially and continued for 5 and 14 months, respectively. The infants were reportedly healthy and had normal renal function.
A woman with severe ulcerative colitis during pregnancy received cyclosporine 5 mg/kg daily from 26 weeks of pregnancy and continued while breastfeeding. She extensive breastfed her infant and at 3 months of age the infant was healthy.
The National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry reported data gathered from 1991 to 2011 on mothers who breastfed their infants following organ transplantation. A total of 43 mothers with transplants (mostly kidney) used cyclosporine while breastfeeding a total of 49 infants. Duration of nursing ranged from 1 week to 2 years and follow-up of the children ranged from weeks to 16 years. One infant experienced mildly elevated platelet count and an abnormal albumin/globulin ratio for age; at 16 months, laboratory values were normal. There were no reports of problems in the remainder of the infants or children. As of December 2013, a total of 43 mothers had breastfed 55 infants for as long as 24 months with no apparent adverse effects in infants.
A woman took cyclosporine 200 mg daily for psoriasis while exclusively breastfeeding her infant for 6 months. At 12 months of age, the infant was developing normally and had no discernible adverse effects from the drug in milk.
A woman with nephrotic syndrome took cyclosporine, prednisone, and hydroxychloroquine during pregnancy and lactation. While breastfeeding she took cyclosporine 125 mg in the morning and 100 mg at night (total of 3 mg/kg daily), hydroxychloroquine 200 mg daily and prednisone 30 mg daily. Her twin infants began partially breastfeeding (70 to 80% breastmilk) on day 7 postpartum and she continued to breastfeed for several months. The infants gained weight normally at one month of age and had no adverse reactions in the first three months postpartum.
◉ Effects on Lactation and Breastmilk:Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Following oral admin of cyclosporine, the time to peak blood concns is 1.5-2.0 hr. Admin with food both delays & decreases absorption. High & low fat meals consumed within 30 min of admin decr the AUC by approx 13% & the max concn by 33%. This makes it imperative to individualize dosage regimens for outpatients. Cyclosporine is distributed extensively outside the vascular compartment. After iv dosing, the steady-state volume of distribution has been reported to be as high as 3-5 liters/kg in solid-organ transplant recipients. Only 0.1% of cyclosporine is excreted unchanged in urine. ... Cyclosporine & its metabolites are excreted principally through the bile into the feces, with only approx 6% being excreted in the urine. Cyclosporine also is excreted in human milk.
... Absorption of cyclosporine is incomplete following oral admin. The extent of absorption depends upon several variables, including the individual patient & formulation used. The elimination of cyclosporine form the blood is generally biphasic, with a terminal half-life of 5-18 hr. After iv infusion, clearance is approx 5-7 ml/min/kg in adult recipients of renal transplants, but results differ by age & patient populations. For example, clearance is slower in cardiac transplant patients & more rapid in children. The relationship between admin dose & the area under the plasma concn-vs-time curve is linear within the therapeutic range, but the intersubject variability is so large that individual monitoring is required.
Clinicians can administer cyclosporine by continuous iv infusion during the first few days after transplantation, then orally by twice-daily doses, to achieve plasma cyclosporine concns (measured by HPLC) of 75-150 ng/ml (equivalent to whole blood cyclosporine concns of 300-600 ng/ml measured by radioimmunoassay). It appears safe to maintain a trough plasma cyclosporine concn of about 75-150 ng/ml; however, this does not necessarily guarantee safety from nephrotoxicity. Because of preferential distribution of cyclosporine & its metabolites into red blood cells, blood levels are generally higher than plasma levels. When blood cyclosporine levels are 300-600 ng/ml by radioimmunoassay, cerebrospinal fluid levels range from 10-50 ng/ml. The apparent volume of distribution in children under 10 yr of age is about 35 l/kg, & in adults, 4.7 l/kg.
The elimination half-life of an oral cyclosporine dose of 350 mg is 8.9 hr; after a 1400 mg dose, the half-life is 11.9 hr. Elimination occurs predominantly by metab in the liver to form 18-25 metabolites. Metabolites of cyclosporine possess little immunosuppressive activity. Cyclosporine is extensively metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450IIIA oxidase; however, neurotoxicity & possibly nephrotoxoicity usually correlate with raised blood levels of cyclosporine metabolites. Only 0.1% of a dose ix s excreted unchanged.