Title:  Diagnosing an animal for pyrophosphate gout, osteoporosis, or osteoarthritis by assaying intracellular pyrophosphate content in peripheral blood cells

United States Patent:  6,521,615

Issued:  February 18, 2003

Inventors:  Seegmiller; J. Edwin (La Jolla, CA)

Assignee:  The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)

Appl. No.:  754506

Filed:  January 4, 2001

This invention provides a method of treating an animal with pyrophosphate gout or osteoarthritis comprising administering an effective amount of a calcium antagonist, thereby reducing calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition in the animal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method of treating an animal with pyrophosphate gout or osteoarthritis comprising administering an effective amount of a calcium antagonist, thereby reducing calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition in the animal. The animal can be a mammal, which may be an animal typically used for experimentation, such as mice, rats or rabbits. Preferably, the mammal is a human.

As used in this application, pyrophosphate gout includes chondrocalcinosis, pseudogout, and any other disease caused by calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition.

The calcium antagonist is a channel blocking drug that falls into one of four classes: (1) the phenylalkylamines, such as verapamil, gallopamil, (2) the dihydropyridines, such as nicardipine, nifedipine, and nimodine (3) the benzothiazepines, such as diltiazem and (4) the diphenylpiperazines. Preferably, the calcium channel blocking drug is diltiazem or nifedipine.

The calcium antagonists described herein may be in a variety of dosage forms which include, but are not limited to, liquid solutions or suspensions, tablets, pills, powders, suppositories, polymeric microcapsules or microvesicles, liposomes, and injectable or infusible solutions. The preferred form depends upon the mode of administration and the therapeutic application.

The most effective mode of administration and dosage regimen for the molecules of the present invention depends upon the severity and course of the disease, the subject's health and response to treatment and the judgment of the treating physician. Accordingly, the dosages of the molecules should be titrated to the individual subject.

Dosages of the calcium antagonists include but are not limited to the following. The dosage for nifedipine can be 30-60 mg daily. For nicardinipine hydrochloride, a recommended dosage can be 60-120 mg daily. For nimodipine, a dosage can be 240 mg daily. For verapamil, a dosage can be 240-360 mg daily. For example, a dosage for diltiazem hydrochloride is 360 mg daily.

Claim 1 of 1 Claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for diagnosing an animal for pyrophosphate gout, osteoporosis, or osteoarthritis by assaying intracellular pyrophosphate content in peripheral blood cells, by detecting pyrophosphate.

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