The metabolic disposition of aprepitant, a substance P receptor antagonist, in rats and dogs.

The absorption, metabolism, and excretion of [14C]aprepitant, a potent and selective human substance P receptor antagonist for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, was evaluated in rats and dogs. Aprepitant was metabolized extensively and no parent drug was detected in the urine of either species. The elimination of drug-related radioactivity, after i.v. or p.o. administration of [14C]aprepitant, was mainly via biliary excretion in rats and by way of both biliary and urinary excretion in dogs. Aprepitant was the major component in the plasma at the early time points (up to 8 h), and plasma metabolite profiles of aprepitant were qualitatively similar in rats and dogs. Several oxidative metabolites of aprepitant, derived from N-dealkylation, oxidation, and opening of the morpholine ring, were detected in the plasma. Glucuronidation represented an important pathway in the metabolism and excretion of aprepitant in rats and dogs. An acid-labile glucuronide of [14C]aprepitant accounted for approximately 18% of the oral dose in rat bile. The instability of this glucuronide, coupled with its presence in bile but absence in feces, suggested the potential for enterohepatic circulation of aprepitant via this conjugate. In dogs, the glucuronide of [14C]aprepitant, together with four glucuronides derived from phase I metabolites, were present as major metabolites in the bile, accounting collectively for approximately 14% of the radioactive dose over a 4- to 24-h period after i.v. dosing. Two very polar carboxylic acids, namely, 4-fluoro-alpha-hydroxybenzeneacetic acid and 4-fluoro-alpha-oxobenzeneacetic acid, were the predominant drug-related entities in rat and dog urine.     

Pharmacokinetics of radiolabelled quinlukast in rats

Pharmacokinetics together with in vivo metabolism and elimination of quinlukast, a potential anti-asthmatic and anti-inflammatory drug, were designed in rats. For this purpose, bile duct cannulated rats and an in situ perfused rat liver preparation were employed. 3H-radiolabelled compound was administered i.v. or loaded to the perfusion medium, respectively. Quinlukast represented the main form of radioactivity determined in plasma; in comparison with the parent drug metabolites were present in lower levels in the systemic circulation. The pharmacokinetic parameters related to the whole animal were calculated from quinlukast rat plasma concentration-time course. The distribution of quinlukast in the body was relatively fast (distribution half-life was approx. 6 min), the elimination half-life exceeded 2h. Binding of quinlukast to rat plasma proteins was very high (approx. 99.7%) and this binding influenced distribution volumes of quinlukast. Both the volume of the central compartment and the volume at a steady state were approx. 115 and 430 ml, respectively. The experiments showed that the biliary clearance was the major route of elimination of this compound from the systemic circulation of rats. In agreement with the determined elimination half-life approx. 42% of the radioactivity was found in the bile, with <0.5% appearing in the urine. The majority of the eliminated radioactivity in the bile was in the form of polar metabolites; only a small part of the parent compound was determined. Two hours after intravenous administration, polar metabolites - but no parent drug - were detected in the urine.     

Pathways of disposition of acetaminophen conjugates in the mouse

After a single dose of [¹⁴C] acetaminophen (150 mg/kg) was administered orally to bile duct cannulated mice, 13.9% of the radioactivity was recovered in the bile while 41.2% was found in the urine in the first 3 h after drug administration. Analyses of biles revealed that the major biliary metabolite was acetaminophen glutathione (AG) conjugate which was derived from the hepatotoxic acetaminophen intermediate. Examination of urines showed that they contained mostly glucuronide and sulfate conjugates with no AG or its degradation products (cysteine and mercapturate). Analysis of urines collected from non-cannulated animals at 4 h showed that they contained glucuronide, sulfate, cysteine and mereapturate metabolites. Our results suggest that after formation in the liver, the majority of the glucuronide and sulfate conjugates were directly eliminated by the kidney. On the other hand, the pathway for the disposition of the glutathione conjugate was first into the bile, then reabsorption, and finally disposition into the urine as cysteine and mercapturate metabolites.     

Metabolism and disposition of luminol in the rat

1. The metabolism and disposition of Luminol (LMN, 3-aminophthalhydrazide), a widely used forensic and laboratory reagent that chemiluminesses upon oxidation, was determined as part of its overall toxicological characterization. 2. Radiolabelled LMN was well absorbed, metabolized and excreted following p.o. administration of a range of doses. About 90% of the total dose was recovered within 24 h of administration in urine in the form of two metabolites identified as LMN N8-glucuronide and LMN N8-sulphamic acid. 3-Aminophthalic acid, the oxidative product of LMN in the light-emitting reaction, was apparently not formed in vivo. 3. Metabolism and disposition of an i.v. administered dose was similar to that following gavage. Little or no LMN-derived radioactivity was present in tissue within 12 h post-dosing. Excretion of radioactivity in bile following i.v. injection was minimal (approximately 8% of the total dose in 6 h) and consisted of the same urinary-excreted glucuronide and sulphate conjugates. 4. LMN was not absorbed dermally in rat, potentially a major route of exposure to human. If the fate of LMN is similar between species, this compound should have little potential for either dermal absorption, bioaccumulation in tissues following other routes of exposure or chronic toxicity in humans.     

Disposition and oxidative metabolism of phenylbutazone in man

Summary The absorption and elimination of orally administered¹⁴C-phenylbutazone and the role of oxidation in its metabolism have been studied. The main routes of excretion of¹⁴C-phenylbutazone and its metabolites were investigated in 3 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and in 1 patient with a T-tube in the common bile duct. Up to 9 days after an oral dose of¹⁴C-phenylbutazone 600 mg (30 µCi) 63% of the radioactivity was found in the urine and 14% had appeared in the faeces. The cumulative excretion of radioactivity in bile amounted to 9.5% of the dose in 4 days. Only 1% of the radioactivity in the urine and bile was due to unchanged phenylbutazone. The role of oxidative metabolism of phenylbutazone in healthy human subjects was studied by gas chromatography. In 3 subjects given a single dose of phenylbutazone 600 mg, only 8.3% of the dose was excreted in urine as oxidized metabolites after 5 days. However, in 5 patients who had taken phenylbutazone for more than 5 weeks, these metabolites accounted for 23.4% of the dose. These results suggest that oxidative metabolism becomes more important after continued administration of the drug. After a single dose of phenylbutazone, the side-chain oxidized metabolite (II) was the major free derivative excreted in urine, but the ring oxidized metabolite, oxyphenbutazone (I), was much more important than the former in plasma. However, after prolonged treatment there was little difference between the concentration of the two metabolites in plasma. This finding suggests that side-chain oxidation is increased relative to ring oxidation on prolonged treatment with phenylbutazone. A third derivative containing hydroxyl groups both in the phenyl ring and in the side-chain (metabolite III) was found in urine in experiments with phenylbutazone, but in only one out of 3 volunteers given repeated doses of oxyphenbutazone.     

Metabolic disposition of gefitinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in rat, dog and man

Following oral administration of [14C]-gefitinib to albino and pigmented rats, radioactivity was widely and rapidly distributed, with the highest levels being found in liver, kidney, lung and gastrointestinal tract, but with only low levels penetrating the brain. Levels of radioactivity persisted in melanin-containing tissues (pigmented eye and skin). Binding to plasma proteins was high (86-94%) across the range of species examined and was 91% in human plasma. Substantial binding occurred to both human serum albumin and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Following oral and intravenous administration of [14C]-gefitinib, excretion of radioactivity by rat, dog and human occurred predominantly via the bile into faeces, with < 7% of the dose being eliminated in urine. In all three species, gefitinib was cleared primarily by metabolism. In rat, morpholine ring oxidation was the major route of metabolism, leading to the formation of M537194 and M608236 as the main biliary metabolites. Morpholine ring oxidation, together with production of M523595 by O-demethylation of the quinazoline moiety, were the predominant pathways in dog, with oxidative defluorination also occurring to a lesser degree. Pathways in healthy human volunteers were similar to dog, with O-demethylation and morpholine ring oxidation representing the major routes of metabolism.     

Metabolism and disposition of luminol in the rat

1. The metabolism and disposition of Luminol (LMN, 3-aminophthalhydrazide), a widely used forensic and laboratory reagent that chemiluminesses upon oxidation, was determined as part of its overall toxicological characterization. 2. Radiolabelled LMN was well absorbed, metabolized and excreted following p.o. administration of a range of doses. About 90% of the total dose was recovered within 24 h of administration in urine in the form of two metabolites identified as LMN N⁸-glucuronide and LMN N⁸-sulphamic acid. 3-Aminophthalic acid, the oxidative product of LMN in the light-emitting reaction, was apparently not formed in vivo. 3. Metabolism and disposition of an i.v. administered dose was similar to that following gavage. Little or no LMN-derived radioactivity was present in tissue within 12 h post-dosing. Excretion of radioactivity in bile following i.v. injection was minimal (~8% of the total dose in 6 h) and consisted of the same urinary-excreted glucuronide and sulphate conjugates. 4. LMN was not absorbed dermally in rat, potentially a major route of exposure to human. If the fate of LMN is similar between species, this compound should have little potential for either dermal absorption, bioaccumulation in tissues following other routes of exposure or chronic toxicity in humans.     

In vivo metabolism and mass balance of 4-[4-fluorophenoxy]benzaldehyde semicarbazone in rats.

The pharmacokinetics, mass balance, tissue distribution, and metabolism of Co 102862 was investigated in rats after a single oral dose. [(14)C]Co 102862 showed multiexponential pharmacokinetics in rat plasma with an extensive distribution phase. After p.o. administration (approximately 10 mg/kg), the half-lives were long for total radioactivity compared with unchanged Co 102862. Profiles of rat urine and bile suggest that Co 102862 is extensively metabolized in vivo. [(14)C]Co 102862 was extensively distributed into all tissues, with the fatty tissues and secretory glands tissues containing the highest radioactivity. Elimination of radioactivity from the tissues had an estimated half-life of 14 days. A total of 91% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in both intact and bile-duct cannulated rats over 120 and 48 h, respectively, with the majority ( approximately 74%) of the radioactivity being excreted in the urine. Approximately 10% of the total radioactivity remained in the tissues on day 5 and decreased with time to approximately 3% on day 28. Bile-duct cannulated experiments show the enterohepatic circulation is an important route of elimination and reabsorption. Six metabolites were identified in the urine and bile of which the carboxylic acid was the major metabolite. The carboxylic acid was the only metabolite found in plasma and was probably responsible for the radioactivity in the tissues.     

Metabolism and disposition of the dopaminergic agonist 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-di-n-propylaminotetralin in the rat

As part of a program to investigate the metabolism and disposition of putative dopamine receptor agonists, DK-118 (5-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-di-n-propylaminotetralin) was chosen for study in the rat. Following a 3.85 mg/kg (ip) dose of 5-hydroxy[6-14C]methyl-2-di-n-propylaminotetralin, an average (+/- SD) of 100.3 +/- 12.2% was recovered in 67 hr: 77.2 +/- 7.9% in urine and 23.1 +/- 6.2% in feces. No excretion of 14CO2 was observed. In bile duct-cannulated animals, an average of 31.6% of the dose was recovered in the bile within 6 hr. After injection of bile containing radiolabeled drug/metabolites into the lumen of the duodenum, 30.2 +/- 1.7% of the injected radioactivity was recovered in the urine, suggesting enterohepatic circulation of some of the drug/metabolites excreted in bile. Highest concentrations of tissue radioactivity, 0.5 hr after ip injection of 14C-DK-118, were found in lung, kidney, and liver. Only a small amount of unchanged DK-118 is excreted into urine and bile; HPLC radiochromatography separated five metabolites in urine and at least eight metabolites in bile. The three major metabolites in urine (70% of urinary radioactivity) have been identified as 5-hydroxy-6-carboxy-2-di-n-propylaminotetralin, 5-hydroxy-6-carboxy-2-n-propylaminotetralin, and 5-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-n-propylaminotetralin-O-sulfate. The two major biliary metabolites have been identified as 5-hydroxy-6-carboxy-2-n-propylaminotetralin and an acid-labile conjugate of DK-118. Together, these data indicate that DK-118 is metabolized in the rat by a combination of N-dealkylation, oxidation of the 6-methyl carbon, and conjugation with sulfate.     

Disposition of 2,4-dinitroaniline in the male F-344 rat

The disposition and metabolism of 2,4-dinitroaniline was studied in male F-344 rats following oral and i.v. administration. Gastrointestinal absorption was near complete and was not affected by dose (10-90 mumol/kg). Following either oral or i.v. administration, dinitroaniline was rapidly distributed throughout the tissues and showed no marked affinity for any particular tissue. 14C-dinitroaniline was readily cleared by metabolism to at least nine metabolites; radioactivity was excreted primarily in urine (70% dose) and to a lesser extent in faeces (25-30% dose). Clearance of radioactivity from the body was near complete in 3 days. As the whole-body half-life of dinitroaniline derived radioactivity in the rat was less than 3 h and there was no evidence for saturation of any mechanism of absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion in the dose range studied, 2,4-dinitroaniline appears to have little potential for bioaccumulation in animal tissues. Analysis of urine and bile detected nine metabolites of 2,4-dinitroaniline. The major metabolite was excreted in urine as a sulphate conjugate and in bile as a glucuronide. This metabolite was characterized by combined h.p.l.c./mass spectrometry as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydroxylamine.     

Biliary excretion and enterohepatic circulation of 1-nitropyrene metabolites in Fischer-344 rats

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP), present in diesel engine emissions, is a potent mutagen to bacteria, such as those found in mammalian intestinal tract, which contain nitroreductase enzymes. The purposes of this study were to determine the importance of bile as a route of excretion of 1-NP metabolites and to determine if reabsorption of biliary metabolites required the presence of intestinal bacteria. The bile ducts of male Fischer-344 rats were cannulated, 0.3 or 1.2 mumoles [3H]1-NP was given i.v., and bile, urine, and feces were collected for 24 hr. Biliary excretion accounted for 70 (80%) or 170 (60%) nmoles of [3H]1-NP after the low and high dose, respectively, with half-times for excretion of 1.7 hr +/- 0.3 (+/- S.E.M.) and 3.4 hr +/- 1.6 (+/- S.E.M.). Excretion of [3H]1-NP equivalents in the urine was linearly related to dose, with 6 or 16 nmoles (8%) excreted in 24 hr. At the low dose, more radioactivity appeared in the urine in control rats compared to bile-duct cannulated rats, suggesting that reabsorption of 1-NP metabolites occurred. Pretreatment of rats with orally administered antibiotics prior to i.v. injection of 0.3 mumole [3H]1-NP decreased radioactivity excreted in urine compared to untreated controls, suggesting that intestinal microorganisms may alter the biliary metabolites of 1-NP to facilitate reabsorption. Pretreatment of rats with buthionine sulfoximine, a glutathione depletor, decreased the excretion of certain biliary metabolites, suggesting that they were mercapturic acids of 1-NP metabolites. In summary, the results of these studies indicate that bile was an important route of excretion of nitropyrene metabolites. A portion of the excreted metabolites was reabsorbed from the gut, and this reabsorption required the presence of gut microorganisms.     

HPLC-NMR with severe column overloading: fast-track metabolite identification in urine and bile samples from rat and dog treated with [14C]-ZD6126

The subject of this study was the determination of the major urinary and biliary metabolites of [(14)C]-ZD6126 following i.v. administration to female and male bile duct cannulated rats at 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively, and male bile duct cannulated dogs at 6 mg/kg by HPLC-NMR spectroscopy. ZD6126 is a phosphorylated pro-drug, which is rapidly hydrolysed to the active metabolite, ZD6126 phenol. The results presented here demonstrate that [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol is subsequently metabolised extensively by male dogs and both, male and female rats. Recovery of the dose in bile and urine was determined utilising the radiolabel, revealing biliary excretion as the major route of excretion (93%) in dog, with the majority of the radioactivity recovered in both biofluids in the first 6 h. In the rat, greater than 92% recovery was obtained within the first 24 h. The major route of excretion was via the bile 51-93% within the first 12 h. The administered phosphorylated pro-drug was not observed in any of the excreta samples. Metabolite profiles of bile and urine samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with radiochemical detection (HPLC-RAD), which revealed a number of radiolabelled components in each of the biofluids. The individual metabolites were subsequently identified by HPLC-NMR spectroscopy and HPLC-MS. In the male dog, the major component in urine and bile was the [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol glucuronide, which accounted for 3% and 77% of the dose, respectively. [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol was observed in urine at 1% of dose, but was not observed in bile. A sulphate conjugate of demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol was identified in bile by HPLC-NMR and confirmed by HPLC-MS. In the rat, the bile contained two major radiolabelled components. One was identified as the [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol glucuronide, the other as a glucuronide conjugate of demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol. However, a marked difference in the proportions of these two components was observed between male and female rats, either due to a sex difference in metabolism or a difference in dose level. The glucuronide conjugate of the demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol was present at higher concentration in the bile of male rats (4-34%), while the phenol glucuronide was present at higher concentration in the bile of female rats (8-70%) over a 0-6 h collection period. A third component was only observed in the bile samples (0-6 h and 6-12 h) of male rats. This was identified as being the same sulphate conjugate of demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol as the one observed in dog bile. The rat urines contained two main metabolites in greatly varying concentrations, namely the demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol glucuronide and the glucuronide of [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol. Again, the differences in relative amounts between male and female rats were observed, the major metabolite in the urines from male rats being the demethylated [(14)C]-ZD6126 phenol (0-17% in 0-24 h), whilst the phenol glucuronide, accounting for 0.5-50% of the dose over 0-24 h, was the major metabolite in females. Methanolic extracts of the pooled biofluid samples were submitted for HPLC-NMR for the quick identification of the major metabolites. Following a single injection of the equivalent of 6-28 ml of the biofluids directly onto the HPLC-column with minimal sample preparation, the metabolites could be largely successfully isolated. Despite severe column overloading, the major metabolites of [(14)C]-ZD6126 could be positively identified, and the results are presented in this paper.     

Metabolism, excretion and distribution of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A in conventional and bile-duct cannulated rats

1. 14C-TBBP-A (2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3,5-dibromophenyl)propane) was administered orally to the conventional and bile-duct cannulated male Sprague-Dawley rat (2.0 mg/kg body weight). Urine, bile and faeces were collected daily for 72 h, and selected tissues were removed for distribution studies. 2. Faeces was the major route of elimination of TBBP-A in the conventional rat (91.7% of dose), and urine was a minor elimination route (0.3%). Enterohepatic circulation was suggested by biliary excretion of 71.3% and faecal excretion of 26.7% of the administered radioactivity in the bile-duct cannulated rat. 3. 14C-labelled residues in tissues were 2% in the conventional rat, and < 1% in the bile-duct cannulated rat. The large and small intestines contained the majority of the tissue 14C activity for both groups of rat. Levels of TBBP-A in liver were < 0.1% and in fat were below the level of quantification. 4. Three metabolites were characterized in 0-24 h bile samples. Glucuronic acid and sulphate ester conjugates were characterized by mass spectrometry. More than 95% of the extractable faecal 14C was identified as parent TBBP-A. 5. Negligible amounts of TBBP-A-derived 14C were associated with carrier proteins in the urine and bile.     

Intestinal absorption, intestinal distribution, and excretion of (14C) labelled hyoscine N-butylbromide (butylscopolamine) in the rat

Butylscopolamine was labelled with ¹⁴C and its gastrointestinal absorption, biliary and urinary excretion, enterohepatic circulation and gastrointestinal distribution were examined in anaesthetized rats. Biliary excretion was the main elimination route of intra-portally administered [¹⁴C]butylscopolamine, with 42% of the dose recovered in the bile during 12 h. About 6% of the radioactivity administered orally as [¹⁴C]butylscopolamine was excreted in the bile and 1.2 % in the urine during 24 h, which indicates poor gastrointestinal absorption of butylscopolamine in the rat. When collected radioactive bile was readministered intrajejunally, only about 7% of the radioactivity was recovered in bile and urine during 12 h, which suggests that only a small fraction of butylscopolamine and its metabolites engage in an enterohepatic circulation. After oral administration of [¹⁴C]butylscopolamine, radioactivity was found to accumulate in the wall of the distal small intestine, and about 20% of the dose was found in this tissue 24 h after drug administration. As a result, local anti-acetylcholine effects of butylscopolamine might be expected.     

Metabolism of aminoglutethimide in the rat

The metabolism of aminoglutethimide was studied in the rat by use of the 14C-labeled compound. Following oral doses of 5 and 50 mg/kg, the drug was almost completely eliminated within 48 hr into urine and feces, mostly in the form of metabolites. In bile duct-cannulated rats, biliary excretion of radioactivity amounted to about 52% within 24 hr of an orally administered 50 mg/kg dose, with the remainder of the dose being eliminated into urine. The major urinary metabolites resulted from acetylation of the aniline moiety, hydroxylation of the glutarimide ring at positions 3 and 4, and oxidative elimination of the ethyl sidechain. The polar metabolites are accounted for by aromatic hydroxylation with subsequent sulfate conjugation and by a glutarimide ring-opened compound. In addition, a gamma-butyrolactone derivative was also identified.     

Glutathione conjugate formation from hexachlorocyclohexane and pentachlorocyclohexene by rat liver in vitro

1. Metabolites of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were extracted from the bile of TCDD-treated dogs and administered by gavage to bile-duct-cannulated rats and also to an intact rat.

2. Radioactivity of the TCDD metabolites was rapidly cleared from the body of the rats, indicating that bioaccumulation of these compounds does not occur.

3. Biliary excretion was the most important route of elimination in the cannulated rats and amounted to > 30% of the administered dose within 24h. TCDD metabolites were also eliminated to a minor extent by the kidneys. The combined recovery of radioactivity in faeces, bile and urine after 24h accounted for >85% of the dose.

4. The intact animal exhibited a somewhat different kinetic behaviour in that only 13% dose was excreted in faeces and urine after 24h, which indicates enterohepatic circulation. The administered radioactivity was completely recovered after 72?h.

5. Results from the present experiments indicate that metabolism of TCDD is the ratelimiting step in elimination of TCDD from the liver. Interspecies variability in the toxicity of TCDD may in part be attributable to different rates at which the species metabolize and excrete TCDD.     

The excretion of 3H-papaverine in the rat

The excretion of ³H-papaverine has been studied in the rat. After per oral as well as parenteral administration about 85 per cent of the administered radioactivity is excreted in faeces and urine in 4 days, and only negligible amounts of this radioactivity consist of unchanged ³H-papaverine; most of the radioactivity is recovered in the faeces in the first 24 hr.After an intravenous dose of ³H-papaverine, about 70 per cent of the tritium is excreted in the bile in 6 hr. All this radioactivity is due to conjugated metabolites, which after hydrolysis with glusulase, give five peaks on thin layer chromatograms. After intraduodenal administration of these conjugated metabolites, a very small absorption occurs, while after administration of the hydrolysed metabolites about 60 per cent of the dose is excreted in the bile. After intramuscular injection of ³H-papaverine radioactivity in the intestine follows quite good the time pattern of excretion of tritium in the bile. No significant difference was observed between control and bile cannulated rats with regard to the blood levels of radioactivity and ³H-papaverine. These results suggest that the bile is the main route of excretion of papaverine metabolites and that enterohepatic circulation of these metabolites is not important.     

On the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of propiverine in man

The pharmacokinetics of 14C-propiverine was studied in 13 volunteers and in 2 patients after a single i.v. injection of 5 mg or after oral administration of 15 mg. To each dose 1.11 MBq 14C-propiverine was added. The radioactivity measured in plasma, urine (and bile fluid), and the metabolites were estimated by an extraction procedure together with TLC and radiochromatography. Propiverine was eliminated from the plasma with a half-life time (t0.5) of 4.1 h (i.v. and per os), while the plasma radioactivity decreased with a t0.5 of 21.2 (i.v.) or 10.4 h (per os). Within 4 days, 84.5 (i.v.) or 53.5% (per os) of the administered radioactivity was excreted in urine. The absorption of radioactivity of propiverine amounted to 84.5%, while the amount of available propiverine was only 48.9%. In two patients with cannulated ductus choledochus, 21.5 or 14.7% of the administered radioactivity was excreted within 2 days. The metabolic pattern of plasma, urine and bile fluid mainly consisted of amine oxides, substances oxidized in the propyl side chain, desalkylated metabolites, substances with a N-demethylated piperidino group or with ester cleavage, and glucuronide conjugates. Unchanged propiverine appeared in plasma, urine and bile at about 6 to 8% of the administered dose.     

Metabolic disposition of gefitinib,an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor,in rat,dog and man

1.?Following oral administration of [¹⁴C]-gefitinib to albino and pigmented rats, radioactivity was widely and rapidly distributed, with the highest levels being found in liver, kidney, lung and gastrointestinal tract, but with only low levels penetrating the brain. Levels of radioactivity persisted in melanin-containing tissues (pigmented eye and skin).

2.?Binding to plasma proteins was high (86–94%) across the range of species examined and was 91% in human plasma. Substantial binding occurred to both human serum albumin and α-1 acid glycoprotein.

3.?Following oral and intravenous administration of [¹⁴C]-gefitinib, excretion of radioactivity by rat, dog and human occurred predominantly via the bile into faeces, with <7% of the dose being eliminated in urine.

4.?In all three species, gefitinib was cleared primarily by metabolism. In rat, morpholine ring oxidation was the major route of metabolism, leading to the formation of M537194 and M608236 as the main biliary metabolites. Morpholine ring oxidation, together with production of M523595 by O-demethylation of the quinazoline moiety, were the predominant pathways in dog, with oxidative defluorination also occurring to a lesser degree.

5.?Pathways in healthy human volunteers were similar to dog, with O-demethylation and morpholine ring oxidation representing the major routes of metabolism.     

Disposition and metabolism of indeloxazine hydrochloride, a cerebral activator, in rats

1. The disposition and metabolism of indeloxazine hydrochloride ((+/-)-2-[(inden-7-yloxy)methyl]morpholine hydrochloride) were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. 2. After oral administration of 14C-indeloxazine hydrochloride, the plasma concentration of total radioactivity reached a maximum at 15 min and declined with an apparent half-life of 2.2 h in the first 6 h period and declined more slowly thereafter. Unchanged drug in the plasma represented 13.5%, 5.9% and 0.4% of the total radioactivity at 15 min, 1 h and 6 h respectively after administration and levels decayed with a half-life of 0.9 h. 3. After oral and i.v. administration of the labelled compound, the urinary and faecal excretion of radioactivity in 72 h were 61-65% and 31-36% of the dose, respectively. Biliary excretion in bile duct-cannulated animals amounted to 49% of the dose in 72 h. 4. Seven metabolites have been isolated from the plasma or urine and characterized by i.r., n.m.r. and mass spectrometry. They were derived through dihydrodiol formation in the indene ring, hydroxylation of the indene ring and N-acetylation, oxidation and oxidative degradation of the morpholine ring. Some metabolites were excreted as their glucuronic acid or glucose conjugates. The major metabolite appeared to the trans-indandiol analogue of indeloxazine. 5. Possible metabolic pathways of degradation of the morpholine ring are discussed.