First-pass metabolism of acetaminophen in rats after low and high doses

The first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen was examined in rats after the administration of 15, 30, 150, and 300 mg kg-1 doses by intra-arterial, intravenous, portal vein, and oral routes. Plasma concentrations of acetaminophen and its two major metabolites, acetaminophen glucuronide and acetaminophen sulfate, were measured for about 5 h after drug administration. The first-pass effect after oral administration (oral extraction) was extensive (Eo = 0.34-0.50) at all doses administered. Calculation of the relative contribution of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and lung to the oral extraction of acetaminophen indicated that the major contribution was due to the gastrointestinal tract at all doses studied (Eg = 0.33-0.50). At higher doses (150 and 300 mg kg-1) clearance was lower possibly due to the saturation of acetaminophen sulfate formation. However, even at these high doses, the contribution of the gastrointestinal mucosa to the oral extraction remained unchanged. Therefore, it appears that the apparent dose-dependent characteristics of acetaminophen metabolism may be due to the saturation of acetaminophen sulfate formation in the liver.     

Age-dependent changes in first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen in rats

The contribution of gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, and lung towards the first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen was examined using 3-week-old, 10-week-old and 1-year-old rats after administration of 30 mg kg-1 doses by intra-arterial, intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral routes. Plasma concentrations of acetaminophen and its two major metabolites, acetaminophen glucuronide and acetaminophen sulfate, were measured for about 5h after drug administration. Total oral extraction of acetaminophen was extensive in 10-week-old and 1-year-old rats (Eo = 0.46) and the major contribution to the overall first-pass metabolism was due to the GIT (Eg = 0.50-0.53). Oral extraction in 3-week-old rats was minimal (Eo = 0.10) and there did not appear to be an extraction by the GIT (Eg = 0.00). These results suggest that the ability of GIT to metabolize acetaminophen to glucuronide and sulfate is undeveloped in the infant rats. No changes in the contribution of different organs to the first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen was observed 10 weeks after birth. Pharmacokinetic parameters for acetaminophen in infant rats (3-week-old) and 10-week-old rats were similar after drug administration by the intra-arterial and intravenous routes.     

Time-dependent variations in the organ extraction ratios of acetaminophen in rat

The pharmacokinetics of a single 40mg/kg dose of acetaminophen was investigated at 09h00 and 21h00 in Sprague-Dawley rats synchronized to a 12-h light-dark cycle. Acetaminophen was administered by the intraarterial, intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral routes in order to determine the contribution of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and lung to the oral extraction ratio of the drug. A mean oral extraction ratio of 0.46 was obtained at 21h00 as compared to 0.39 at 09h00. The mean extraction ratios of the gastrointestine, liver, and lung were 0.05, 0.41, and 0 at 09h00 and 0.18, 0.24, and 0.13 at 21h00, respectively. These results indicate that the extrahepatic metabolism of acetaminophen is important at 21h00, but is barely detectable at 09h00, whereas the hepatic extraction ratio is higher at 09h00 than at 21h00. Thus, there are temporal variations in the disposition of acetaminophen in the rat.This work was supported by grant MA-6469 from the Medical Research Council of Canada.     

Time-dependent variations in the organ extraction ratios of acetaminophen in rat

The pharmacokinetics of a single 40 mg/kg dose of acetaminophen was investigated at 09h00 and 21h00 in Sprague-Dawley rats synchronized to a 12-h light-dark cycle. Acetaminophen was administered by the intraarterial, intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral routes in order to determine the contribution of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and lung to the oral extraction ratio of the drug. A mean oral extraction ratio of 0.46 was obtained at 21h00 as compared to 0.39 at 09h00. The mean extraction ratios of the gastrointestine, liver, and lung were 0.05, 0.41, and 0 at 09h00 and 0.18, 0.24, and 0.13 at 21h00, respectively. These results indicate that the extrahepatic metabolism of acetaminophen is important at 21h00, but is barely detectable at 09h00, whereas the hepatic extraction ratio is higher at 09h00 than at 21h00. Thus, there are temporal variations in the disposition of acetaminophen in the rat.     

First-pass metabolism of acetaminophen in thyroxine treated rats

The study on the first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen was carried out in normal and thyroxine-treated rats, administered 30 mg/kg by three routes of intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral one. Unconjugated acetaminophen and two major metabolites, glucuronide and sulfate in the plasma and urine were then measured 5 and 24 h after the administration, respectively. It was found that there was no difference in total percentage of excreted amount, independent of the routes for administration, between normal and thyroxine-treated rats. This fact shows that acetaminophen is absorbed completely from the gastrointestinal tract. However, it was also found that the extraction ratio of gastrointestinal tract in thyroxine-treated rats became smaller, and that the volume of distribution and total body clearance became larger than those in normal rats. The first-pass metabolism of acetaminophen was found to be influenced by the continuous administration of thyroxine.     

Pharmacokinetics of a new reversible proton pump inhibitor,YH1885, after intravenous and oral administrations to rats and dogs: hepatic first-pass effect in rats

The pharmacokinetics of YH1885 were evaluated after intravenous (iv) and oral administrations of the drug to rats and dogs. The reason for the low extent of bioavailability (F) of YH1885 after oral administration of the drug to rats and the absorption of the drug from various rat gastrointestinal (GI) segments were also investigated. After iv administration of YH1885, 5–20 mg kg⁻¹, to rats, the pharmacokinetic parameters of YH1885 seem to be independent of the drug at the dose ranges studied. After oral administration of YH1885, 50–200 mg kg⁻¹, to rats, the area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to 12 or 24 h (AUC_{0–12 h} or AUC_{0–24 h}) was proportional to the oral dose of the drug, 50–100 mg kg⁻¹, however, the AUC_{0–24 h} value at 200 mg kg⁻¹ increased with less proportion to the dose increase (324, 689, and 815 μg · min mL⁻¹ for 50, 100, and 200 mg kg⁻¹, respectively) due to the poor water solubility of the drug. This was proved by the considerable increase in the percentages of the oral dose remaining in the entire GI tract as unchanged YH1885 at 24 h (11.8, 15.3, and 42.8% for 50, 100, and 200 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). The F value after oral administration of YH1885 to rats was relatively low; the value was approximately 40% at the oral dose of 50 and 100 mg kg⁻¹. The reason for the low F in rats was investigated. The liver showed the highest metabolic activity for YH1885 based on an in vitro rat tissue homogenate study; hence, the liver first-pass effect was estimated. The value of AUC after intraportal administration of the drug, 5 mg kg⁻¹, was approximately 70% (116 versus 163 μg · min mL⁻¹) of that after iv administration of the drug, 5 mg kg⁻¹, to rats; the liver first-pass effect of YH1885 in rats was estimated to be approximately 30%. The total body clearance of YH1885 after iv administration of the drug, 5–20 mg kg⁻¹, to rats were considerably lower than the cardiac output of rats, indicating that the lung and/or heart first-pass effect of YH1885 could be negligible in rats. After oral administration of YH1885, 50 and 100 mg kg⁻¹, to rats, the F value was approximately 40%, and approximately 15% of the oral dose was recovered from the entire GI tract as unchanged YH1885 at 24 h, and 30% of the oral dose disappeared with the liver first-pass effect. Therefore, the remainder, approximately 15% of the oral dose, could have disappeared with the small intestine first-pass effect and/or degradation of the drug in the GI tract. YH1885 was absorbed from ileum, duodenum, and jejunum of rat, however, YH1885 was under the detection limit in plasma when the drug was instilled into the rat stomach and large intestine. After iv administration of YH1885, 5–20 mg kg⁻¹, to dogs, the pharmacokinetic parameters of YH1885 also seemed to be independent of the drug at the dose ranges studied. However, after oral administration of YH1885, 0.5 and 2 g per whole body weight, to dogs, the AUC_{0–10 h} values were not significantly different (96.8 versus 98.2 μg · min mL⁻¹) and this could be due to the poor water-solubility of the drug. YH1885 was not detected in the urine after both iv and oral administration of the drug to both rats and dogs. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pharmacokinetics of L-FMAUS, a new antiviral agent, after intravenous and oral administration to rats: contribution of gastrointestinal first-pass effect to low bioavailability

The pharmacokinetics of L-FMAUS after intravenous and oral administration (20, 50 and 100 mg/kg) to rats, gastrointestinal first-pass effect of L-FMAUS (50 mg/kg) in rats, in vitro stability of L-FMAUS, blood partition of L-FMAUS between plasma and blood cells of rat blood, and protein binding of L-FMAUS to 4% human serum albumin were evaluated. L-FMAUS is being evaluated in a preclinical study as a novel antiviral agent. Although the dose-normalized AUC values of L-FMAUS were not significantly different among the three doses after intravenous and oral administration, no trend was apparent between the dose and dose-normalized AUC. After oral administration of L-FMAUS (50 mg/kg), approximately 2.37% of the oral dose was not absorbed, and the extent of absolute oral bioavailability (F) was approximately 11.5%. The gastrointestinal first-pass effect was approximately 85% of the oral dose. The first-pass effects of L-FMAUS in the lung, heart and liver were almost negligible, if any, in rats. Hence, the small F of L-FMAUS in rats was mainly due to the considerable gastrointestinal first-pass effect. L-FMAUS was stable in rat gastric juices. The plasma-to-blood cells partition ratio of L-FMAUS was 2.17 in rat blood. The plasma protein binding of L-FMAUS in rats was 98.6%.     

Liver and Gastrointestinal First-pass Effects of Azosemide in Rats

Since considerable first-pass effects of azosemide have been reported after oral administration of the drug to rats and man, first-pass effects of azosemide were evaluated after intravenous, intraportal and oral administration, and intraduodenal instillation of the drug, to rats. The total body clearances of azosemide after intravenous (5 mg kg^?) and intraportal (5 and 10 mg kg^?) administration of the drug to rats were considerably smaller than the cardiac output of rats suggesting that the lung or heart first-pass effect (or both) of azosemide after oral administration of the drug to rats was negligible. The total area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) after intraportal administration (5 mg kg^?) of the drug was significantly lower than that after intravenous administration (5 mg kg^?) of the drug (1000 vs 1270 μg min mL^?) suggesting that the liver first-pass effect of azosemide was approximately 20% in rats. The AUC from time 0 to 8 h (AUC_{0–8 h}) after oral administration (5 mg kg^?) of the drug was considerably smaller than that after intraportal administration (5 mg kg^?) of the drug (271 vs 1580 μg min mL^?) suggesting that there are considerable gastrointestinal first-pass effects of azosemide after oral administration of azosemide to rats. Although the AUC_{0–8 h} after oral administration (5 mg kg^?) of azosemide was approximately 15% lower than that after intraduodenal instillation (5 mg kg^?) of the drug (271 vs 320 μg min mL^?), the difference was not significant, suggesting that the gastric first-pass effect of azosemide was not considerable in rats. Azosemide was stable in human gastric juices and pH solutions ranging from 2 to 13. Almost complete absorption of azosemide from whole gastrointestinal tract was observed after oral administration of the drug to rats. The above data indicated that most of the orally administered azosemide disappeared (mainly due to metabolism) following intestinal first-pass in rats.     

Gastrointestinal first-pass effect of furosemide in rats

The first-pass effect of furosemide was investigated in rats. Furosemide intravenous solution (20 mg kg(-1) Lasix), was administered via the jugular vein and the portal vein, orally, and instilled directly into the duodenum of rats. The first-pass effects of furosemide by lung, heart, and liver seemed to be negligible in rats. The absolute bioavailability of furosemide was 28.9 and 48.3% after oral and intraduodenal administration, respectively. Based on the gastrointestinal (GI) recovery study, 68.3 and 69.5% of furosemide were found to have disappeared mainly due to absorption and/or metabolism from rat GI tract after oral and intraduodenal administration, respectively. The results indicate that gastrointestinal and intestinal first-pass effects of furosemide were approximately 40% (68.3-28.9%) and 20% (69.5-48.3%) of the dose, respectively.     

Study on the role of hepatic first-pass elimination in the low oral bioavailability of scutellarin in rats

In the present study, we compared the systemic exposure of scutellarin following intraportal with intravenous administration to understand the contribution of presystemic hepatic elimination to the low oral bioavailability. Results showed that the hepatic first-pass elimination of scutellarin played an insignificant role in the presystemic elimination of orally administered scutellarin. Moreover, our results suggested that the site of first pass extraction was not the liver, but the gastrointestinal tract.     

Dose-independent pharmacokinetics of a new neuroprotective agent for ischemia-reperfusion damage,KR-31543, after intravenous and oral administration to rats: hepatic and intestinal first-pass effects

The purpose of this study was to report dose-independent pharmacokinetics of KR-31543, a new neuroprotective agent for ischemia-reperfusion damage, after intravenous (iv) and oral (po) administration and first-pass effects after iv, intraportal, intragastric, and intraduodenal administration in rats. After iv (10, 20, and 50 mg/kg) and oral (10, 20, and 50 mg/kg) administration, the pharmacokinetic parameters of KR-31543 were dose independent. The extent of absolute oral bioavailability (F) was 27.4% at 20 mg/kg. Considering the amount of unabsorbed KR-31543 from the gastrointestinal tract at 24 h (4.11%), the low F value could be due to the hepatic, gastric, and/or intestinal first-pass effects. After iv administration of three doses, the total body clearances were considerably slower than the reported cardiac output in rats, suggesting almost negligible first-pass effect in the heart and lung in rats. The areas under the plasma concentration-time curves from time zero to time infinity (AUCs) were not significantly different between intragastric and intraduodenal administration of KR-31543 (20 mg/kg), suggesting that the gastric first-pass effect of KR-31543 was almost negligible in rats. However, the values were significantly smaller (305 and 318 microg x min/mL) than that after intraportal administration (494 microg x min/mL), indicating a considerable intestinal first-pass effect of KR-31543 in rats; that is, approximately 40% of the oral dose. Approximately 50% of KR-31543 absorbed into the portal vein was eliminated by the liver (hepatic first-pass effect) based on iv and intraportal administration (the value, 50%, was equivalent to approximately 30% of the oral dose). The low F value of KR-31543 after oral administration of 20 mg/kg to rats was mainly due to considerable intestinal (approximately 40%) and hepatic (approximately 30%) first-pass effects.     

Pharmacokinetics of the dimethylheptyl homolog of cannabidiol in dogs

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the major nonpsychoactive cannabinoids produced by Cannabis sativa L. Recent studies have shown that a dimethylheptyl homolog (DMH) of CBD is more active as an anticonvulsant than is the naturally occurring CBD. In considering DMH as a potential antiepileptic agent, its pharmacokinetics was studied in dogs (N = 8) after both iv (20 mg) and oral (80 mg) administration. After iv administration, DMH was rapidly distributed. DMH has a mean terminal half-life of 2 hr, its plasma levels decline in a biphasic fashion, and its total body clearance is 8.3 liters/hr. This clearance value, after being normalized to blood clearance by the use of mathematical equations, was less than one half of the value of the hepatic blood flow and its extraction ratio (E) by the liver is 0.39, DMH was observed to have a mean volume of distribution of 10 liters (or 0.5 liters/kg). In four of the eight dogs studied, DMH could not be detected in the plasma after oral administration. In the other four, the oral bioavailability was 3, 21, 39, and 43%, respectively. After oral administration, DMH has a low and variable bioavailability, due to a liver first-pass effect and incomplete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. In comparison with CBD, DMH has a shorter half-life and lower clearance and volume of distribution values, and its liver extraction ratio is about one half that of CBD.     

Differentiation of Gut and Hepatic First-Pass Effect of Drugs: 1. Studies of Verapamil in Ported Dogs

Purpose. To investigate the relative contributions of the gut and liver to the first-pass loss of verapamil (VL) using anin vivo intestinal-vascular access port (IVAP) dog model. Methods. Basic pharmacokinetics of VL were determined after intravenous (IV: 0.5 mg/kg), portal venous (PV: 2 mg/kg), and duodenal (ID: 2 mg/kg) administration in IVAP dogs. Serial blood samples were collected for 8 h after dosing, and plasma was analyzed for unchanged drug by a high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence method. Extraction ratios in the liver and intestinal tract were determined from the area under the concentration-time curves for ID, PV, and IV administration. The functional role of CYP450 or secretory transporters such as P-gp on the gut and liver first-pass loss of VL was further studied using ritonavir, a known substrate or inhibitor of these processes. Results. The liver had a high intrinsic capacity for clearing VL because the absolute bioavailability (BA) of VL was 21.7% after PV administration. The BA of VL after ID administration was 23.5%; therefore, intestinal absorption was complete and intestinal extraction was negligible (ER_GI 0). The BA of VL increased from 23.5% to 66.2% in the presence of ritonavir primarily due to a reduction in hepatic extraction. Conclusions. Although the liver had a high intrinsic capacity for extracting VL, the contribution of gut to the first-pass loss of VL was negligible. Because of the additive effects of intestinal CYP3A-mediated metabolism and secretory transport, a significant gut first-pass effect was expected, but not observed in dogs. These studies demonstrate the utility of the in vivo IVAP dog model for evaluating the relative contribution of the gut and liver to the first-pass loss of drugs and for characterizing the functional role that CYP450 metabolism and/or secretory transporters play in drug-drug interactions and reduced oral bioavailability.     

THE FATE OF THE ORALLY ADMINISTERED BILE ACID SEQUESTRANT, POLIDEXIDE, IN HUMANS

1. The metabolic fate of the insoluble bile acid sequestrant polidexide, (poly-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] polyglycerylenedextran hydrochloride), was studied in four adult humans following the oral administration of the ¹⁴C-labelled substance. 2. The mean cumulative recovery of ¹⁴C in faeces was 95·3% (s.e.m. = 1·1) of the administered dose, while mean cumulative recovery in urine was 0·37% (s.e.m. = 0·13) of the oral dose. 3. Only background levels of radioactivity were detectable in plasma samples taken 1·3 days after administration of tracer. 4. The findings suggested that polidexide was not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in man to any significant degree.     

Dose-dependent pharmacokinetics of a new reversible proton pump inhibitor, DBM-819, after intravenous and oral administration to rats: hepatic first-pass effect.

The dose-dependent pharmacokinetic parameters of DBM-819 were evaluated after intravenous (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and oral (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg) administrations of the drug to rats. The hepatic first-pass effect was also measured after intravenous and intraportal administrations of the drug, 10 mg/kg, to rats. After intravenous administration, the dose-normalized (based on 5 mg/kg) area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity, AUC, at 20 mg/kg (27.0 and 45.8 microg min/ml) was significantly greater than that at 5 mg/kg due to saturable metabolism. After oral administration, the dose-normalized (based on 10 mg/kg) AUC(0-12 h) at 50 mg/kg (25.1, 18.3 and 49.2 microg min/ml) was significantly greater than those at 10 and 20 mg/kg again due to saturable metabolism. After oral administration of DBM-819, 10 mg/kg, 2.86% of oral dose was not absorbed and the extent of absolute oral bioavailability (F) was estimated to be 46.7%. After intraportal administration of DBM-819, 10 mg/kg, the AUC was 51.9% of intravenous administration, suggesting that approximately 48.1% was eliminated by liver (hepatic first-pass effect). The considerable hepatic first-pass effect of DBM-819 was also supported by significantly greater AUC of M3 (3.70 and 6.86 microg min/ml), a metabolite of DBM-819, after intraportal administration. The AUCs of DBM-819 were not significantly different (comparable) between intraportal and oral administrations of the drug, 10 mg/kg, suggesting that gastrointestinal first-pass effect of DBM-819 was almost negligible in rats. At 10 mg/kg oral dose of DBM-819, the hepatic first-pass effect was approximately 48.1%, F was approximately 46.7 and 2.86% was not absorbed from gastrointestinal tract in rats.     

First-Pass Effect of cis-3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(l-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzamide (U-54494) in Rats— A Model with Multiple Cannulas for Investigation of Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Metabolism

A multiple cannulated rat model was utilized to investigate the relative contribution of the gut and liver as sites of first-pass metabolism of orally administered U-54494 A, an anticonvulsant drug candidate. Each rat received a dose of U-54494 A by oral, intraportal, and intravenous routes on three separate occasions. Intraportal and intravenous doses were administered through chronic cannulas surgically implanted in the portal vein and superior vena cava, respectively. Blood samples were collected over a 6-hr period from the superior vena cava cannula. The mean (n = 3) bioavailability of orally dosed U-54494A was 4.5 ± 1.1%, while that dosed intraportally was 19.1 ± 3.0%. The relative contribution of the gut and liver as sites of first-pass extraction and/or metabolism of orally administered drug was 69.9 ± 14.0% and 24.5 ± 12.2%, respectively. Approximately 35 to 40% of the total plasma clearance was attributed to the liver. The plasma concentrations of the four known metabolites of U-54494A were apparently higher for the oral and intraportal routes compared to that after intravenous administration. This investigation confirms that the low oral bioavailability of U-54494A in the rat can be primarily attributed to both extensive intestinal and hepatic first-pass metabolism.     

Pharmacokinetics of DA-8159, a new erectogenic, after intravenous and oral administration to rats: hepatic and intestinal first-pass effects

The purposes of this study were to report dose-independent (after intravenous administration) and dose-dependent (after oral administration) area under the curve of plasma concentration versus time from time zero to time infinity (AUC), and gastric, intestinal, and/or hepatic first-pass effects (after intravenous, intraportal, intragastric, and intraduodenal administration) of DA-8159 [5-[2-propyloxy-5-(1-methyl-2-pyrollidinylethylamidosulfonyl)phenyl]-1-methyl-3-propyl-1,6-dihydro-7H-pyrazolo(4,3-d)pyrimidine-7-one], a new erectogenic, in rats. After intravenous administration at doses of 5, 10, and 30 mg/kg, the AUCs and time-averaged total body clearances (CLs) were dose-independent. However, the AUCs were dose-dependent after oral administration at doses of 20, 30, 50, and 100 mg/kg. This result could be due to saturation of first-pass effects at high doses. The extent of absolute oral bioavailability (F) of DA-8159 was 38.0% at a dose of 30 mg/kg. Considering almost complete absorption of DA-8159 from rat gastrointestinal tract ( approximately 99% of oral dose of 30 mg/kg), the low F could be due to considerable hepatic, gastric, and/or intestinal first-pass effects. After intravenous administration at three doses, the CLs were considerably slower than the reported cardiac output in rats, suggesting almost negligible first-pass effect of DA-8159 in the heart and lung. The AUCs were not significantly different between intragastric and intraduodenal administration of DA-8159 at a dose of 30 mg/kg (131 and 127 microg x min/mL), suggesting that gastric first-pass effect of DA-8159 was almost negligible in rats. However, the values were significantly smaller than that after intraportal administration (311 microg x min/mL), indicating considerable intestinal first-pass effect of DA-8159 in rats of approximately 58% of the oral dose. Approximately 23% of DA-8159 at a dose of 30 mg/kg absorbed into the portal vein was eliminated by the liver (hepatic first-pass effect) based on AUC difference between intravenous and intraportal administration (the value, 23%, was equivalent to approximately 9.6% of oral dose). The low F of DA-8159 after oral administration at a dose of 30 mg/kg to rats was mainly due to considerable intestinal ( approximately 58%) first-pass effects.     

EXTRAHEPATIC FIRST-PASS METABOLISM OF NIFEDIPINE IN THE RAT

The peroral (po) bioavailability of nifedipine is reported to range from about 45 to 58% in the rat; this compares favourably to human beings. The metabolism of nifedipine is similar in rats and humans (oxidation of the dihydropyridine ring), with the liver believed to be solely responsible for the systemic clearance of the drug and the observed first-pass effect after po dosing. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intestinal metabolism also contributes to the first-pass elimination of nifedipine in the rat. The systemic availabilities of nifedipine doses given by po, intracolonic (ic), and intraperitoneal (ip) routes of administration were compared to that for an intravenous (iv) dose (in each case a dose of 6 mg kg⁻¹ was given) using adult male Sprague–Dawley rats (249–311 g, n =6 or 7/group). The geometric mean of systemic nifedipine plasma clearance after iv dosing was 10·3 mL min⁻¹ kg⁻¹. The nifedipine blood-to-plasma ratio was found to be about 0·59. Therefore, the systemic blood clearance of nifedipine was about 17·5 mL min⁻¹ kg⁻¹; which, compared to the hepatic blood flow of rats (55 to 80 mL min⁻¹ kg⁻¹) showed that nifedipine is poorly extracted by the liver (0·22≤E_H≤0·32). The mean absolute bioavailabilities of the po, ip, and ic doses were 61, 90, and 100%, respectively. Assuming complete absorption of the extravascular nifedipine doses these results indicate that, in addition to hepatic extraction, substantial first-pass elimination of nifedipine occurs within the wall of the small intestine but not the colon of the rat. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First-pass Metabolism of 5-Fluorouracil in Rats

The first-pass metabolism of 5-fluorouracil has been investigated in rats to compare systemic bioavailability after administration by different routes, the bioavailability after intravenous bolus administration being defined as unity. Bioavailability after oral administration (F_po) was compared with that after intraintestinal administration into the closed loop (F_loop) in conscious rats. F_po was very low and variable (0.28 ± 0.30, mean ± s.d.), in agreement with earlier studies in man, but comparable with F_loop (0.33 ± 0.05), suggesting insignificant loss of 5-fluorouracil by degradation in the gastrointestinal lumen or by faecal excretion. The bioavailability after intraportal vein administration (F_ipv) was compared with F_loop in rats anaesthetized with pentobarbital, anaesthesia being used to maintain a stable portal drug infusion that mimics the sustained input of drug into the portal blood flow after intra-intestinal administration. F_ipv was smaller than unity (0.68 ± 0.03), suggesting significant hepatic first-pass metabolism, but higher than F_loop (0.31 ± 0.10), suggesting significant first-pass metabolism in the intestinal mucosa. The intestinal bioavailability for passage through the epithelial mucosa (F_i) was estimated, from the ratio of F_loop to F_ipv, to be 046. The study revealed that both the liver and intestinal mucosa are responsible for the extensive first-pass metabolism of 5-fluorouracil after oral administration. This first-pass metabolism might be similar to that in man, in which the oral bioavailability is reportedly similar to that in the rats used in this study. The findings in this study should be of help in monitoring ways of improving oral 5-fluorouracil therapy.     

Gastrointestinal first-pass effect of YJA-20379-8, a new reversible proton pump inhibitor, in rats.

Since low bioavailability of YJA-20379-8 (3-butyryl-4-[5-R-(+)-methylbenzylamino]-8ethoxy-1,7-naph thy ridine), a new reversible proton pump inhibitor, has been reported after oral administration of the drug to rats, the first-pass organ of the drug was investigated in rats. YJA-20379-8, 50 mg kg(-1), was infused over 1 min via the jugular vein (n=5) or the portal vein (n=5), or was instilled directly into the stomach (n=5) or the duodenum (n=5). After intravenous or intraportal infusion of the drug, the total body clearance of YJA-20379-8 (18.1 and 19.7 mL min(-1) kg(- 1) based on plasma data) was considerably lower than the reported cardiac output (296 mL min(-1) kg(-1) based on blood data) in rats. This data indicated that the first-pass effect of YJA-20379-8 by the lung and heart was negligible. The areas under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) after intravenous or intraportal administration of YJA-20379-8 (2760 and 2540 microg min mL(-1)) were not significantly different, indicating that the hepatic first-pass effect of the drug was also negligible in rats. After intragastric or intraduodenal instillation of YJA-20379-8, the extent of absolute oral bioavailability was 18.2 and 33.8%, respectively. Based on gastrointestinal recovery studies, approximately 86.5 and 91.2% of YJA-20379-8 was absorbed from rat gastrointestinal tract after intragastric or intraduodenal instillation, respectively. The data indicated that gastrointestinal and intestinal first-pass effects of YJA-20379-8 were approximately 68% (86.5-18.2) and 57% (91.2-33.8), respectively. The AUC(0-24h) values of YJA-20379-8 were significantly different between intragastric and intraduodenal instillation, indicating that the gastric first-pass effect of the drug was approximately 10% in rats. Therefore, it could be concluded that the low F value of YJA-20379-8 after oral administration of the drug could be due to a considerable (approx. 60%) intestinal first-pass effect in rats.