Relative oral bioavailability of arsenic from contaminated soils measured in the cynomolgus monkey.

A number of studies have found that gastrointestinal absorption of arsenic from soil is limited, indicating that a relative oral bioavailability (RBA) adjustment is warranted when calculating risks from exposure to arsenic-contaminated soil. However, few studies of arsenic bioavailability from soil have been conducted in animal models with phylogenetic similarity to humans, such as nonhuman primates. We report here the results of a study in which the RBA of arsenic in soil from a variety of types of contaminated sites was measured in male cynomolgus monkeys. A single oral dose of each contaminated soil was administered to five adult male cynomolgus monkeys by gavage, and the extent of oral absorption was evaluated through measurement of arsenic recovery in urine and feces. Urinary recovery of arsenic following doses of contaminated soil was compared with urinary recovery following oral administration of sodium arsenate in water in order to determine the RBA of each soil. RBA of arsenic in 14 soil samples from 12 different sites ranged from 0.05 to 0.31 (5-31%), with most RBA values in the 0.1-0.2 (10-20%) range. The RBA values were found to be inversely related to the amount of arsenic present with iron sulfate. No other significant correlations were observed between RBA and arsenic mineralogic phases in the test soils. The lack of clear relationships between arsenic mineralogy and RBA measured in vivo suggests that gastrointestinal absorption of arsenic from soil may be more complex than originally thought, and subject to factors other than simple dissolution behavior.     

Dermal absorption of arsenic from soils as measured in the rhesus monkey.

Regulatory agencies have relied on dermal absorption data for soluble forms of arsenic as the technical basis for specific absorption values that are used to calculate exposure to arsenic in weathered soil. These evaluations indicate that percutaneous absorption of arsenic from soil ranges from 3.2 to 4.5% of the dermally applied dose, based on studies of arsenic freshly mixed with soil. When this value is incorporated into risk assessments and combined with other assumptions about dermal exposures to soil, the conclusion is often that dermal exposure to arsenic from soil may contribute significantly to overall exposure to arsenic in soil. Prior characterization research has indicated that the solubility of arsenic in soil varies, depending on the provenance of the soil, the source of the arsenic, and the chemical interaction of arsenic with other minerals present within the soil matrix. Weathering produces forms of arsenic that are more tightly bound within the soil and less available for absorption. Our research expands on prior in vivo studies to provide insights into the potential for dermal absorption of arsenic from the more environmentally relevant substrate of soil. Specifically, two soils with very high concentrations of arsenic were evaluated under two levels of skin hydration. One soil, containing 1400 mg/kg arsenic, was collected adjacent to a pesticide production facility in New York. The other soil, containing 1230 mg/kg arsenic, was collected from a residential area with a history of application of arsenical pesticides. Although the results of this research are constrained by the small study size dictated by the selection of an animal research model using monkeys, the statistical power was optimized by using a "crossover" study design, wherein each animal could serve as its own comparison control. No other models (animal or in vitro) were deemed adequate for studying the dermal absorption of soil arsenic. Our results show dermal absorption of soluble arsenic in solution to be 4.8 +/- 5.5%, which is similar to results reported earlier for arsenic in solution (and used by regulatory agencies in recommendations regarding dermal absorption of arsenic). Conversely, absorption following application of arsenic in the soil matrices resulted in mean estimated arsenic absorption of 0.5% or less for all soils, and all individual estimates were less than 1%. More specifically, following application of arsenic-bearing soils to the abdomens of monkeys, urinary arsenic excretion could not be readily distinguished from background. This was true across all five soil-dosing trials, including application of the two dry soils and three trials with wet soil. These findings are consistent with our understanding of the environmental chemistry of arsenic, wherein arsenic can be present in soils in complexed mineral forms. This research addresses an important component involved in estimating the true contribution of percutaneous exposures to arsenic in soil relative to exposures via ingestion. Our findings suggest that dermal absorption of arsenic from soil is truly negligible, and that EPA's current default assumption of 3% dermal absorption of arsenic from soils results in significant overestimates of exposure.     

Bioavailability of Arsenic in Soil and House Dust Impacted by Smelter Activities Following Oral Administration in Cynomolgus Monkeys

This study was conducted to determine the extent of arsenic(As) absorption from soil and house dust impacted by smelteractivities near Anaconda, Montana. Female cynomolgus monkeyswere given a single oral administration via gelatin capsulesof soil (0.62 mg As/kg body wt) or house dust (0.26 mg As/kgbody wt), or soluble sodium arsenate by the gavage or intravenousroute of administration (0.62 mg As/kg body wt) in a crossoverdesign with a minimum washout period of 14 days. Urine, feces,and cage rinse were collected at 24-hr intervals for 168 hr.Blood was collected at specified time points and area underthe curves (AUCs) was determined. Arsenic concentrations forthe first 120 hr, representing elimination of greater than 94%of the total administered dose for the three oral treatmentgroups, were <0.02 1 to 4.68 zg/ml for the urine and <0.24to 31.1 µg/g for the feces. In general, peak concentrationsof As in the urine and feces were obtained during the collectionintervals of 0–24 and 24–72 hr, respectively. Themain pathway for excretion of As for the intravenous and gavagegroups was in the urine, whereas for the soil and dust groups,it was in the feces. Mean absolute percentage bioavailabilityvalues based on urinary excretion data were 68, 19, and 14%for the gavage, house dust, and soil treatments, respectively,after normal ization of the intravenous As recovery data to100%. Correspond ing absolute bioavailability values based onblood were 91, 10, and 11%. The bioavailabiity of soil and housedust As relative to soluble As (by gavage) was between 10 and30%, depending upon whether urinary or blood values were used.These findings suggest that risks associated with the ingestionof As in soil or dust will be reduced compared to ingestionof comparable quantities of As in drinking water.     

Oral bioavailability of pentachlorophenol from soils of varying characteristics using a rat model

Evidence accumulated during the last two decades suggests that only a fraction of any chemical in soil is available to organisms, and soil-related effects on bioavailability should be considered in optimizing soil remediation cleanup levels. In the current study, the absolute and relative bioavailabilities of pentachlorophenol (PCP) from freshly spiked and environmentally aged soils varying in organic carbon content, clay content, and pH were examined using a rat model. PCP is a broad-spectrum biocide widely used as a wood preservative, and thus is ubiquitous in the environment. Soils and corn oil containing equivalent levels of PCP were administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats by gavage at 2 dose levels: 100 and 200 microg/kg body weight. Equivalent doses were also given intravenously. The areas under the plasma concentration of PCP versus time curves were calculated, and absolute and relative bioavailabilities of PCP from each soil were determined. At a dose of 100 microg/kg body weight, the absolute bioavailabilities of PCP across soils ranged from 36% to 65%, and the relative bioavailabilities ranged from 48% to 82%. At the higher dose level (200 microg/kg body weight), absolute and relative bioavailability ranges were somewhat higher at 46% to 77% and 52% to 87%, respectively. All soils decreased absolute PCP bioavailability significantly at both dose levels and relative bioavailability at the lower PCP dose level. At the higher dose level, only one of the two field-contaminated soils decreased the relative PCP bioavailability. The data indicate that PCP-soil interactions do significantly decrease the oral bioavailability of PCP from soil, but no obvious correlation was observed between soil properties and bioavailabilities.     

The effects of enzyme induction and enzyme inhibition on labetalol pharmacokinetics.

The oral and intravenous pharmacokinetics of labetalol were determined in five subjects before and after a 3 week course of glutethimide 500 mg/day. After glutethimide there was a significant reduction in the AUC after the oral dose of labetalol, from 40,596 +/- 11,534 (mean +/- s.e. mean) to 22,057 +/- 6,276 ng ml-1 min (2P less than 0.05), and systemic bioavailability was reduced from 30.3 +/- 2.8 to 17.0 +/- 3.5% (2P less than 0.001). There was no significant change in labetalol plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) following an intravenous dose, half-life, volume of distribution, and plasma clearance. The oral and intravenous pharmacokinetics of labetalol were determined in six subjects before and after a 3 day course of cimetidine 1.6 g/day. After cimetidine there was a significant reduction in the volume of distribution of labetalol, from 520 +/- 51 to 445 +/- 24 1 (2P less than 0.05). The AUC of labetalol after the oral dose increased by 66%, from 51,029 +/- 7,950 to 84,772 +/- 19,444 ng ml-1 min (2P = 0.06). The systemic bioavailability of labetalol increased from 25.1 +/- 2.4 to 39.0 +/- 7.6% (2P = 0.06). There was no significant change in labetalol AUC after the intravenous dose, half life, and plasma clearance. There were no significant changes in resting heart rate and supine systolic and diastolic blood pressure following labetalol plus glutethimide, or labetalol plus cimetidine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Bioavailability of Arsenic in Soil Impacted by Smelter Activities Following Oral Administration in Rabbits

This study determined the extent of arsenic (As) absorptionfrom soil from Anaconda, Montana. Prepubescent male and femaleSPF New Zealand White rabbits (5/sex/group) were given a singleoral (capsule) administration of soil (3900 ppm As) at threedifferent dose levels (0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 g of soil/kg, correspondingto 0.78, 1.95, and 3.9 mg As/kg, respectively). Standard groupsincluded untreated controls, an intravenous sodium arsenategroup (1.95 mg As/kg), and a gavage sodium arsenate group (1.95mg As/kg). Urine, cage rinse, and feces were collected at 24-hrintervals for 5 days and were analyzed for total As concentration.Clinical signs, body weights, and food consumption for treatedanimals were similar to controls. Maximum As concentrationswere obtained over the initial 24-hr collection interval. Adose-dependent delay in urinary As excretion, the major eliminationpathway, was observed in the oral soil group compared to thatin the gavage group. For the animals in the soil groups, approximately80% of the administered As dose was eliminated in the fecescompared to approximately 10 and 50% for the intravenous andoral gavage groups, respectively. The relative oral bioavailabilities(±SD) of As in the gavage and test soil groups basedon comparison with excreta data from the intravenous group wereapproximately 50±5.7 and 24±3.2%, respectively(after normalization of intravenous group's As recovery datato 100%). These results indicated that As in the soil was probablyin a less soluble and therefore a less absorbable form thansodium arsenate.     

The disposition and pharmacokinetics of ketoconazole in the rat

The disposition, biliary excretion, and pharmacokinetics of ketoconazole in Sprague-Dawley rats were determined after intravenous administration. Greater than 80% of the radioactivity after a 5 mg/kg iv dose of 3H-ketoconazole was excreted in the feces. Urinary excretion was essentially complete after 48 hr; however, fecal excretion was prolonged over a 7-day period. Biliary excretion of radioactivity averaged 54.3 +/- 18.0% of the dose over a 7.5-8-hr period in pentobarbital-anesthesized rats. The possibility of enterohepatic recirculation was examined using a linked rat technique. Less than 2% of the radioactivity was found in the recipient bile over 9-12 hr. In eight male rats, the plasma pharmacokinetics of ketoconazole, as determined by an HPLC assay with fluorescence detection, were as follows: VD = 655 +/- 91 ml/kg, Cl = 14.4 +/- 5.1 ml/min/kg, and t 1/2 = 35.0 +/- 12.3 min. Three of the rats were given an additional oral dose to determine absolute bioavailability. The time to peak was 30-60 min, and the bioavailability was 35.8 +/- 3.55%. Previous studies have indicated that ketoconazole is well absorbed in rats; therefore, the poor bioavailability is probably due to first pass metabolism. The prolonged fecal excretion of radioactivity from an intravenous dose was probably caused by slow elimination of ketoconazole metabolites.     

Evaluation of a rat model versus a physiologically based extraction test for assessing phenanthrene bioavailability from soils.

The soil matrix can impact the bioavailability of soil-bound organic chemicals, and this impact is governed in part by soil properties such as organic carbon (OC) content, clay minerals, and pH. Recently, a physiologically based extraction test (PBET) was developed to predict the bioavailability of soil-bound organic chemicals. In the current study, the bioavailability of phenanthrene (PA) from laboratory-treated soils varying in OC content, clay, and pH was investigated using an in vivo rat model and an in vitro PBET. The relationship between these two approaches was also examined. In the in vivo assay, soils and corn oil containing equivalent levels of PA were administered to Sprague-Dawley rats by gavage at two dose levels: 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight. Equivalent doses were given via intravenous injection (i.v.). The areas under the blood concentration-versus-time curves (AUC) were measured, and the absolute and relative bioavailabilities of PA were determined for each soil. In the PBET tests, one g of each soil was extracted by artificial saliva, gastric juice, duodenum juice, and bile. The fraction of PA mobilized from each soil was quantified. The AUCs of PA in all soils were significantly lower than those following iv injection (p < 0.05), indicating that the soil matrix could reduce the bioavailability of PA from soil. There were obvious trends of soils with higher OC content and clay content, resulting in the lower bioavailability of PA from soil. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between the fraction of PA mobilized from soil in the PBET and its in vivo bioavailability. The data also showed that the absolute bioavailability of PA from corn oil was low: approximately 25%. These results suggest that PBET assay might be a useful alternative in predicting bioavailability of soil-bound organic chemicals. However, due to the limited soil types and use of one chemical vs. a variety of contaminants and soil properties in the environment, further efforts involving more chemicals and soil types are needed to validate this surrogate method.     

Pharmacokinetics of perfluorooctanoate in cynomolgus monkeys.

The pharmacokinetics of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in cynomolgus monkeys were studied in a six-month oral capsule dosing study of ammonium perfluorooctanoate (APFO) and in a single-dose iv study. In the oral study, samples of serum, urine, and feces were collected every two weeks from monkeys given daily doses of either 0, 3, 10, or 20 mg APFO/kg. Steady-state was reached within four weeks in serum, urine, and feces. Serum PFOA followed first-order elimination kinetics after the last dose, with a half-life of approximately 20 days. Urine was the primary elimination route. Mean serum PFOA concentrations at steady state in the 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg-day dose groups, respectively, were 81, 99, and 156 microg/ml in serum; 53, 166, and 181 microg/ml in urine; and, 7, 28, and 50 microg/g in feces. Mean liver concentrations reached 16, 14, and 50 microg/g in the 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg groups, respectively. In the iv study, three monkeys per sex were given a single dose of 10 mg/kg potassium PFOA. Samples were collected through 123 days. The terminal half-life of PFOA in serum was 13.6, 13.7, and 35.3 days in the three male monkeys and 26.8, 29.3, and 41.7 days in the three females. Volume of distribution at steady state was 181 +/- 12 and 198 +/- 69 ml/kg for males and females, respectively. Based on the result of both the oral and iv studies, the elimination half-life is approximately 14-42 days, and urine is the primary route of excretion.     

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral and intravenous cimetidine in seriously ill patients

This study was done to determine if the pharmacokinetics and gastric pH response of intravenous cimetidine are superior to oral dosing in seriously ill patients. A paired study of intravenous followed by oral liquid cimetidine was given to eight men and two women who were inpatients in a VA Hospital. Treatment was prescribed for either upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding or prophylaxis against GI bleeding. All patients received cimetidine 300 mg every 6 hours intravenously on day 1 and orally on day 2. After the fourth dose each day, venous blood samples and gastric pH measurements were taken serially for 6 hours. Peak serum cimetidine concentration was 2.0 +/- 0.5 mg/L for the intravenous dose and 1.5 +/- 0.3 mg/L for the oral dose (P = .001). Area under the curve (AUC) of cimetidine concentration was 3.81 +/- 1.1 mg/hr/L for the intravenous dose and 4.19 +/- 1.22 mg/hr/L for the oral dose (P greater than .30). Bioavailability (AUCpo/AUCiv) was 1.13 +/- 0.25, demonstrating complete oral absorption. The time during a 6-hour dosing interval that the gastric pH remained above 3.0 was 3.3 +/- 2.1 hours for the intravenous dose and 2.5 +/- 2.3 hours for the oral dose, P = .171). The time that the serum cimetidine concentration remained above 0.5 mg/L was 2.0 +/- 0.9 hours for the intravenous dose and 2.7 +/- 1.0 hours for the oral dose (P = .055). We concluded that bioavailability, time that gastric pH is maintained greater 3.0, and time that the serum cimetidine concentration is greater than 0.5 mg/L for intravenous cimetidine are not significantly different from oral cimetidine in seriously ill patients.     

Oral bioavailability of cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) from contaminated site soils in rats

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), a commonly used military explosive, was detected as a contaminant of soil and water at Army facilities and ranges. This study was conducted to determine the relative oral bioavailability of RDX in contaminated soil and to develop a method to derive bioavailability adjustments for risk assessments using rodents. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats preimplanted with femoral artery catheters were dosed orally with gelatin capsules containing either pure RDX or an equivalent amount of RDX in contaminated soils from Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant (LAAP) (2300 microg/g of soil) or Fort Meade (FM) (670 microg/g of soil). After dosing rats, blood samples were collected from catheters at 2-h intervals (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) and at 24 and 48 h. RDX levels in the blood were determined by gas chromatography. The results show that the peak absorption of RDX in blood was 6 h for neat RDX (1.24 mg/kg) and for RDX from contaminated soil (1.24 mg/kg) of LAAP. Rats dosed with RDX-contaminated FM soil (0.2 mg/kg) showed peak levels of RDX in blood at 6 h, whereas their counterparts that received an identical dose (0.2 mg/kg) of neat RDX showed peak absorption at 4 h. The blood levels of absorbed RDX from LAAP soil were about 25% less than for neat RDX, whereas the bioavailability of RDX from FM soils was about 15% less than that seen in rats treated with neat RDX (0.2 mg/kg). The oral bioavailability in rats fed RDX in LAAP soil and the FM soil was reduced with the neat compound but decrease in bioavailability varied with the soil type.     

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.     

Disposition of radiolabeled ifetroban in rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans.

Ifetroban is a potent and selective thromboxane receptor antagonist. This study was conducted to characterize the pharmacokinetics, absolute bioavailability, and disposition of ifetroban after i.v. and oral administrations of [14C]ifetroban or [3H]ifetroban in rats (3 mg/kg), dogs (1 mg/kg), monkeys (1 mg/kg), and humans (50 mg). The drug was rapidly absorbed after oral administration, with peak plasma concentrations occurring between 5 and 20 min across species. Plasma terminal elimination half-life was approximately 8 h in rats, approximately 20 h in dogs, approximately 27 h in monkeys, and approximately 22 h in humans. Based on the steady-state volume of distribution, the drug was extensively distributed in tissues. Absolute bioavailability was 25, 35, 23, and 48% in rats, dogs, monkeys, and humans, respectively. Renal excretion was a minor route of elimination in all species, with the majority of the dose being excreted into the feces. After a single oral dose, urinary excretion accounted for 3% of the administered dose in rats and dogs, 14% in monkeys, and 27% in humans, with the remainder excreted in the feces. Extensive biliary excretion was observed in rats with the hydroxylated metabolite at the C-14 position being the major metabolite observed in rat bile. Ifetroban was extensively metabolized after oral administration. Approximately 40 to 50% of the radioactivity in rat and dog plasma was accounted for by parent drug whereas, in humans, approximately 60% of the plasma radioactivity was accounted for by ifetroban acylglucuronide.     

Disposition of radiolabeled BMS-204352 in rats and dogs

BMS-204352, a maxi-K channel opener, is currently under development for the treatment of stroke. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics, mass balance and absolute oral bioavailability of [(14)C]-BMS-204352 in rats and dogs. [(14)C]-BMS-204352 was administered, to rats (n=10/group; parallel design, 6 mg/kg) and dogs (n=4/group; crossover design, 2 mg/kg), as an oral (PO) or as a 3-min intraarterial (IA) infusion in rats and a 6-min intravenous (i.v.) infusion in dogs. Blood, urine, and feces samples were collected and analyzed for unchanged BMS-204352 (plasma) using a validated LC/MS assay and for total radioactivity (plasma, urine, feces) using liquid scintillation counting. The mean total body clearance (CLT) and steady-state volume of distribution (VSS) values for the unchanged BMS-204352 were 2.58 +/- 0.48 l/h/kg and 6.3 +/- 1.14 l/kg, respectively, in rats and 0.21 +/- 0.02 l/h/kg and 4.06 +/- 0.47 l/kg, respectively, in dogs. In both species, the elimination half-life of total radioactivity was significantly longer as compared to the unchanged drug. After IA administration of radiolabeled BMS-204352 to rats, ca. 5.9 and 85% of radioactivity was recovered within 7 days in urine and feces, respectively; corresponding recoveries after PO dosing were 4.5 and 99.5%, respectively. The recoveries were similar in dogs, i.e., ca. 5.2 and 83% of administered radioactivity recovered in urine and feces, respectively, for IV dose and ca. 4 and 86%, respectively, for PO dose. These data indicate that nonrenal (biliary) elimination in both species was predominant. Based on comparable urinary recovery of radioactivity and plasma AUCs of radioactivity, the extent of oral absorption of BMS-204352 appeared to be complete in both species. The absolute oral bioavailability was 55% in rats and 79% in dogs. Bioavailability and extent of absorption data suggest evidence of first pass metabolism of BMS-204352 in the rat and dog.     

Absorption, distribution and excretion of 2,4-diamino-6-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-s-triazine maleate in rats, dogs and monkeys

Absorption, distribution and excretion of 2,4-diamino-6-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)-s-triazine maleate (MN-1695) were studied in rats, dogs and monkeys after administration of [14C]-MN-1695. MN-1695 was found to be well absorbed from the small intestine after oral administration in all species examined. Plasma level of unchanged MN-1695 reached a maximum at 1 to 4 h after oral administration of [14C]-MN-1695 in rats, dogs and monkeys. The mean elimination half-life of unchanged MN-1695 from plasma was about 3, 4 and 50 h in rats, dogs and monkeys, respectively. Tissue levels of radioactivity after oral administration of [14C]-MN-1695 in rats indicated that [14C]-MN-1695 was distributed throughout the body and the radioactivity in tissues disappeared with a rate similar to that in plasma. A stomach autoradiogram after intravenous administration of [14C]-MN-1695 in the rat revealed the radioactivity localized in the gastric mucosa where MN-1695 was assumed to exert its pharmacological activity. In pregnant rats, [14C]-MN-1695 was distributed to the fetus with levels similar to maternal blood levels. After oral administration of [14C]-MN-1695 in rats, 39 to 46% of the dose was excreted into the urine and 50 to 63% of the dose into the feces, within 96 h. In dogs, about 40% of the dose was excreted into the urine and about 50% of the dose into the feces, within 6 days after oral administration. In monkeys, within 14 days after oral administration, about 60 and 30% of the dose were excreted into the urine and feces, respectively, and the main excretion route was the urine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pharmacokinetics of afobazole metabolite (M-11) in rats

Pharmacokinetics of compound M-11 (main metabolite of afobazole) after administration via different routes was studied in rats. After oral and intravenous administration, M-11 exhibited weakly pronounced bioconversion with the formation of a few metabolites that could be detected in plasma samples for about 3 hours. The absolute bioavailability of M-11 after oral administration was 68.3%. It was found that M-11 was completely absorbed from gastrointestinal tract of rats and characterized by "the first pass effect", after which approximately 70% of administered dose entered the circulation. The parent substance was determined neither in urine nor in feces.     

Steady-state serum pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of 500 mg oral versus 200 mg intravenous ciprofloxacin

The pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin were examined after five days of treatment with 500 mg orally and 200 mg intravenously twice a day, in six healthy volunteers in an open, randomized crossover study. The ciprofloxacin concentrations were determined in serum by high performance liquid chromatography. The mean serum peak concentrations were obtained in 1 to 1.5 h by the oral route and the values reached were similar after the oral and intravenous dose (2.56 +/- 0.62 micrograms/ml and 2.6 +/- 0.67 micrograms/ml respectively). The terminal elimination half-life was about 4.5 h for oral form and 5 h for intravenous form. The absolute bioavailability of the oral ciprofloxacin was about 83%.     

Disposition of SK&F L-190144 in rats and monkeys after oral,intravenous or ocular administration

The objective of the study was to investigate the systemic disposition of ¹⁴C-SK&F L-190144 after single intravenous (10mg kg^?1) and oral (200 mg kg^?1) doses to rats and after single intravenous and ocular doses (0.33 mg kg^?1) to monkeys. After the intravenous dose, the blood concentration-time profile of ¹⁴C-SK&F L-190144 followed a rapid triexponential decline with half-lives of 2.5, 15, and 246 min in rats and 3, 19, and 2520 min in monkeys. The ¹⁴C-label in blood was mainly the parent compound. The terminal elimination half-life detected in rats using the urinary excretion rate-time data was 700 min. The total body clearance values were 17.6 ± 2.1 (mean ± SD, n = 6) and 1.11 ± 0.41 (n=4) mlmin^?1 kg^?1 for rats and monkeys, respectively. Both species had similar values of volume of distribution at the terminal phase, 4 to 6 l kg^?1, and similar excretion patterns, approximately 60 per cent and 30 per cent of the dose were excreted in the urine and feces, respectively. ¹⁴C-SK&F L-190144 was not absorbed orally in rats with the majority of the dose recovered in the feces. Following ocular administration to monkeys, the plasma drug concentrations peaked at 8 h post-dosing but did not reach a biexponential elimination phase until 18 h post-dosing, suggesting slow systemic absorption of drug from the ocular site. The monkeys excreted 42 per cent of the dose in urine and 50 per cent in feces after ocular administration. This increase in fecal excretion compared to the intravenous route of administration may have been due to the slow absorption by the ocular and nasal tissues altering the relative proportions of drug elimination via the renal and hepatic routes, or to a proportion of the dose passing into the gastrointestinal tract and exiting unabsorbed. Study results demonstrate similar excretion patterns and volume of distribution after intravenous administration in both species. The slow terminal elimination phase in monkeys was attributed to the low body clearance. The low oral bioavailability was possibly due to the poor partitioning behavior of the drug (logarithm of partition coefficient - 2.6). A significant fraction of the dose was absorbed in the body via the ocular route.     

Absolute bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, renal and biliary clearance of distigmine after a single oral dose in comparison to i.v. administration of 14C-distigmine-bromide in healthy volunteers.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the absolute bioavailability and pharmacokinetics after a single dose oral administration in comparison to i.v. administration of 14C-labelled distigmine-bromide (14C-Ubretid) in healthy male volunteers. RESULTS: After the intravenous administration, distigmine is eliminated from the body by renal excretion (85%), and for a small fraction by biliary excretion in the feces (4%). This situation is reversed after an oral administration, where 6.5% of the dose is recovered from the urine and 88% from the feces. This means that distigmine after oral administration is hardly absorbed, the calculated bioavailability is 4.65%. CONCLUSION: The mean absorption time (MAT) after oral administration was 10 h, influencing the t(1/2alpha) (1.4 vs 4.5 h) and the t(1/2beta) (60 vs 70 h) to higher values than after the i.v. administration (p < 0.05).     

Pharmacokinetics of 852A, an imidazoquinoline Toll-like receptor 7-specific agonist, following intravenous, subcutaneous, and oral administrations in humans

852A is an imidazoquinoline Toll-like receptor 7 agonist undergoing evaluation for the systemic treatment of cancer. 852A was administered to 6 healthy subjects as 3 rising subcutaneous doses (0.5 to 1.0 to 2.0 mg), to 6 subjects as 3 oral doses (10.0 to 20.0 to 15.0 mg, the third dose being a de-escalation), and to 6 subjects as a 2.0-mg dose by the subcutaneous, intravenous, and oral routes in crossover fashion. The subcutaneous and intravenous doses were well tolerated. One subject withdrew following the 20.0-mg oral dose because of hypotension. The 2.0-mg subcutaneous dose had 80.5% +/- 12.8% (mean +/- SD) bioavailability and gave serum concentrations comparable to intravenous administration by 30 minutes. Linear kinetics and an interferon-alpha dose response were observed for the 3 subcutaneous doses. Serum concentrations following the 2.0-mg oral dose were always lower than those following the same intravenous dose, and the oral route had a bioavailability of 26.5% +/- 7.84%. Concentrations appeared to increase with oral dose; however, large variabilities in both the rate and extent of absorption were seen between individuals. Approximately 40% of an absorbed dose was excreted unchanged in the urine. Overall, the study suggests that subcutaneous administration may be an acceptable method to deliver 852A for systemic applications.