The metabolic disposition of C-labelled carmoisine in the rat after oral and intravenous administration

The absorption, distribution and excretion of the red azo dye carmoisine (Ext. D & C No. 10) was studied in male rats. [14C]Carmoisine was administered in a dose of 200 mg/kg (25 microCi) by gavage or in the same dose (200 mg/kg; 3 microCi) by intravenous injection, and radioactivity was measured in blood, tissue, faeces and urine at different times after dosing. After oral administration of the dye, no radioactivity was detected in the brain, adipose tissue, muscle, testes, spleen or lung, and recovery of the administered activity in faeces and urine was almost complete by 32 hr. The radioactivity profile of the blood indicated rapid but poor absorption of [14C]carmoisine, a maximum radioactivity content corresponding to 0.01% of the dose per ml of blood being reached within 10 min. The decay curve for 14C radioactivity in the blood after iv injection of [14C]carmoisine indicated rapid distribution to the tissues and could be described in terms of a two-compartment mathematical model. The highest levels of radioactivity occurred in the gastro-intestinal tract and liver after the injection but after 24 hr no radioactivity was detectable in these or other tissues. All the radioactivity was recovered in the faeces and urine in the 24 hr following iv injection, the 79% of the dose present in faeces indicating active excretion of the dye and its metabolites in the bile and poor reabsorption from the intestine. The bioavailability of [14C]carmoisine, calculated from the blood-radioactivity curves after oral and iv administration, was less than 10%.     

Disposition and metabolism of 2-bromo-4,6-dinitroaniline in the male F344 rat

The disposition of [14C]-2-bromo-4,6-dinitroaniline (BDNA) was studied in male F344 rats following oral or intravenous (iv) administration. The gastrointestinal absorption of BDNA was nearly complete and was not affected by dose in the range (10-100 mumol/kg body weight) studied. Following either oral or iv administration, BDNA was rapidly distributed throughout the tissues and showed no marked affinity for any particular tissue. Clearance of [14C]BDNA-derived radioactivity from various tissues was rapid and was best described by two-component decay curves. The whole-body half-life of BDNA was approximately 7 h. Within 72 h, clearance of [14C]BDNA-derived radioactivity from the body was 98% complete. [14C]BDNA was rapidly cleared by metabolism to 13 metabolites, which were excreted in urine (62%) and feces (33%). Most (66%) of the urinary radioactivity was excreted in the form of sulfate conjugates of two metabolites of BDNA; excretion of unmetabolized BDNA was minimal (less than 2%). Biliary excretion of [14C]BDNA was significant; however, some of this BDNA-derived radioactivity underwent enterohepatic circulation and was subsequently excreted in urine. Results of this study indicate that, if metabolism is a detoxification process, the rapid metabolism and excretion of this compound should minimize the likelihood of chronic toxicity from repeated exposure to BDNA beyond that predicted by data from acute or short-term exposures.     

Evidence for a different metabolic behaviour of cytidine diphosphate choline after oral and intravenous administration to rats

Radioactivity plasma decay was studied in rats after intravenous and oral administration of cytidine diphosphate [methyl-14C]choline at doses of 25 and 300 mg/kg. The kinetics fitted well with a two compartment open model and showed a long lasting elimination phase with a half-life ranging from 2.0 to 2.6 days for the two doses and the two administration routes. Absorption of cytidine diphosphate choline radioactivity was complete after oral treatment with the low dose and accounted for 94.5% of the dose when 300 mg/kg of cytidine diphosphate [methyl-14C]choline were administered. However the distribution of radioactivity in tissues, urine and expired air suggest metabolic differences, at least from a quantitative point of view, between the oral and intravenous treatments. In particular, the higher excretion of radioactivity associated with trimethylamine in urine found when cytidine diphosphate [methyl-14C]choline was given orally, suggest that the compound may be metabolized, at least in part, previous to its gastrointestinal absorption.     

Disposition of orally and intravenously administered methyltetrahydrofuran in rats and mice

The disposition of [14C]methyltetrahydrofuran (14C-MTHF) in rats and mice was determined by following changes in the radioactivity in tissue and excreta with time after dosing. MTHF administered orally (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg) or intravenously (1 mg/kg) to either rats or mice was rapidly metabolized and excreted with <8% (mice) or 8-22% (rats) of the dose remaining in the body after 24 h (1 and 10 mg/kg doses) or 72 h (100 mg/kg dose). Based on recovery of radioactivity in excreta (other than feces) and tissues (other than the gastrointestinal [GI] tract), absorption of orally administered MTHF was essentially complete (93-100%). There were no overt signs of toxicity observed at any dose studied. The major route of excretion in mice was in urine followed by exhaled CO2. In rats the major route of excretion was exhaled CO2 followed by urinary excretion. The excretion of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOC) was dose-dependent in both species; at lower doses exhaled VOC represented 1-5% of dose, but at the highest dose (100 mg/kg) this proportion rose to 14% (mice) and 27% (rats). Analysis of the VOCs exhaled at the high dose indicated that the increase was due to exhalation of the parent compound, 14C-MTHF. Analysis of urine showed three highly polar peaks in the mouse urine and two polar peaks in the rat urine. Because the 14C label in MTHF was in the methyl group, the polar metabolites were considered likely due to the one-carbon unit getting into the metabolic pool and labeling intermediate dietary metabolites.     

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of idazoxan in the rat

1. [2'-14C]Idazoxan was rapidly and completely absorbed after its oral administration to rats. 2. After administration of either [2'-14C] or [6,7-3H]idazoxan, radioactivity was taken up by a wide range of tissues and became localized, especially in the organs of metabolism and excretion. Quantitative distribution patterns were route-dependent such that oral dosing resulted in lower radioactivity concentrations in all tissues apart from liver. 3. Clearance of idazoxan (94-144 ml/min per kg) was due mostly to metabolism and was independent of dose. Oral bioavailability in male rats at low oral doses of idazoxan (10 mg/kg) was about 1%, but increased with increasing dose to 23% at 100 mg/kg. Oral bioavailability in female rats was considerably higher than in male rats, at all doses studied. Brain idazoxan levels were in equilibrium with those in plasma, but ten-fold higher. 4. Elimination of radioactivity after administration of 14C-idazoxan was via the urine and the faeces (about 75% and 20% of dose respectively) and occurred essentially in the 24 h period immediately after dosing. By 96 h after dosing, elimination was virtually complete, with less than 0.5% dose remaining in the carcasses. 5. Biotransformation was by hydroxylation at positions 6 and 7 to form phenolic metabolites, which were excreted as glucuronide and sulphate metabolites in urine, but unconjugated in faeces. Other minor metabolic routes were 5-hydroxylation or oxidative degradation of the imidazoline ring, but these pathways were of quantitatively minor importance in the rat.     

Disposition of 2-(2-quinolyl)-1,3-indandione (D. C. yellow #11) in rats dosed orally or intravenously

The disposition of 2-(2-quinolyl)-1,3-indandione (D. C. yellow #11, DCY) in male Fischer rats dosed intravenously or by feeding was determined. For rats given [14C]DCY in the feed (0.00044-0.41% of the diet), recovery of radioactivity during the 24-h dosing period and the 72-h period thereafter ranged from 89.1 to 93.9% for feces and from 4.98 to 6.25 for urine. Tissues contained only trace amounts. Following intravenous dosing with [14C]DCY (0.93 mg/kg), radioactivity distributed readily into most tissues; maximum amounts were present at 5 min, the earliest time of assay. Maximum amounts of radioactivity in fat, skin, and gut tissue, however, were present at 30 min after dosing. These three tissues also had relatively long alpha phases for the elimination of radioactivity. In 24 h after intravenous dosing, rats excreted 81.1% of the dose in the feces and 16.0% of the dose in the urine. For rats fitted with biliary cannulas, 54.5% of the dose, all of which was metabolites of [14C]DCY, was recovered in the bile in 4 h. Associated with the rapid and extensive biliary excretion of metabolites of intravenously administered [14C]DCY was the appearance of large amounts of radioactivity in the feces and also, at intermediate time points, in the liver, gut contents, and gut tissue. In conclusion, rats rapidly distribute, metabolize, and excrete [14C]DCY.     

Effect of diphenylhydantoin on the biotransformation and biliary excretion of imipramine in rats.

1. Rats with biliary fistula excrete 18% of an intraperitoneal dose of [14C]imipramine (80 mg/kg) in bile within 2-5 h. Diphenylhydantoin (46 mg/kg) simultaneously administered intravenously decreases the biliary excretion of imipramine plus metabolites to 7% dose. With or without diphenylhydantoin, the highest biliary concentration of imipramine plus metabolites occurs 30-60 min after dosage. 2. With or without administration of diphenylhydantoin, 83% of the bile radioactivity is present as the conjugated 2-hydroxylated metabolites of imipramine. With imipramine alone, more conjugated 2-hydroxydesmethyl-imipramine than conjugated 2-hydroxyimipramine is excreted in the bile. Diphenylhydantoin reverses this order. 3. Administration of diphenylhydantoin does not significantly alter the concentration of imipramine plus metabolites in plasma, liver, lung and brain measured at five consecutive 30 min periods after dosage.     

Disposition of o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol in male rats

The disposition and metabolism of o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol (BCP) were studied in male Fischer-344 rats. Three days after oral administration of [14C]BCP at 10, 100, or 1000 mg/kg, more than 90% of each dose was excreted in urine and feces. Comparison of disposition after intravenous, dermal, or oral administration indicated that BCP was not completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract or skin. Biliary excretion of BCP was dose-dependent, with proportionally less BCP-derived radioactivity being excreted in the bile as the dose was raised. The results also indicated that enterohepatic circulation was involved in BCP disposition. The major in vivo metabolites were glucuronyl conjugates of BCP and hydroxy-BCP. Glutathione conjugates were also present in urine. In vitro metabolism studies support the observation that microsomal oxidation and glutathione and glucuronyl conjugation play major roles in BCP metabolism. Spleen, kidney, and liver contained the highest tissue concentrations of BCP-derived radioactivity. The presence of more nonextractable BCP-derived radioactivity in kidney than in liver is compatible with the hypothesis that covalent binding of BCP to renal tissue may be associated with BCP-induced nephrotoxicity.     

Studies on Metabolism of Trazodone,II. Metabolic Fate after Intravenous Administration and Effects on Liver Microsomal Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes in Rats

1. The blood level of radioactivity following intravenous injection of [¹⁴C]-trazodone hydrochloride (4?mg/kg) decreases with three half-lives of 4.4?min, 49?min and 9.0?h.

2. The urinary and faecal excretions of radioactivity and the pattern of urinary and biliary metabolites after injection are approximately similar to those after oral administration.

3. A major metabolite of trazodone in rat bile and urine is the glucuronide conjugate of trazodone hydroxylated at C₄ of benzene ring.

4. The concentration of unchanged trazodone in rat brain is higher than that in plasma.

5. Trazodone HCl (80?mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally twice daily for 7 days to rats had no effect on liver weight, microsomal protein content, cyto-chrome P-450 content or on the metabolism of [¹⁴C]trazodone HCl and other substrates such as imipramine and aniline.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of triclopyr 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid) in Fischer 344 rats

Triclopyr, (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid) is the active component of GARLON (trademark of the Dow Chemical Company) brand herbicide. [14C]Triclopyr was administered orally to groups of 5 rats/sex as a single 3 and 60 mg/kg body weight dose and as a multiple 3 mg/kg nonradiolabeled dose for 14 days followed by a single 3 mg [14C]triclopyr/kg dose on day 15. A fourth group (5 rats/sex) was administered a single 3 mg/kg intravenous dose of [14C]triclopyr. In addition, two groups of male rats (3/dose) were used to obtain 14C plasma time-course data and were orally administered [14C]triclopyr at doses of 3 and 60 mg/kg. Between 94 and 97% of the administered radioactivity was recovered, and the principal route of excretion was the urine (89-95%). The feces contained less than 3% of the dose and the expired 14CO2 and cage wash accounted for less than 0.2 and 1% of the dose, respectively. The tissues and carcass accounted for less than 2% of the radioactivity at 72 h post-dosing. [14C]Triclopyr was rapidly and completely absorbed after oral administration of 3 and 60 mg/kg. The radioactivity was cleared from the plasma of male rats at 3 mg/kg in a mono-exponential manner, with an apparent first-order elimination half-life of 3.6 h. The primary difference between the 3 and 60 mg/kg dose kinetics was the saturation of renal elimination of triclopyr through 9 h post-dosing for the 60 mg/kg group. [14C]Triclopyr was primarily excreted unchanged in the urine (81-96% of the urinary radioactivity), although 4 minor urinary metabolites were noted. Aside from the initial saturation of renal elimination of triclopyr at 60 mg/kg, there were no appreciable differences in the absorption, disposition, or metabolism of [14C]triclopyr, based on sex, or prior exposure.     

Pharmacokinetics of the mycotoxin penicillic acid in male mice: absorption, distribution, excretion, and kinetics

The pharmacokinetics of penicillic acid (PA), a carcinogenic mycotoxin, was investigated in male mice. Absorption of PA after po administration of [14C]PA was rapid. Only a small percentage of the radioactivity in the plasma was unchanged PA. After ip or iv administration of [14C]PA (90 mg/kg), blood, liver, kidneys, intestine, lungs, heart, and spleen contained the largest amounts of radioactivity while brain tissue accumulated the least. Over 90% and approximately 60% of the administered radioactivity was excreted in the urine after iv and ip injection, respectively, but essentially no unchanged PA was detected in the urine. Over 25% of the administered radioactivity following an iv dose of [14C]PA (90 mg/kg) was excreted in the bile in 60 min; no unchanged PA was detected in the bile. The excretion of radioactivity in the bile was decreased in diethyl maleate-pretreated mice. Only a small amount of the administered radioactivity was recovered in the feces and as expired CO2. The unchanged PA concentration-time curve in plasma was best fit by three, two, and one compartment open models after iv, ip, and po administration, respectively. Based on these results, it was concluded that metabolism and not excretion of unchanged parent penicillic acid is the major process of elimination of PA from the blood. There are extensive route-dependent differences in the kinetic behavior of PA.     

Determination of the effect of tridiphane on the pharmacokinetics of [14C]-atrazine following oral administration to male Fischer 344 rats

The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of [14C]-atrazine was studied in male Fischer 344 rats administered a 30 mg [14C]-atrazine/kg of body weight oral dose with or without pretreatment with a non-radiolabeled oral dose of 60 mg tridiphane/kg of body weight. The objective of this study was to determine whether tridiphane had any meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics and/or metabolism of atrazine in the rat. The 14C plasma time-course exhibited a mono-exponential decrease with an absorption and elimination half-life of approximately 3 h and 11 h, respectively for both treatment groups. In addition, at 72 h after the administration of [14C]-atrazine, approximately 93% of the administered radioactivity was recovered and the primary route of excretion was via the urine (67%) for both treatment groups. The feces accounted for approximately 18% of the dose, and less than 10% remained in the carcass, skin, and red blood cells (RBCs). The urine excreted in the first 24 h post-dosing contained approximately 57% of the administered radioactivity for both treatment groups. There were no appreciable differences in the metabolite distribution between treatment groups, and the major urinary metabolite of atrazine was found to be 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (II; 64-67%). Additionally, S-(2-amino-4-methylethylamino-1,3,5-triazin-6-yl)-mercapturi c acid (V; 13-14%), and S-(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazin-6-yl)-mercapturic acid (III; 9%) were tentatively identified based upon similar HPLC retention times as seen with synthesized standards. These data indicate that there are no meaningful differences in the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion between rats administered only [14C]-atrazine and those administered both tridiphane and [14C]-atrazine. Therefore, it can be concluded that tridiphane has no meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics and/or metabolism of atrazine in the rat.     

Disposition of Orally and Intravenously Administered Methyltetrahydrofuran in Rats and Mice

The disposition of [¹⁴C]methyltetrahydrofuran (¹⁴C-MTHF) in rats and mice was determined by following changes in the radioactivity in tissue and excreta with time after dosing. MTHF administered orally (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg) or intravenously (1 mg/kg) to either rats or mice was rapidly metabolized and excreted with <8% (mice) or 8–22% (rats) of the dose remaining in the body after 24 h (1 and 10 mg/kg doses) or 72 h (100 mg/kg dose). Based on recovery of radioactivity in excreta (other than feces) and tissues (other than the gastrointestinal [GI] tract), absorption of orally administered MTHF was essentially complete (93–100%). There were no overt signs of toxicity observed at any dose studied. The major route of excretion in mice was in urine followed by exhaled CO₂. In rats the major route of excretion was exhaled CO₂ followed by urinary excretion. The excretion of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOC) was dose-dependent in both species; at lower doses exhaled VOC represented 1–5% of dose, but at the highest dose (100 mg/kg) this proportion rose to 14% (mice) and 27% (rats). Analysis of the VOCs exhaled at the high dose indicated that the increase was due to exhalation of the parent compound, ¹⁴C-MTHF. Analysis of urine showed three highly polar peaks in the mouse urine and two polar peaks in the rat urine. Because the ¹⁴C label in MTHF was in the methyl group, the polar metabolites were considered likely due to the one-carbon unit getting into the metabolic pool and labeling intermediate dietary metabolites.     

Brain distribution and fate of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate in Fischer 344 rats.

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TRCP) is a flame retardant that has a wide variety of industrial applications. In subchronic studies, oral administration of TRCP to rats and mice has been reported to produce dose-, sex-, and species-dependent lesions in the hippocampal brain region. The present investigation has examined the metabolism, elimination, and regional brain distribution of [14C]TRCP in male and female rats. [14C]TRCP was administered by gavage (0, 175, 350, or 700 mg/kg) and urine, feces, exhaled volatiles, CO2, and selected tissues were collected. Regional brain distribution of 14C was determined 2 hr following single doses of TRCP to male and female rats, and 24 hr after a single dose and the last of 14 daily doses of TRCP to female rats. Results of these studies indicate that TRCP is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, distributed to all brain regions, and that metabolism and excretion are nearly complete in 72 hr. Most of the TRCP-derived radioactivity was excreted in urine (up to 85%), with feces, volatiles, and CO2 combined accounting for less than 10% of the dose. Predominant signs of toxicity associated with TRCP administration (350 and 700 mg/kg) were seizures within 2 hr of treatment, when most of the TRCP-derived radioactivity present in brain tissue was in the form of the parent compound. Traces of inextractable 14C were detected at later times, but this material was not concentrated in brain relative to other tissues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The Pharmacokinetics of Rimiterol in Man

1. The fate of [¹⁴C]rimiterol given orally, by aerosol, and intravenously to asthmatic patients has been investigated.

2. Following oral dosage (10?mg) < 50% dose was excreted in the urine. Two peaks in plasma concn. were seen, at 1–2 h and 3–5 h after dosing. Plasma radioactivity due to free rimiterol varied but never exceeded 10%. Of the urine radioactivity 50.5% was excreted as rimiterol (free and sulphate ester), and 30.5% as 3-O-methyl rimiterol (free and sulphate ester); free rimiterol accounted for only 1.7% and free 3-O-methyl rimiterol 2.5% of dose.

3. Following aerosol administration (0.39–0.56?mg) the pattern of metabolism and excretion was similar to that seen after oral administration.

4. After intravenous infusion (0.038 and 0.216 mg over 10 min) 92% of dose was excreted in the urine, suggesting little biliary excretion. Peak plasma concn. were seen 2–4?min after the end of injection at which time most of the radioactivity was due to free rimiterol. Of the urine radioactivity, 28.45% was excreted as rimiterol (free and sulphate ester), and 44.9% as 3-O-methyl rimiterol (free and sulphate ester), with 26.5% as unchanged rimiterol. Thus after intravenous administration a greater amount of free drug was excreted and a higher percentage of the dose was 3-O-methylated.     

Metabolic disposition and irreversible binding of 1-phenylcyclohexene in rats

The metabolic disposition of l-[¹⁴C]phenylcyclohexene ([¹⁴C]PC) was examined in rats after ip or iv drug administration. Radioactivity, which was accumulated by various organs, peaked within 30 min after ip administration of [¹⁴C]PC (0.21 mg/kg). A significant amount of this radioactivity was not extractable by repeated methanol extractions, indicating irreversible binding of [¹⁴C]PC metabolite(s) to tissue proteins. Following iv administration of [¹⁴C]PC (0.42 mg/kg), [¹⁴C]PC concentrations in blood declined biphasically with time; the blood elimination half-life of [¹⁴C]PC is 77 min. About 83% of the dose given was excreted in urine and feces within 54 hr of administration. About 35% of the dose was excreted in the bile in 1 hr. At least four [¹⁴C]PC metabolites were detected in the urine or bile. The bulk of the urinary radioactivity was composed of metabolites since less than 6% of [¹⁴C]PC given was excreted unchanged in the urine.     

Metabolism of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline in the male rat

The metabolism of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) was studied in the male rat using the radiochemical labels 14C and 3H at positions 2 and 5 of the molecule, respectively. Adult male Fischer 344 rats were administered [2-14C]IQ or [5-3H]IQ by oral gavage at dose levels of 20 or 40 mg/kg body weight. Rats were also given [2-14C]IQ in the diet at a dose level of 300 ppm for 2 days and after administration of unlabelled IQ (300 ppm) in the diet for approximately 6.5 wk for an additional 2 days. In the initial 48 hr following oral administration of 20 or 40 mg [2-14C]IQ/kg body weight, about 40-50% radioactivity was recovered in the urine, and about 30-38% radioactivity was recovered in the faeces. In the initial 72 hr following consumption of [2-14C]IQ (300 ppm) in the diet about 26% radioactivity was recovered in the urine and about 61% radioactivity was recovered in the faeces. Following cannulation of the bile ducts, rats administered a single dose of [2-14C]IQ (40 mg/kg body weight) by oral gavage excreted about 15% of the administered dose in the bile over a period of 2 days. Urine from rats given [2-14C]IQ contained three main polar metabolites that included a glucuronide, a sulphate ester and IQ sulphamate, and a number of less polar metabolites that included IQ, 2-acetylamino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline, 2-aminoimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline and 2-amino-3,6-dihydro-3-methyl-7H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline-7-one (7-OH-IQ). Administration of [2-14C]IQ by oral gavage or in the diet gave the same metabolites, but in different amounts. In the faeces of rats given [2-14C] by oral gavage, IQ-sulphamate was the major metabolite in the polar fraction. Non-polar metabolites similar to those found in the urine were also present, but in different amounts. A major, non-polar faecal metabolite, 7-OH-IQ was probably formed as a result of the activity of the intestinal bacterial flora. In rats given a single gavage dose of [2-14C]IQ, excretion of metabolites was higher in the urine and lower in the faeces compared with that in animals fed [2-14C]IQ in the diet. One polar metabolite present in the urine, IQ-sulphamate (39%), was found at considerably higher levels in rats dosed orally with IQ compared with those fed IQ (less than 6%). Thus, IQ is extensively metabolized to give a number of polar and non-polar metabolites, the amounts of which depend, in part, on the mode of dosing.     

Comparison of the metabolism and disposition of [3-14C]coumarin in the rat and marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Male Sprague-Dawley rats and marmosets were given a single oral 25 mg/kg dose of [3-14C]coumarin and the excretion of radioactivity in the expired air, urine and faeces monitored up to 96 h. Excretion profiles were similar in both species with the bulk of the dose being excreted in the urine and faeces within 24 h. Chromatographic analysis of 0-48 h urine samples revealed similar metabolic profiles with only small amounts of unchanged coumarin and very little 7-hydroxycoumarin. Coumarin 7-hydroxylase activity was not detectable in hepatic microsomes from either species. These results demonstrate that the disposition of [3-14C]coumarin was similar in the rat and marmoset, a New World primate, and that both species, unlike man, are poor 7-hydroxylators of coumarin.     

Comparative study on the disposition of a new orally active dopamine prodrug, N-(N-acetyl-L-methionyl)-O,O-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)dopamine (TA-870) and dopamine hydrochloride in rats and dogs

The pharmacokinetics of a dopamine derivative, TA-870, and dopamine (DA) after oral administration are compared in rats and dogs. The maximum concentrations of free DA in plasma after oral administration of TA-870 were 150 ng/ml in the rat (30 mg/kg) and 234 ng/ml in the dog (33.5 mg/kg). On the contrary, the maximum plasma concentrations after oral administration of DA at an equimolar dose to TA-870 were 12 ng/ml in the rat (12 mg/kg) and 36 ng/ml in the dog (13.5 mg/kg). The AUC values of free DA in plasma after oral administration of TA-870 (30 or 33.5 mg/kg) were 4-6 times higher than those after DA in both animal species. The peak tissue levels of radioactivity in rats after oral administration of [14C]TA-870 (30 mg/kg) were also 5.5 times higher in the liver and 1-2 times higher in other tissues than those after [14C]DA dose (12 mg/kg). In rats, the main excretion route of radioactivity after oral administration of [14C]TA-870 or DA was via the urine. The total recoveries of radioactivity in the urine and feces were 91-96% of the dose within 24 hr for both compounds. Biliary excretion in rats accounted for 19.8% of the dose of [14C]TA-870 and 12.6% of the dose of [14C]DA within 24 hr. These results demonstrate that TA-870 was well absorbed from the digestive tract, extensively metabolized to dopamine, and proved to be an orally usable dopamine prodrug.     

Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, metabolism, and excretion of celecoxib in rats.

The pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, metabolism, and excretion of celecoxib, 4-[5-(4-methylphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl] benzenesulfonamide, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, were investigated in rats. Celecoxib was metabolized extensively after i.v. administration of [(14)C]celecoxib, and elimination of unchanged compound was minor (less than 2%) in male and female rats. The only metabolism of celecoxib observed in rats was via a single oxidative pathway. The methyl group of celecoxib is first oxidized to a hydroxymethyl metabolite, followed by additional oxidation of the hydroxymethyl group to a carboxylic acid metabolite. Glucuronide conjugates of both the hydroxymethyl and carboxylic acid metabolites are formed. Total mean percent recovery of the radioactive dose was about 100% for both the male rat (9.6% in urine; 91.7% in feces) and the female rat (10.6% in urine; 91.3% in feces). After oral administration of [(14)C]celecoxib at doses of 20, 80, and 400 mg/kg, the majority of the radioactivity was excreted in the feces (88-94%) with the remainder of the dose excreted in the urine (7-10%). Both unchanged drug and the carboxylic acid metabolite of celecoxib were the major radioactive components excreted with the amount of celecoxib excreted in the feces increasing with dose. When administered orally, celecoxib was well distributed to the tissues examined with the highest concentrations of radioactivity found in the gastrointestinal tract. Maximal concentration of radioactivity was reached in most all tissues between 1 and 3 h postdose with the half-life paralleling that of plasma, with the exception of the gastrointestinal tract tissues.