Absorption,distribution, metabolism and excretion of telmesteine,a mucolitic agent,in rat

1. The metabolism and disposition of telmesteine, a muco-active agent, have been investigated following single oral or intravenous administration of (14)C-telmesteine in the Sprague-Dawley rat. 2. (14)C-telmesteine was rapidly absorbed after oral dosing (20 and 50 mg kg(-1)) with an oral bioavailability of >90% both in male and female rats. The C(max) and area under the curve of the radioactivity in plasma increased proportionally to the administered dose and those values in female rats were 30% higher than in male rats. 3. Telmesteine was distributed over all organs except for brain and the tissue/plasma ratio of the radioactivity 30 min after dosing was relatively low with a range of 0.1-0.8 except for excretory organs. 4. Excretion of the radioactivity was 86% of the dose in the urine and 0.6% in the faeces up to 7 days after oral administration. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity in bile duct-cannulated rats was about 3% for the first 24 h. The unchanged compound mainly accounted for the radioactivity in the urine and plasma. 5. Telmesteine was hardly metabolized in microsomal incubations. A glucuronide conjugate was detected in the urine and bile, but the amount of glucuronide was less than 6% of excreted radioactivity.     

Comparative evaluation of absorption,distribution, and excretion of YM758, a novel If channel inhibitor,between albino and non-albino rats

1. YM758 is a novel If channel inhibitor for the treatment of stable angina and atrial fibrillation. The absorption, distribution, and excretion of YM758 have been investigated in albino and non-albino rats after a single oral administration of ¹⁴C-YM758 monophosphate.

2. YM758 was well absorbed from all segments of the gastrointestinal tract except for the stomach. After oral administration, the ratio of AUC_{0–1 h} between the plasma concentrations of radioactivity and the unchanged drug was estimated to be 17.7%, which suggests metabolism.

3. The distribution of the radioactivity derived from ¹⁴C-YM758 in tissues was evaluated both in albino and non-albino rats. The radioactivity concentrations in most tissues were higher than those in plasma, which indicates that the radioactivity is well distributed to tissues. Extensive accumulation and slower elimination of radioactivity were noted in the thoracic aorta of albino and non-albino rats as well as in the eyeballs of non-albino rats. The recovery rates of radioactivity in urine and bile after oral dosing to bile duct-cannulated albino rats were 17.8% and 57.3%, respectively.

4. These results suggest that YM758 was extensively absorbed, subjected to metabolism, and excreted mainly into the bile after oral administration to rats, and extensive accumulation of the unchanged drug and/or metabolites into tissues such as the thoracic aorta and eyeballs was observed.     

Absorption,distribution and excretion of nilvadipine,a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist,in rats and dogs

1. The absorption, distribution and excretion of nilvadipine have been studied in male rats and dogs after an i.v. (1 mg/kg for rats, 0.1 mg/kg for dogs) and oral dose (10 mg/kg for rats, 1 mg/kg for dogs) of ¹⁴C-nilvadipine.

2. Nilvadipine was rapidly and almost completely absorbed after oral dosing in both species; oral bioavailability was 4.3% in rats and 37.0% in dogs due to extensive first-pass metabolism. The ratios of unchanged drug to radioactivity in plasma after oral dosing were 0.4–3.5% in rats and 10.4–22.6% in dogs. The half-lives of radioactivity in plasma after i.v. and oral dosing were similar, i.e. 8–10h in rats, estimated from 2 to 24 h after dosing and 1.5 d in dogs, estimated from 1 to 3 d. In contrast, plasma concentrations of unchanged drug after i.v. dosing declined biexponentially with terminal phase half-lives of 1.2 h in rats and 4.4 h in dogs.

3. After i.v. dosing to rats, radioactivity was rapidly distributed to various tissues, and maintained in high concentrations in the liver and kidneys. In contrast, after oral dosing to rats, radioactivity was distributed mainly in liver and kidneys.

4. With both routes of dosing, urinary excretion of radioactivity was 21–24% dose in rats and 56–61% in dogs, mainly in 24 h. After i.v. dosing to bile duct-cannulated rats, 75% of the radioactive dose was excreted in the bile. Only traces of unchanged drug were excreted in urine and bile.     

Disposition and metabolism of TAK-438 (vonoprazan fumarate), a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker,in rats and dogs

1.?Following oral administration of [¹⁴C]TAK-438, the radioactivity was rapidly absorbed in rats and dogs. The apparent absorption of the radioactivity was high in both species.

2.?After oral administration of [¹⁴C]TAK-438 to rats, the radioactivity in most tissues reached the maximum at 1-hour post-dose. By 168-hour post-dose, the concentrations of the radioactivity were at very low levels in nearly all the tissues. In addition, TAK-438F was the major component in the stomach, whereas TAK-438F was the minor component in the plasma and other tissues. High accumulation of TAK-438F in the stomach was observed after oral and intravenous administration.

3.?TAK-438F was a minor component in the plasma and excreta in both species. Its oxidative metabolite (M-I) and the glucuronide of a secondary metabolite formed by non-oxidative metabolism of M-I (M-II-G) were the major components in the rat and dog plasma, respectively. The glucuronide of M-I (M-I-G) and M-II-G were the major components in the rat bile and dog urine, respectively, and most components in feces were other unidentified metabolites.

4.?The administered radioactive dose was almost completely recovered. The major route of excretion of the drug-derived radioactivity was via the feces in rats and urine in dogs.     

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of YM466, a novel factor Xa inhibitor, in rats

YM466 is a novel factor Xa inhibitor for the treatment of thrombosis. The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of YM466 were investigated in male Fisher rats after a single oral administration. YM466 was absorbed rapidly from all segments of the gastrointestinal tract except the stomach. After oral dosing, the plasma concentration of (14)C-YM466 reached a maximum within 0.5 h, and declined rapidly with an elimination half-life of 0.64 h. The unchanged YM466 accounted for almost all of its radioactivity, suggesting a minimal metabolism in rats. This was also supported by the finding that no metabolites were observed in bile and urine after oral dosing of (14)C-YM466. The distribution of (14)C-YM466 in tissue was evaluated and the liver and kidney were the organs with radioactivity concentrations consistently higher than that of plasma. Cumulative biliary and urinary excretion of radioactivity in bile duct-cannulated rats was 29.5% and 7.6%, respectively, indicating prominent excretion into bile after oral dosing. This was consistent with the finding that 76.1% and 25.2% of radioactivity dosed were excreted to faeces and urine, respectively, after i.v. dosing. These results suggest that YM466 was rapidly absorbed and then subjected to biliary excretion with a minimal metabolism after oral dosing to rats.     

Absorption,distribution, metabolism and excretion of gemigliptin,a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor,in rats

Abstract

1.?The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor, gemigliptin, were examined following single oral administration of ¹⁴C-labeled gemigliptin to rats.

2.?The ¹⁴C-labeled gemigliptin was rapidly absorbed after oral administration, and its bioavailability was 95.2% (by total radioactivity). Distribution to specific tissues other than the digestive organs was not observed. Within 7 days after oral administration, 43.6% of the administered dose was excreted via urine and 41.2% was excreted via feces. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity was about 17.7% for the first 24?h. After oral administration of gemigliptin to rats, the in vivo metabolism of gemigliptin was investigated with bile, urine, feces, plasma and liver samples.

3.?The major metabolic pathway was hydroxylation, and the major circulating metabolites were a dehydrated metabolite (LC15-0516) and hydroxylated metabolites (LC15-0635 and LC15-0636).     

Disposition of 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine in the rat

The disposition of the carcinogen 3,3′-dichlorobenzidine (DCB) was studied in the male rat following oral administration. [¹⁴C]DCB was well absorbed by the rat with the maximum plasma radioactivity levels being found within 8 hr after dosing. The radioactivity was well distributed in the tissues 24 hr after administration with the highest levels found in the liver, followed by kidney, lung, and spleen. Repeated administration (six doses) of [¹⁴C]DCB to animals did not result in a substantial accumulation of ¹⁴C in the tissues. The elimination of radioactivity from the plasma, liver, kidney, and lung was biphasic showing an initial rapid decline (half-lives 1.68, 5.78, 7.14, and 3.85 hr, respectively) followed by a slower disappearance phase (half-lives 33.0, 77.0, 138.6, and 43.3 hr, respectively). Approximately half of the total ¹⁴C in the liver and kidney was covalently bound to cellular macromolecules 72 hr after dosing. [¹⁴C]DCB-derived radioactivity was extensively excreted by rats, mainly via the feces. Approximately 23–33% of the administered dose was recovered in the urine and 58–72% in the feces of rats within 96 hr. More than 65% of the administered ¹⁴C was eliminated in the bile of bile duct-cannulated rats within 24 hr after dosing. The radioactivity excreted in the urine and bile was primarily in the form of free (urine 71.2%, bile 25.5%) and conjugated (urine 19.6%, bile 57.9%) metabolites of DCB. Thus DCB is readily absorbed following oral administration, and then metabolized and excreted mainly via the feces.     

Metabolism and disposition of 14C-granisetron in rat,dog and man after intravenous and oral dosing

1. The disposition and metabolic fate of ¹⁴C-granisetron, a novel 5-HT₃ antagonist, was studied in rat, dog, and male human volunteers after intravenous and oral administration.

2. Complete absorption occurred from the gastrointestinal tract following oral dosing, but bioavailability was reduced by first-pass metabolism in all three species.

3. There were no sex-specific differences observed in radiometabolite patterns in rat or dog and there was no appreciable change in disposition with dose between 0·25 and 5 mg/kg in rat and 0·25 and 10mg/kg in dog. Additionally, there were no large differences in disposition associated with route of administration in rat, dog and man.

4. In rat and dog, 35–41% of the dose was excreted in urine and 52–62% in faeces, via the bile. Metabolites were largely present as glucuronide and sulphate conjugates, together with numerous minor polar metabolites. In man, about 60% of dosed radioactivity was excreted in urine and 36% in faeces after both intravenous and oral dosing. Unchanged granisetron was only excreted in urine (5–25% of dose).

5. The major metabolites were isolated and identified by MS spectroscopy and nmr. In rat, the dominant routes of biotransformation after both intravenous and oral dosing were 5-hydroxylation and N1-demethylation, followed by the formation of conjugates which were the major metabolites in urine, bile and plasma. In dog and man the major metabolite was 7-hydroxy-granisetron, with lesser quantities of the 6,7-dihydrodiol and/or their conjugates.     

Disposition and metabolism of (2S,3S,4R)-N′′-cyano-N-(6-amino-3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-dimethoxy methyl-2H-benzopyran-4-yl)-N′-benzylguanidine,a novel neuroprotective agent for ischemia-reperfusion damage,in rats

The metabolism and disposition of KR31378 (a benzopyran derivative and a novel neuroprotective agent) were investigated following single oral or intravenous administration of [¹⁴C]-KR31378 to rats. [¹⁴C]-KR31378 was rapidly absorbed after oral dosing with an oral bioavailability of greater than 71%. The maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve of total radioactivity in rat plasma increased proportionally to the administered dose. KR31378 was distributed over all organs and tissues except for brain, eyeball and testis, and declined by first order kinetics up to 24?h after dosing. Excretion of the radioactivity was 29.5% of the dose in the urine and 58.5% in the feces within 2 days after oral administration. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity in bile duct-cannulated rats was about 66.0% for the first 24?h. KR31378 was extensively metabolized by ring hydroxylation, O-demethylation, oxidation and reduction with subsequent N-acetylation and O-glucuronide conjugation. N-acetylated conjugates (M2, M10, M11, M12, M14, and M15) were identified as the predominant metabolites in rats.     

Absorption,distribution and excretion of lacidipine,a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist,in rat and dog

1. The absorption, distribution and excretion of lacidipine have been studied in rat and dog after i.v. (0.05 mg/kg for rat; 0.5 mg/kg for dog) and oral dosage (2.5 mg/kg for rat; 2.0 mg/kg for dog).

2. Lacidipine was rapidly and extensively absorbed after oral dosing, in both species. Oral bioavailability was up to 26% in rat and up to 32% in dog, due to extensive first-pass metabolism.

3. After oral administration, peak levels of radioactivity were reached at 4-8 h in rat and 1-2 h in dog. Unchanged lacidipine peaked at 1-2 h in both species. Plasma levels of radioactivity were higher in female rats than in males but there was no difference in levels of unchanged drug.

4. After i.v. dosing the terminal half-life of unchanged drug was 2.9 h in rat and 8.2 h in dog. The half-life of radioactivity in plasma was longer in both species.

5. After both routes of administration, radioactivity was rapidly distributed in rat tissues with the highest concentration in liver, fat and gastrointestinal tract. Only traces of radioactivity were detected in the CNS and in rat foetuses.

6. Extensive biliary elimination occurred, and most of the radioactivity (73-95%) was excreted in the faeces after i.v. or oral administration.

7. The compound was extensively metabolized, no significant amount of unchanged drug was excreted in bile or urine.     

The distribution,excretion and biotransformation of p-dichloro[14C]benzene in rats after repeated inhalation,oral and subcutaneous doses

1. Following repeated daily whole-body exposure (3h/day) of rats to atmospheres containing p-dichloro[¹⁴C]benzene (1000p.p.m.), or administration of oral or subcutaneous doses (250?mg/kg/day), 24-h tissue concn. of ¹⁴C were similar and did not increase after six days dosing, but tended to decrease.

2. After repeated daily atmospheric exposures or oral doses, highest concn. of ¹⁴C occurred in fat, kidneys, liver and lungs. Concn. declined rapidly to near or below limits of detection (< 0.2 p.p.m.) in plasma and tissues at 5 days. After similar subcutaneous doses, tissue concn. declined more slowly.

3. During five days after repeated dosing, most excreted ¹⁴C(91–97%) was in the urine. Little was excreted in faeces or expired air. Excretion was more prolonged following subcutaneous administration. After single doses to bile duct-cannulated animals, 46–63% of the excreted ¹⁴C was in the bile during 24h.

4. The pattern of metabolites in urine and bile was similar after each route of administration although there were quantitative differences. Urine extracts contained two major ¹⁴C-components, namely a sulphate and a glucuronide of 2,5-dichlorophenol, representing 46–54% and 31–34% of the urinary ¹⁴C respectively. Two minor components were identified by mass spectrometry as a dihydroxydichlorobenzene and a mercapturic acid of p-dichlorobenzene.

5. The glucuronide of 2,5-dichlorophenol was the major ¹⁴C component in bile (30–42%).     

Disposition and metabolism of (2S,3S,4R)-N'-cyano-N-(6-amino-3,4-dihydro-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-dimethoxy methyl-2H-benzopyran-4-yl)-N'-benzylguanidine, a novel neuroprotective agent for ischemia-reperfusion damage, in rats

The metabolism and disposition of KR31378 (a benzopyran derivative and a novel neuroprotective agent) were investigated following single oral or intravenous administration of [(14)C]-KR31378 to rats. [(14)C]-KR31378 was rapidly absorbed after oral dosing with an oral bioavailability of greater than 71%. The maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve of total radioactivity in rat plasma increased proportionally to the administered dose. KR31378 was distributed over all organs and tissues except for brain, eyeball and testis, and declined by first order kinetics up to 24 h after dosing. Excretion of the radioactivity was 29.5% of the dose in the urine and 58.5% in the feces within 2 days after oral administration. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity in bile duct-cannulated rats was about 66.0% for the first 24 h. KR31378 was extensively metabolized by ring hydroxylation, O-demethylation, oxidation and reduction with subsequent N-acetylation and O-glucuronide conjugation. N-acetylated conjugates (M2, M10, M11, M12, M14, and M15) were identified as the predominant metabolites in rats.     

Disposition and metabolism of a new benzothiophene antiestrogen in rats,dogs and monkeys

1. A new benzothiophene-derived antiestrogen (LY156758) when orally administered was well absorbed in rats and monkeys while approx. 20% was absorbed in dogs.

2. In the rat the compound was subject to first-pass hepatic metabolism which led to low levels of parent drug in the systematic circulation together with a small amount as the glucuronide conjugate.

3. In monkeys the compound occurred primarily as the glucuronide conjugate of parent drug with very little circulating free drug.

4. The systemic bioavailability of free parent drug in plasma was 39% in rats, 17% in dogs and 5% in monkeys.

5. Excretion of the drug in rats and dogs was primarily via the bile. Approx. 1% of the dose was excreted in the urine of rats and dogs after oral dosing. In rats, at least 50% of an oral dose was excreted in bile as the glucuronide conjugate of parent drug.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolite profiling of fimasartan,a novel antihypertensive agent,in rats

Abstract

1.?The objectives of this study were to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of fimasartan in rats.

2.?Unlabeled fimasartan or radiolabeled [¹⁴C]fimasartan was dosed by intravenous injection or oral administration to rats. Concentrations of unlabeled fimasartan in the biological samples were determined by a validated LC/MS/MS assay. Total radioactivity was quantified by liquid scintillation counting and the radioactivity associated with the metabolites was analyzed by using the radiochemical detector. Metabolite identification was conducted by product ion scanning using LC/MS/MS.

3.?After oral administration of [¹⁴C]fimasartan, total radioactivity was found primarily in feces. In bile duct cannulated rats, 58.8?±?14.4% of the radioactive dose was excreted via bile after oral dosing. Major metabolites of fimasartan including the active metabolite, desulfo-fimasartan, were identified, yet none represented more than 7.2% of the exposure of the parent drug. Fimasartan was rapidly and extensively absorbed and had an oral bioavailability of 32.7–49.6% in rats. Fimasartan plasma concentrations showed a multi-exponential decline after oral administration. Double peaks and extended terminal half-life were observed, which was likely caused by enterohepatic recirculation.

4.?These results provide better understanding on the pharmacokinetics of fimasartan and may aid further development of fimasartan analogs.     

Sex differences in the metabolism and excretion of nilvadipine,a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist,in rats

1. The metabolic profiles of nilvadipine in the urine and bile of male and female rats were studied after i.v. dosing with 1?mg/kg of the ¹⁴C-labelled compound.

2. Excretion rates of the dosed radioactivity in male and female rats, respectively, in the first 48?h were 8.41% and 59.1% in bile, 12.0% and 36.9% in urine, and 2.5% and 3.6% in faeces.

3. Comparison of biliary and urinary excretion for each radioactive metabolite after dosing with ¹⁴C-nilvadipine, showed marked sex-related differences in the excretion routes of several metabolites. In male rats, metabolite M3, having a free 3-carboxyl group on the pyridine ring, was not excreted in urine, but in female rats urinary excretion of M3 accounted for 4.7% of the dose. One reason for the lower urinary excretion of radioactivity by males than by females was that the main metabolite, M3, was not excreted in the urine of the male rats.

4. To clarify the sex difference in the route of excretion of M3, this metabolite (M3) was given i.v. to rats. No excretion of the metabolite was observed in urine of male rats within 24?h but, in marked contrast, 41.5% of the dose was excreted in urine of females in the same period.     

Biotransformation and mass balance of faldaprevir,a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor in rats

Abstract

1.?The metabolism, pharmacokinetics, excretion and tissue distribution of a hepatitis C NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor, faldaprevir, were studied in rats following a single 2?mg/kg intravenous or 10?mg/kg oral administration of [¹⁴C]-faldaprevir.

2.?Following intravenous dosing, the terminal elimination t_1/2 of plasma radioactivity was 1.75?h (males) and 1.74?h (females). Corresponding AUC_0–∞, CL and V_ss were 1920 and 1900?ngEq?·?h/mL, 18.3 and 17.7?mL/min/kg and 2.32 and 2.12?mL/kg for males and females, respectively.

3.?After oral dosing, t_1/2 and AUC_0–∞ for plasma radioactivity were 1.67 and 1.77?h and 11?300 and 17?900 ngEq?·?h/mL for males and females, respectively.

4.?In intact rats, ≥90.17% dose was recovered in feces and only ≤1.08% dose was recovered in urine for both iv and oral doses. In bile cannulated rats, 54.95, 34.32 and 0.27% dose was recovered in feces, bile and urine, respectively.

5.?Glucuronidation plays a major role in the metabolism of faldaprevir with minimal Phase I metabolism.

6.?Radioactivity was rapidly distributed into tissues after the oral dose with peak concentrations of radioactivity in most tissues at 6?h post-dose. The highest levels of radioactivity were observed in liver, lung, kidney, small intestine and adrenal gland.     

The Metabolism of Terbutaline in Dog and Rat

Abstract

1. The metabolic fate of [³H]terbutaline has been studied in dog after oral, intravenous and subcutaneous administration and in rat after oral and intravenous administration. In 3–4 days the dog excreted 75% of the dose in the urine after oral administration and more than 90% after intravenous or subcutaneous administration; the remainder was in the faeces. The rat in 24 h excreted about 13% in the urine and 61% in the faeces after oral administration and 48% in the urine and 35% in the faeces after intravenous administration.

2. After oral administration of [³H]terbutaline, the time course of radioactivity concentration was the same in lung, heart and serum; low levels of unchanged drug were found in all tissues. After intravenous administration, the concentration of unchanged drug was higher in lung and heart than in serum.

3. In dog, 1·7% of an intravenous dose was excreted into bile in 6 h. In rat, about 37% of the dose was recovered in the bile during 12 h.

4. Enzymic hydrolysis of urine showed that terbutaline is metabolized by conjugation, forming a glucuronide in rat but probably a sulphate in dog.     

Comparative evaluation of absorption, distribution, and excretion of YM758, a novel If channel inhibitor, between albino and non-albino rats

1. YM758 is a novel If channel inhibitor for the treatment of stable angina and atrial fibrillation. The absorption, distribution, and excretion of YM758 have been investigated in albino and non-albino rats after a single oral administration of (14)C-YM758 monophosphate. 2. YM758 was well absorbed from all segments of the gastrointestinal tract except for the stomach. After oral administration, the ratio of AUC(0-1 h) between the plasma concentrations of radioactivity and the unchanged drug was estimated to be 17.7%, which suggests metabolism. 3. The distribution of the radioactivity derived from (14)C-YM758 in tissues was evaluated both in albino and non-albino rats. The radioactivity concentrations in most tissues were higher than those in plasma, which indicates that the radioactivity is well distributed to tissues. Extensive accumulation and slower elimination of radioactivity were noted in the thoracic aorta of albino and non-albino rats as well as in the eyeballs of non-albino rats. The recovery rates of radioactivity in urine and bile after oral dosing to bile duct-cannulated albino rats were 17.8% and 57.3%, respectively. 4. These results suggest that YM758 was extensively absorbed, subjected to metabolism, and excreted mainly into the bile after oral administration to rats, and extensive accumulation of the unchanged drug and/or metabolites into tissues such as the thoracic aorta and eyeballs was observed.     

Absorption,distribution and excretion of the new thienopyridine agent prasugrel in rats

Prasugrel is converted to the pharmacologically active metabolite after oral dosing in vivo. In this study, ¹⁴C-prasugrel or prasugrel was administered to rats at a dose of 5?mg?kg^–1. After oral and intravenous dosing, the values of AUC_0–∞ of total radioactivity were 36.2 and 47.1?µg?eq.?h?ml^–1, respectively. Oral dosing of unlabeled prasugrel showed the second highest AUC_0–8 of the active metabolite of six metabolites analyzed. Quantitative whole body autoradiography showed high radioactivity concentrations in tissues for absorption and excretion at 1?h after oral administration, and were low at 72?h. The excretion of radioactivity in the urine and feces were 20.2% and 78.7%, respectively, after oral dosing. Most radioactivity after oral dosing was excreted in bile (90.1%), which was reabsorbed moderately (62.4%). The results showed that orally administered prasugrel was rapidly and fully absorbed and efficiently converted to the active metabolite with no marked distribution in a particular tissue.     

Biliary and urinary excretion of [14C]warfarin in rabbits

1. The biliary and urinary excretion of racemic [¹⁴C]warfarin (1?mg/kg) was studied in male rabbits.

2. In the first 6?h after dosing (i.v.), 6.2% of the administered radioactivity was excreted in the bile. The major biliary metabolites were identified as the glucuronide conjugates of warfarin and its hydroxylated metabolites.

3. Four days after oral dosing, about 90% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in the urine. The major urinary metabolites were identified as warfarin alcohols, unchanged warfarin, 6-, 7-, and 4′-hydroxywarfarin; their structures were unequivocally confirmed by g.l.c.-mass spectrometric analysis.

4. In the rabbit, the bile was only a minor excretory route for warfarin, and only polar and bulky conjugates of the drug were eliminated by this pathway.