Influence of 9-hydroxyellipticine and 3-methylcholanthrene treatment on antipyrine metabolite formation in rats in vivo

The influence of pretreatment of rats with 9-hydroxyellipticine and 3-methylcholanthrene on different enzymes of the hepatic mixed-function oxidase system were studied using antipyrine as model compound. Antipyrine half-lives and clearances were estimated in blood, and the metabolite profile was determined in urine. 3-Methylcholanthrene treatment resulted in an increase in antipyrine clearance from 17 to 75 ml/min per kg. Partial clearance of formation of 4-hydroxyantipyrine was selectively increased from 3.9 to 28.2 ml/min kg, whereas clearance of 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine was decreased from 3.2 to 1.2 ml/min per kg. Norantipyrine formation was increased from 2.7 to 7.2 ml/min per kg, while 4,4'-dihydroxyantipyrine formation was unchanged. 9-Hydroxyellipticine treatment resulted in no change in the total clearance, and only the clearance of 4,4'-dihydroxyantipyrine was decreased, from 2.5 to 1.5 ml/min per kg. After pretreatment with 3-methylcholanthrene, 9-hydroxyellipticine treatment resulted in a selective decrease in the clearances of 4-hydroxyantipyrine, from 28.2 to 15.8 ml/min per kg, and of 4,4'-hydroxyantipyrine, from 3.8 to 1.6 ml/min per kg. From these results it is concluded, that 9-hydroxyellipticine is a selective inhibitor of the activity of some of the cytochrome P-450s involved in antipyrine metabolism, though this inhibition does not effect all of these enzymes, nor is it restricted to polycyclic hydrocarbon-induced activity. These results further substantiate the value of antipyrine as a model substrate, for they indicate that the formation of all four metabolites of antipyrine in rats is mediated by different (iso-)enzymes.     

Plasma concentration-response relationship for cimetidine inhibition of drug metabolism in the rat

Cimetidine inhibition of antipyrine elimination has been studied in the rat over a range of steady state cimetidine concentrations. Cimetidine is a potent inhibitor of antipyrine metabolism with a concentration of about 1.25 mg/liter causing a 50% decrease in the total plasma clearance of antipyrine. The degree of inhibition of antipyrine clearance caused by cimetidine is dependent upon its plasma concentration, but the relationship is not linear. The formation clearances of all antipyrine metabolites measured--3-hydroxymethylantipyrine, 4-hydroxyantipyrine, and norantipyrine--are inhibited by cimetidine at all concentrations used. The susceptibility of the different metabolites to cimetidine inhibition does vary. The renal clearance of antipyrine was also decreased by cimetidine by an unknown mechanism. Analysis of the individual formation clearances suggests that the inhibition of oxidative metabolism due to cimetidine is caused by its binding to two classes of enzyme sites--a high affinity, low capacity and a low affinity, high capacity site. These two different sites would appear to be responsible for the production of different metabolites of antipyrine. The true nature of the selectivity of cimetidine inhibition of antipyrine metabolism is apparent from the formation clearances but not from the urinary metabolite patterns.     

Non-induction of extrahepatic antipyrine and metronidazole metabolism evaluated from partially hepatectomized rats

1. The effect of β-naphthoflavone (BNF), given i.p. (n = 9) and orally (n = 9), on the metabolism of antipyrine and metronidazole was investigated in rats.

2. The clearances of antipyrine and metronidazole were determined on a single saliva sample. The rates of formation of antipyrine and metronidazole metabolites were determined from a 20?h urine sample and saliva clearance.

3. Administration of β-naphthoflavone i.p. was significantly more effective than oral dosage on the induction of antipyrine and metronidazole metabolism (p<0.05).

4. The capacity of extrahepatic tissues to metabolize antipyrine and metronidazole was quantitatively assessed in rats with and without pretreatment with β-naphthoflavone immediately after sham operation or 70% partial hepatectomy (n = 40).

5. Antipyrine and metronidazole clearances correlated with liver weight in induced and non-induced rats. Linear regression of antipyrine and metronidazole clearances did show a non-significant Y-intercept (p>0.05), indicating a negligible extrahepatic metabolism in both induced and in non-induced rats.

6. From a quantitative point of view this study indicates that induction of extrahepatic cytochrome P450 metabolism of antipyrine and metronidazole is negligible.     

Metabolism of antipyrine and sulphadimidine in dwarf goats: effects of the enzyme-inducing agents phenobarbital,troleandomycin and rifampicin

1. Antipyrine (AP) and sulphadimidine (SDD) plasma elimination and metabolite formation were studied in dwarf goats before and after treatment with phenobarbital (PB), triacetyloleandomycin (TAO), and rifampicin (RIF).

2. PB treatment significantly increased AP plasma clearance in both male and female goats. With SDD, only male goats were studied, which showed a significant increase of SDD plasma clearance following PB treatment.

3. After PB treatment, partial clearance values of four AP metabolites, 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine (HMA), norantipyrine (NORA), 4-hydroxyantipyrine (OHA) and 4,4'-dihydroxyantipyrine (DOHA), were significantly increased. This induction effect was different for the individual metabolites and also showed sex-dependency.

4. In PB-induced male goats the formation of the hydroxylated SDD metabolites, 6-hydroxymethyl-SDD and 5-hydroxy-SDD, was significantly increased.

5. After TAO treatment, female goats showed a slightly reduced AP plasma clearance and a decreased partial clearance of two AP metabolites, HMA and DOHA. There was no effect on SDD plasma elimination or metabolite excretion.

6. In male goats, RIF had no effect on plasma elimination of AP and SDD. With SDD, it decreased the urinary excretion of the unchanged drug and its N4-acetylated metabolite.

7. Induction/inhibition studies of drug metabolism in food-producing animal species are desirable to gain more insight into the regulation of enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics.     

Influence of alaproclate on antipyrine metabolite formation in man

Summary Alaproclate, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, presently undergoing clinical trial for the treatment of major depressive disorders, has been shown to inhibit hexobarbital metabolism in mice. In the present study the influence of oral alaproclate on the total plasma clearance of antipyrine and on the formation of its metabolites was investigated in 10 healthy volunteers. The peak level of alaproclate was reached after about 1.5 h, and after a distribution phase, its plasma elimination half-life was between 3.0 and 3.5 h. Antipyrine tests were performed before treatment, during the first four doses and after the seventh dose of alaproclate 200 mg/day. During treatment, total plasma antipyrine clearance and the clearance for production of all antipyrine metabolites were reduced by 30%, indicating non-selective inhibition of oxidative drug-metabolizing enzyme activity in man by alaproclate. After the last dose of alaproclate, antipyrine plasma clearance and the clearance to its metabolites returned to control values. In order to allow more detailed evaluation of the results, the time course of the clearances for production of metabolites was investigated. This revealed that the extent of inhibition of metabolite formation by alaproclate was dependent on the plasma alaproclate level, indicating a rapidly reversible inhibition.     

Antipyrine metabolite formation and excretion in patients with chronic renal failure

Summary In the present study the influence of chronic renal insufficiency on antipyrine clearance, metabolite formation and excretion was investigated in 8 patients. After oral administration of antipyrine, the parent compound, its metabolites and their conjugates were assayed in plasma and urine. Besides the parent drug, 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine (HMA) was present in plasma in the free and conjugated forms, whereas 4-hydroxyantipyrine (OHA) and norantipyrine (NORA) were found only in the conjugated form. The same was true for urine. The plasma concentrations of these metabolites are too low to be measured in subjects with normal renal function.Plasma antipyrine clearance in the patients was in the same range as in healthy subjects. Investigation of metabolite kinetics, however, revealed that the rate of formation of NORA was preferentially decreased, whereas that of OHA and HMA were unaltered. Renal clearance of the metabolites of antipyrine was severely impaired in patients with renal insufficiency, and the resulting accumulation made it possible for the first-time to measure the antipyrine metabolites in plasma. Mean residence times of metabolites were longer than that of the parent compound. Renal clearances of the conjugates were correlated with the creatinine clearance, but were somewhat higher. Renal clearance of free HMA was lower and was also correlated with creatinine clearance.The mean clearance for glucuronidation of HMA was 93.1 ml/min. The results suggest that in healthy subjects Phase I metabolism is the rate-limiting step in the elimination of antipyrine, which is essential for its application as a model drug in metabolism studies.     

The metabolism of 2-allyl-2-isopropylacetamide in vivo and in the isolated perfused rat liver

The metabolism of allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) was studied in normal and phenobarbitone (PB)-pretreated intact male rats and in rats with biliary fistula. Because of the side effects of AIA in the intact rat, the hepatic metabolism of AIA was further investigated in the isolated rat liver perfused with defibrinated rat blood firstly, to confirm the in vivo results and secondly, to further characterize some of the processes involved in the biliary excretion of drugs.At least four days were required to eliminate a single porphyrinogenic dose of 400 mg [2-¹⁴C] AIA per kg body wt from the intact rat, 70 per cent of the administered radioactivity appeared in the urine, as AIA and three metabolites A, B, and C, and 10 per cent in the faeces. AIA, 2-isopropyl-4,5-dihydroxypentanamide (AIA-glycol) and 2-isopropyl-4,5-dihydroxypentanoic acid-γ-lactone (AIA-lactone) were identified in either extracts of glucuronidase-sulphatase-hydrolysed urine. AIA and two other metabolites, D and E, were excreted in bile. The metabolism of AIA by the perfused liver appeared quantitatively similar to that in fistula rats judged by the biliary excretion and by the decline in microsomal cytochrome P-450 after AIA. PB-pretreatment of the rats increased the per cent dose excreted per hour in the bile 2 to 3-fold, enhancing the initial excretion rate of metabolite D from 4 to 5-fold and that of AIA almost 2-fold.The decrease of microsomal P-450 after AIA administration to PB-pretreated rats, previously considered to be biphasic, has been shown to have an additional component with half-life of 4 min. The rapid decline in hepatic P-450 after AIA in PB-pretreated rats correlated with an increased biliary excretion of one particular metabolite of AIA. A pharmacokinetic analysis of the biliary excretion data based on a two-compartment model shows that the rate-limiting step in the biliary excretion of both AIA and metabolite D can be adequately represented as a first-order linear reaction.     

Effect of Hydralazine on the Elimination of Antipyrine in the Rat

The concomitant administration of hydralazine with metoprolol or propranolol substantially increases the oral bioavailability of these beta-blockers, presumably via reduction of the first-pass effect. It has been suggested that this effect may be secondary to a decrease in the intrinsic clearance of propranolol, possibly by inhibition of oxidative metabolism. To examine the possibility that hydralazine alters oxidative metabolism in vivo, the effect of hydralazine on the pharmacokinetics of antipyrine was examined in the rat. The oral administration of hydralazine hydrochloride, 7.5 mg/kg, 15 min prior to antipyrine administration reduced antipyrine clearance from 9.66 ± 1.18 to 8.19 ± 0.76 ml/min/kg (P < 0.05). Hydralazine was observed to cause substantial hypothermia. The study was repeated in temperature-regulated animals and no alteration in antipyrine clearance was found. Two doses of hydralazine in temperature-regulated rats also failed to alter antipyrine clearance. Thus, it appears that the effect of hydralazine on antipyrine clearance is secondary to the hypothermic effect of hydralazine and not due to a direct inhibition of cytochrome P-450-mediated enzyme activity.     

Antipyrine and lidocaine are cleared faster in horses than in humans: acetaminophen may be handled similarly

The following studies were designed to evaluate plasma elimination kinetics of intravenously administered antipyrine, acetaminophen and lidocaine among 9 healthy adult horses and 9 healthy drug-free humans (3 each per drug group), in order to compare potential species differences in drug-metabolizing ability. Acetaminophen is largely biotransformed in humans by hepatic glucuronide and sulfate conjugation, whereas both antipyrine and lidocaine are oxidized by hepatic microsomal mixed-function oxidases. Thus, plasma clearances of these drugs are thought to reflect differences in hepatic oxidative and conjugative activity, and possibly hepatic blood flow in the case of lidocaine. Results showed that mean (+/- SD, n = 3) acetaminophen clearance was similar in both horses (4.84 +/- 0.637 ml/min/kg) and humans (4.68 +/- 0.691 ml/min/kg). However, antipyrine clearance was 10 times greater in horses (5.83 +/- 2.21 ml/min/kg) than in humans (0.536 +/- 0.110 ml/min/kg), which may reflect enhanced hepatic microsomal activity in horses. Although lidocaine clearance in humans was similar to estimated hepatic blood flow (20.6 +/- 5.81 ml/min/kg), clearance in horses was more than 2 times greater (52.0 +/- 11.7 ml/min/kg). The cause of the higher clearance of lidocaine in horses (like dogs) remains unexplained, and may involve significant metabolism of lidocaine at extrahepatic, extravascular sites, for intravascular degradation and renal excretion of intact lidocaine in horses was negligible. Although precise biochemical mechanisms underlying pharmacokinetic parameters for these drugs in horses were not determined, it is nonetheless concluded from antipyrine results that horses may have an enhanced ability (compared with humans) to clear drugs from the circulation that are primarily metabolized in the liver by phase I oxidative reactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inhibition of drug metabolism by the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine in the rat

The effect of the antimalarial drugs chloroquine (CQ) and primaquine (PQ) on rat liver microsomal drug metabolism has been studied in vitro and in vivo. After acute administration, PQ increased pentobarbitone sleeping time in a dose-related manner [control, 94.0 ± 9.4 min; 10mg/kg, 137.0 ± 2.4 min; 20mg/kg, 197.0 ± 7.5 min; 50 mg/kg, 269.0 ± 2.9 min (means ± S.E.M.)], prolonged zoxazolamine paralysis time (control, 140.0 ± 10.0 min; 50 mg/kg, 341.5 ± 25.6 min) and decreased antipyrine blood clearance from 2.17 ± 0.19 to 0.86 ± 0.12 ml/min. CQ showed no effect on pentobarbitone sleeping time or zoxazolamine paralysis time, but decreased antipyrine clearance from 2.17 ± 0.19 to 1.11 ± 0.18 ml/min. Both drugs inhibited aminopyrine N-demethylase activity, although the concentration required to produce 50% inhibition was much greater for CQ (10 mM) than for PQ (approximately 0.1 mM). Lineweaver-Burk plots showed that CQ inhibited competitively whereas PQ inhibition was apparently non-competitive. Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity decreased by about 40 and 50% in the presence of CQ and PQ respectively (250 nM, equimolar with substrate). There was no evidence of induction following chronic administration of CQ and PQ (50 mg/kg/day for 4 days). There was an apparent decrease in cytochrome P-450 content and aminopyrine N-demethylase activity was decreased. These results demonstrate that PQ and CQ inhibit hepatic drug metabolism both in vitro and in vivo and that PQ appears to be the more potent inhibitor.     

Antipyrine clearance and metabolism in patients with psoriasis.

The kinetic parameters of antipyrine obtained from saliva samples and the appearance of major antipyrine metabolites (4-hydroxyantipyrine, norantipyrine and 3-hydroxymethylantipyrine) in urine samples were measured in 10 patients with psoriasis (six nonsmokers and four smokers) and in 20 healthy subjects (11 nonsmokers and nine smokers). The volume of distribution and total clearance of antipyrine were not significantly different between psoriatric patients and control subjects subdivided according to smoking habit. However, antipyrine half-life was significantly (P less than 0.05) shorter in nonsmoking psoriatrics than in nonsmoking controls. There were no significant differences in mean values for the amounts (% dose) and partial clearances for production of major antipyrine metabolites between non-smoking patients and non-smoking controls, between smoking patients and smoking controls, and between patients overall and controls overall. The total clearance of antipyrine and the partial clearances of antipyrine to its three main metabolites were significantly (P less than 0.05 to 0.01) greater in smoking controls than in nonsmoking controls, and the total clearance of antipyrine and the partial clearance to 4-hydroxyantipyrine were significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) greater in smoking patients than in nonsmoking patients. These findings provide no evidence that psoriasis is associated with an alteration in hepatic microsomal monooxygenase activity, at least insofar as the formation of major antipyrine metabolites is concerned.     

Metabolism of 1-phthalidyl 5-fluorouracil in rat liver and enzyme induction by phenobarbital

1. When 1-phthalidyl 5-fluorouracil (PH-FU) was incubated with isolated rat hepatocytes, 5-fluorouracil, 2-carboxybenzaldehyde (CBA) and α-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid (HMB) were detected as the major metabolites.

2. The enzymes involved in the metabolism of PH-FU, PH-FU hydrolase and CBA reductase are cytosolic and were induced by treating the rats with phenobarbital (PB). Treatment of rats with 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) did not affect either enzyme activity.

3. The PB-induced PH-FU hydrolase was inhibited by NADH and several aldehydes, while NAD stimulated the hydrolase and protected it from inactivation by SH reagents.

4. Study in vivo revealed that treatment of rats with PB accelerated the metabolism of PH-FU in the liver and markedly decreased the blood PH-FU after its oral administration to rats, which resulted in reduction of the anti-tumour activity of PH-FU. This activity was not affected by treatment of the rats with 3-MC.     

On the antipyrine test in laboratory animals. Studies in the dog and monkey

The antipyrine (AP) test has been challenged in species other than humans on the grounds that, in some nonhuman species, particularly on induction, hepatic blood flow may become as prominent a factor in AP clearance as hepatic metabolism. Therefore, we investigated in dogs and monkeys the disposition of AP to determine how well AP serves as a model drug to indicate changes in rates of hepatic clearance. After administration of an oral solution of AP (5 mg/kg) to control dogs, the percentage of the dose absorbed was 98%, based on urinary and fecal excretion of AP and its metabolites. Despite complete AP absorption, absolute bioavailability of AP was 78 +/- 12% under basal conditions, suggesting that AP does undergo some degree of presystemic elimination, approximately 22%. After PB administration of 20 mg/kg/day for 9 days, po, AP bioavailability decreased to 60 +/- 14%. The systemic clearance of AP increased from 9.4 +/- 2.3 ml/min/kg under basal conditions to 27.5 +/- 4.6 ml/min/kg following PB. PB decreased mean plasma AP half-life from 71.5 min under basal conditions to 27.7 min, and mean hepatic blood flow increased from 0.49 liters/min to 0.63 liters/min. Induction doubled the hepatic extraction ratio for AP to 0.4 from 0.2 under basal conditions. In beagle dogs after PB pretreatment, 97% of the total systemic clearance of AP was estimated to be due to enhanced hepatic AP metabolism, only 3% to increased hepatic blood flow. Therefore, for dogs under both basal and induced conditions it is concluded that AP clearance reflects predominantly hepatic AP metabolism, being negligibly influenced by hepatic blood flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Differential effect of cigarette smoking on antipyrine oxidation versus acetaminophen conjugation

The effect of cigarette smoking on drug oxidation and conjugation was studied using antipyrine and acetaminophen as marker compounds. For the antipyrine study, healthy cigarette smokers (n = 30) and nonsmoking controls (n = 53) received a single 1.0-gram intravenous dose of antipyrine. For the acetaminophen study, 14 smokers and 15 nonsmokers received a 650-mg intravenous dose of acetaminophen. The clearance of antipyrine was significantly increased (0.93 vs. 0.60 ml/min/kg, p less than 0.0001) and elimination half-life was correspondingly reduced (8.9 vs. 13.0 h, p less than 0.0001) in smokers compared to nonsmoking controls. Total recovery of antipyrine and metabolites excreted in urine did not differ between groups, but there was a significantly increased fractional clearance of antipyrine via formation of 4-hydroxyantipyrine and 3-hydroxymethyl metabolites in smokers. Fractional clearance via formation of norantipyrine did not differ significantly between groups. Comparison of acetaminophen kinetics between smokers and nonsmokers indicated no significant differences in elimination half-life, clearance or volume of distribution. Thus, cigarette smoking is more likely to induce drug oxidation rather than drug conjugation. However, not all oxidative pathways are equally influenced; induction effects of smoking are highly substrate selective and pathway specific.     

Effect of rifampicin treatment on the kinetics of mexiletine

Summary To study the effects of enzyme induction on its pharmacokinetics, a single oral dose of the new antiarrhythmic agent mexiletine hydrochloride 400 mg was administered to 8 healthy volunteers before and after treatment with rifampicin 300 mg b.i.d. for ten days. The absorption and distribution of mexiletine were not changed after rifampicin, but its elimination half-life fell from 8.5±0.8 h (mean±SE) to 5.0±0.4 h (p<0.01), and its nonrenal clearance increased from 435±68 ml/min to 711±101 ml/min (p<0.01). The mean renal clearance of mexiletine did not change, but it showed an exponential correlation with urinary pH. The amount of unchanged mexiletine excreted in urine over two days decreased from 32±7 to 18±3 mg (p<0.01). The half-life of antipyrine fell from 11.8±0.4 to 5.5±0.3 h and its clearance increased from 40±3 ml to 74±3 ml/min (p<0.01). There was a significant (p<0.05) positive linear correlation between both the half-lives and the clearances of antipyrine and mexiletine. The clearances were positively correlated with serum -glutamyl transpeptidase. The results suggest that the dosage of mexiletine should be adjusted when enzyme inducing drugs are started or stopped during therapy with it.     

The Biliary Excretion of 3H–MannitoI and 3H–Ibuterol in Unanaesthetized Rats

Abstract The biliary clearances of ³H–mannitol (5 and 50 μmol/kg) and ³H–ibuterol (diisobutyrate ester of terbutaline) (0.5 and 5 μmol/kg) after intraarterial administration have been studied using unanaesthetized rats with uninterrupted enterohepatic circulation. The mean bile flow was 0.08 ml/min./kg. The biliary clearance of mannitol ranged from 0.06–0.17 ml/min./kg. The biliary clearance of ibuterol and its metabolites (total radioactivity) ranged from 2.05 to 4.81 ml/min./kg and that of the formed terbutaline from 0.53 to 2.05 ml/min./kg indicating a concentrative transfer from the plasma to the bile. The cumulative biliary excretion during the 3 hour sampling period amounted to 1 % of the administered doses of mannitol and 25 % of the doses of ibuterol.     

Renal clearance of pyridostigmine in myasthenic patients and volunteers under the influence of ranitidine and pirenzepine

1. To assess the contribution of tubular secretion to the renal excretion of pyridostigmine, and its modification by other cationic drugs, six volunteers were given single oral doses of 60-mg pyridostigmine bromide with and without co-administration of ranitidine or pirenzepine. Renal clearances were determined by?h.p.l.c. analysis of pyridostigmine and enzymic measurement of endogenous creatinine in plasma and urine.

2. In patients with myasthenia receiving continuous pyridostigmine therapy, renal clearance values were obtained in the same manner with and without ranitidine (10 patients) or pirenzepine (nine patients) co-medication.

3. Pyridostigmine was not bound to plasma proteins. Its renal clearance averaged 6.65 ml/min per kg (350% of the creatinine clearance) in all subjects, 74% being due to net tubular secretion.

4. Mean values for pyridostigmine renal clearance and for clearance by secretion were decreased in the presence of pirenzepine, but plasma concentrations were not affected significantly. Ranitidine caused a small non-significant decrease of the pyridostigmine clearance in patients.

5. Pyridostigmine had a higher elimination (2 h^?1) than the absorption rate constant (0.23 h^?1) when administered orally as a non-retarded preparation.

6. The renal clearance of creatinine was slightly increased by pyridostigmine in volunteers and slightly decreased by pirenzepine in the total group of subjects.     

Effects of blockage of urine and/or bile flow on diflunisal conjugation and disposition in rats

1. The effects of surgical blockage of either or both of the urinary and biliary excretion routes on the elimination of diflunisal (DF) and its conjugates were investigated in pentobarbitone-anaesthetized rats given DF at 10mg/kg i.v.

2. In control animals the acyl glucuronide and phenolic glucuronide conjugates were excreted predominantly in bile, whereas the sulphate conjugate was eliminated almost exclusively in urine.

3. Bilateral ureter ligation had little effect on DF elimination, except for accumulation of the sulphate conjugate in plasma. Compensatory biliary excretion did not occur.

4. Total plasma clearance of DF decreased from 1.01 to 0.68 ml/min per kg following bile duct ligation. Plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of the glucuronides were elevated.

5. In rats with blockage of both urinary and biliary excretion routes, total plasma clearance of DF decreased to 0.59 ml/min per kg. Both the sulphate and phenolic glucuronide conjugates accumulated in plasma, whereas the acyl glucuronide peaked at 30 min and then declined in parallel with DF. The latter result indicates systemic instability of DF acyl glucuronide with hydrolytic regeneration of DF as the likely major consequence.     

Microsomal metabolism of antipyrine in rats treated with antineoplastic drugs

Pretreatment with antineoplastic drugs for at least 1 week is known to reduce in vivo metabolic clearance of antipyrine in rats tested after 24 h of fasting and restraining. In this study hepatic metabolism of 14C-antipyrine was investigated in 9,000 g supernatants of fed, unrestrained rats pretreated with cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil or methotrexate. Total antipyrine metabolites formed were measured by a radiometric assay. Apparent Vmax and Km values were estimated and transformed to intrinsic (hepatic) clearance and total (body) clearance for comparison with in vivo terms of metabolic rate. Hepatic microsomal metabolism of antipyrine in control rats expressed as intrinsic clearance, 0.12 +/- 0.03 ml (g liver min)-1, and total clearance, 4.8 +/- 1.2 ml (kg body wt min)-1, was not significantly changed after antineoplastic pretreatment, indicating that the previously observed inhibitory action of these drugs on in vivo antipyrine metabolism may be modulated by factors such as fasting and stress.     

Influence of mild thyroid dysfunction on antipyrine clearance and metabolite formation in man

Summary The salivary kinetics and rates of metabolite formation of antipyrine were studied in 6 hyperthyroid and 6 hypothyroid out-patients on 2 occasions, on admission and when T3 and T4 levels had returned to normal after treatment with carbimazole (hyperthyroidism) or l-thyroxine (hyperthyroidism). In hyperthyroidism the half-life of antipyrine was significantly shorter (p<0.05) than after recovery (9.3±1.0 versus 10.6±0.9 h). Hypothyroid patients showed a significantly longer elimination half-life before treatment than after recovery (12.7±2.6 versus 10.3±2.6 h). Antipyrine clearance in hyperthyroid patients was decreased after treatment from 2.7±0.3 to 2.4±0.3 l/h, and it was increased in hypothyroid patients from 2.1±0.4 to 2.5±0.5 l/h (p<0.05). The changes in clearances for the production of the antipyrine metabolites 4-hydroxyantipyrine (OHA), norantipyrine (NORA) and 3-hydroxy-methylantipyrine (HMA) were of the same order of magnitude as total antipyrine clearance, and no selectivity towards any of the metabolic pathways of antipyrine was apparent. Mild thyroid dysfunction seems to affect oxidative drug metabolizing enzyme activity in a non-selective manner and only to a small extent (10–30%). It is suggested that adjustment of the therapeutic regimens of various drugs in mild thyroid disease will only rarely by required on the basis of pharmacokinetic considerations.