Metabolism and excretion of orally administered dimethylarsinic acid in the hamster

We administered a single po dose of dimethylarsinic acid ( DMAA ) to hamsters by stomach tube and determined the in vivo accumulation of the arsenic and its excretion in the urine and feces. It was shown that a part of the DMAA was further methylated to a trimethylarsenic compound (TMA). During the 24 hr following the administration of DMAA , a total of 80% was excreted in the urine and feces: 45% in the urine (made up of 67.9% DMAA and 32.0% TMA), and 34.7% in the feces (almost completely made up of DMAA but no TMA). The findings show that DMAA and the TMA are rapidly excreted and do not accumulate in the body.     

Metabolism and excretion of orally and intraperitoneally administered gallium arsenide in the hamster

This study deals with the metabolism of gallium arsenide (GaAs). GaAs was shown to be soluble in various media. Since this compound could dissolve in aqueous solvents, in vivo dissolution was investigated. Hamsters were used to study the dissolution and subsequent pharmacokinetics of any liberated arsenic species. The fecal and urinary excretion data following oral and intraperitoneal administration showed that GaAs, when administered orally, is mostly excreted in the feces but poorly in the urine, and that the compound, when administered intraperitoneally, is poorly excreted in both the feces and urine. Analysis of tissues for arsenic levels yielded concentrations in the ppb range, which further verified this fact. Most interesting was the fact that dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA) and methylarsonic acid (MAA) along with inorganic arsenic were found in the urine and tissues. GaAs was shown to dissolve in vivo and the released arsenic species were metabolized as other inorganic arsenics were found in the urine and tissues. GaAs was shown to dissolve in vivo and the released arsenic species were metabolized as other inorganic arsenic containing compounds. The low solubility and poor oral absorption may make this compound less toxic than other inorganic arsenic compounds.     

Biotransformation of dimethylarsinic acid in mouse, hamster and man

The metabolism of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) a common pesticide and the main metabolite of inorganic arsenic in mammals, has been studied in mice, hamsters and man. Mice and hamsters were administered a single dose of 74As-DMA (40 mg As/kg body weight) orally, while a human subject ingested DMA corresponding to 0.1 mg As/kg body weight. Ion exchange chromatography, paper electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography as well as arsine generation--gas chromatography combined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry or mass spectrometry were used to characterize the arsenic metabolites in urine and feces collected over 48 hours after treatment. In mice and hamsters 3.5% and 6.4% of the dose, respectively, were excreted in urine in the form of trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO). No TMAO was found in feces. A DMA-complex was detected in urine and feces. It amounted to about 13% of the dose in mice and 15% in hamsters. About 80-85% of the dose was eliminated in urine and feces in the form of unmetabolized DMA. No demethylation of DMA to inorganic arsenic was observed. In man, about 4% of the dose was excreted in urine as TMAO and about 80% as DMA.     

Whole body retention and excretion of [74As] arsenic acid in the adult beagle dog

To assess the whole body retention and excretion of inorganic arsenic, 4 male and 4 female dogs were given either a single oral or i.V. dose of ⁷⁴As ($\text{\$}\text{?}$0.17 mCi/dog; 0.3 μg arsenic/dog) as arsenic acid. ⁷⁴As in the whole body of the dogs and in the urine and feces was measured for up to 98 days. The half-period of elimination for the first component (85% of the dose) was 5.9 h; the second component (14% of the dose) had a half-period of 2.4 days. Essentially all of the arsenic was excreted in the urine, while less than 5% was recovered in the feces.     

Absorption and excretion of suprofen in rats

DL-2-(4-(2-Thienylcarbonyl)phenyl)propionic acid (suprofen, S) was rapidly absorbed in rats after oral administration. Blood levels after a single oral dose of 2, 10, 50, or 100 mg/kg of 3H-S reached maxima within 30 min and were dose-dependent. The major portion of the drug was shown to be absorbed from the upper part of the small intestine and a portion from the stomach. The radioactivity in rat plasma was extensively bound to the plasma protein in vivo; this was found to be unchanged S and four metabolites. Elimination of S and its metabolites from blood was rapid; 3H was mostly excreted in the urine and feces within 24 hr after oral administration of 3H-S. No significant amounts of 14CO2 were excreted in expired air after administration of 14C-S. Rat urine contained S and four metabolites found in rat plasma, accounting for about 60% of the urinary radioactivity. After rats with biliary fistulas were given an oral dose of 2 mg/kg of 3H-S, 41% of the dose was excreted in the bile during 48 hr; there was significant enterohepatic circulation. When single or 21 consecutive daily doses of 3H-S were administered to rats, the blood levels after the multiple doses were higher than those after a single dose but no significant difference was found in excretion of 3H.     

Arsenic metabolites in urine and feces of hamsters pretreated with PCB

High pressure liquid chromatography and graphite tube atomizing atomic absorption spectrometry were used to quantify monomethyl arsonic acid (MMA), dimethyl arsinic acid (DMA), and inorganic arsenic (IA: arsenite plus arsenate) in the urine and feces of male and female hamsters pretreated with a single ip injection of PCB (100 mg/kg) and 4 days later given a single po dose of arsenite (10 mg As/kg). Approximately 17 to 23% and 35 to 63% of the arsenic given was eliminated in the urine and feces, respectively, during the 5 days after the administration of arsenic. Both DMA and MMA were found in the urine but only MMA was detected in the feces, as methylated metabolite. Fecal excretion of arsenic was significantly larger in female than in males. PCB influenced the metabolism of arsenic by significantly increasing the proportion of DMA excreted into the urine of female hamsters during the 5 days after the arsenic administration, but did not alter the total amount of arsenic metabolites in any group of male or female hamsters. PCB did not affect the cumulative amounts of fecal arsenic in any group, although the excretion in the PCB-treated group of females reached the maximum level 1 day earlier than in the controls. These results suggest that the metabolism of arsenic may be regulated by certain sex-relating factors which are influenced by PCB.     

ABSORPTION AND DISPOSITION OF COBALT NAPHTHENATE IN RATS AFTER A SINGLE ORAL DOSE

The absorption and disposition of inorganic cobalt salts after oral administration have not been completely characterized. The objective of this project was to investigate the absorption and disposition of cobalt naphthenate in Fischer 344 rats following a single oral dose. Cobalt naphthenate was given orally at 3 doses: 0.333, 3.33, or 33.3 mg Co(II)/kg. Tissues, urine, and feces were collected over a 36-h period from the low- and high-dose groups; blood was collected from all 3 dose groups. The majority of the dose in both the low- and high-dose groups was excreted in the feces (42% and 73.1% , respectively), indicating that cobalt was incompletely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following oral dosing. The percent of the dose excreted in the urine was similar for low and high doses (31.8% and 26.3% , respectively). Cobalt concentrations were found to be highest in the liver and kidneys. The blood versus time cobalt concentration curves for the lowdose, intermediate-dose, and high-dose groups were elevated 4- to 5-fold, 14- to 25-fold, and 25- to 60-fold over control blood levels, respectively. The peak plasma concentrations of 0.6 and 1.7 mug Co(II)/ml occurred at approximately 4.3 h for the intermediatedose group, and 3.3 h for the high-dose group. The terminal elimination half-lives were 24.7 and 24 h for the intermediate- and high-dose groups, respectively. Thus, although the extent of cobalt absorption as indicated by the blood concentrations and areas under the blood-time curves was not proportional to dose, the calculated pharmacokinetic values for the time to peak blood concentration and the apparent elimination rate constants were independent of dose. The amount excreted in the urine was also proportional to the dose. These apparent anomalies were not related to protein binding in blood.     

Absorption and disposition of cobalt naphthenate in rats after a single oral dose

The absorption and disposition of inorganic cobalt salts after oral administration have not been completely characterized. The objective of this project was to investigate the absorption and disposition of cobalt naphthenate in Fischer 344 rats following a single oral dose. Cobalt naphthenate was given orally at 3 doses: 0.333, 3.33, or 33.3 mg Co(II)/kg. Tissues, urine, and feces were collected over a 36-h period from the low- and high-dose groups; blood was collected from all 3 dose groups. The majority of the dose in both the low- and high-dose groups was excreted in the feces (42% and 73.1%, respectively), indicating that cobalt was incompletely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract following oral dosing. The percent of the dose excreted in the urine was similar for low and high doses (31.8% and 26.3%, respectively). Cobalt concentrations were found to be highest in the liver and kidneys. The blood versus time cobalt concentration curves for the low-dose, intermediate-dose, and high-dose groups were elevated 4- to 5-fold, 14- to 25-fold, and 25- to 60-fold over control blood levels, respectively. The peak plasma concentrations of 0.6 and 1.7 microg Co(II)/ml occurred at approximately 4.3 h for the intermediate-dose group, and 3.3 h for the high-dose group. The terminal elimination half-lives were 24.7 and 24 h for the intermediate- and high-dose groups, respectively. Thus, although the extent of cobalt absorption as indicated by the blood concentrations and areas under the blood-time curves was not proportional to dose, the calculated pharmacokinetic values for the time to peak blood concentration and the apparent elimination rate constants were independent of dose. The amount excreted in the urine was also proportional to the dose. These apparent anomalies were not related to protein binding in blood.     

Absorption,Distribution, Metabolism,and Excretion of N-Octylbicycloheptene Dicarboximide (MGK 264) Administered Orally to Rats

Abstract

Experiments were conducted in four groups of rats to determine the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) patterns following oral administration of [hexyl-1-¹⁴C] N-octylbicycloheptene dicarboximide (MGK 264).

Ten rats (five males and five females) were used in each of the four experiments. Fasted rats were administered fhexyl-1-¹⁴C] MGK 264 at a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg, at a single oral dose of 1000 mg/kg, and at a daily oral dose of 100 mg/kg of nonradiolabeled compound for 14 days followed by a single dose of ¹⁴C-labeled compound at 100 mg/kg. Rat blood kinetics were determined in the fourth group following a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg. Each animal was administered 18-30 μCi radioactivity.

Urine and feces were collected for all groups at predetermined time intervals. Seven days after dose administration, the rats were euthanized and selected tissues and organs were harvested. Samples of urine, feces, and tissues were subsequently analyzed for ¹⁴C content.

In the blood kinetics study, radioactivity peaked at approximately 4 h for the males and 6 h for the females. The decline of radioactivity from blood followed a monophasic elimination pattern. The half-life of blood radioactivity was approximately 8 h for males and 6 h for females.

Female rats excreted 71.45-73.05% of the radioactivity in urine and 20.87-25.28% in feces, whereas male rats excreted 49.49-63.49% of the administered radioactivity in urine and 31.76-46.67% in feces. Total tissue residues of radioactivity at 7 days ranged from 0.13 to 0.43% of the administered dose for all dosage regimens. The only tissues with ¹⁴C residues consistently higher than that of plasma were the liver, stomach, intestines, and carcass. The total mean recovered radioactivity of the administered dose in the studies ranged between 93.1 and 97.4%. No parent compound was detected in the urine.

Four major metabolites and one minor metabolite were isolated from the urine by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). The four major metabolites were shown to be carboxylic acids produced by either ω-1 oxidation or β-oxidation of the side chain and oxidation of the norbornene ring double bond. The minor metabolite was the carboxylic acid of the intact norbornene ring.

The gender of the animals affected the rate, route of excretion, and metabolic profile. The urinary excretion rate was faster in females than in males and the amount excreted was also greater in female rats.     

Absorption,Metabolism, and Excretion of 2,3:4,5-Bis(2-Butylene) Tetrahydro-2 Furaldehyde (Mgk R11)in the Rat

Abstract

Experiments were conducted in four groups of rats to determine the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) patterns following oral administration of [formyl-¹⁴C] 2,3:4,5-bis(2-butylene) tetrahydro-2 furaldehyde (MGK R11).

Ten rats (five males and five females) were used in each of the four experiments. Fasted rats were administered [for-myl-¹⁴C] MGK R11 at a single oral dosage of 65 mg/kg, at a single oral dosage of 1000 mg/kg, and at a daily oral dosage of 65 mg/kg of nonradiolabeled compound for 14 days followed by a single dose of ¹⁴C-labeled compound at 65 mg/kg. Rat blood kinetics were determined in the fourth group following a single oral dose of 65 mg/ kg. Each animal was administered approximately 12–14 μCi of radioactivity.

Urine and feces were collected from all groups at predetermined time intervals. Seven days after dose administration, the rats were euthanized and selected tissues and organs were harvested. Samples of urine, feces, and tissues were subsequently analyzed for ¹⁴C content.

In the blood kinetics study, radioactivity peaked at approximately 30 min in both the males and females, indicating very rapid absorption. The decline of radioactivity from blood followed a biphasic elimination pattern. The first half-life was 1.36 h for males and 1.18 h for females. In the second phase, the half-life was 21 h for males and 26 h for females.

Female rats excreted 67.21-86.85% of the radioactivity in urine and 13.99–28.08% in feces, whereas male rats excreted 50.19–64.37% of the administered radioactivity in urine and 31.43–40.94% in feces. Tissue residues of ¹⁴C ranged between 0.47% and 1.09% of the administered dose. The total mean recovered radioactivity of the administered dose in the four definitive studies ranged between 92% and 101%. No parent compound was detected in the urine.

Three major and one minor metabolite was isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). One major metabolite was formed by oxidation of the aldehyde moiety to the carboxylic acid. A second metabolite was the glucuronic acid conjugate of the carboxylic acid and the third was formed by reduction of the aldehyde moiety of MGK R11 to an alcohol followed by glucuronic acid conjugation. The minor metabolite was the unconjugated alcohol derivative of MGK R11.

The gender of the animals affected the rate, route of excretion, and metabolic profile. The urinary excretion rate was faster in females than in males and the amount excreted was also greater in female rats.     

Bioaccessibility and excretion of arsenic in Niu Huang Jie Du Pian pills

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) often contain significant levels of potentially toxic elements, including arsenic. Niu Huang Jie Du Pian pills were analyzed to determine the concentration, bioaccessibility (arsenic fraction soluble in the human gastrointestinal system) and chemical form (speciation) of arsenic. Arsenic excretion in urine (including speciation) and facial hair were studied after a one-time ingestion. The pills contained arsenic in the form of realgar, and although the total arsenic that was present in a single pill was high (28 mg), the low bioaccessibility of this form of arsenic predicted that only 4% of it was available for absorption into the bloodstream (1 mg of arsenic per pill). The species of arsenic that were solubilized were inorganic arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) but DMAA and MMAA were detected in urine. Two urinary arsenic excretion peaks were observed: an initial peak several (4-8) hours after ingestion corresponding to the excretion of predominantly As(III), and a larger peak at 14 h corresponding predominantly to DMAA and MMAA. No methylated As(III) species were observed. Facial hair analysis revealed that arsenic concentrations did not increase significantly as a result of the ingestion. Arsenic is incompletely soluble under human gastrointestinal conditions, and is metabolized from the inorganic to organic forms found in urine. Bioaccessible arsenic is comparable to the quantity excreted. Facial hair as a bio-indicator should be further tested.     

Disposition and biotransformation of the acetylenic retinoid tazarotene in humans

Oral tazarotene, an acetylenic retinoid, is in clinical development for the treatment of psoriasis. The disposition and biotransformation of tazarotene were investigated in six healthy male volunteers, following a single oral administration of a 6 mg (100 microCi) dose of [14C]tazarotene, in a gelatin capsule. Blood levels of radioactivity peaked 2 h postdose and then rapidly declined. Total recovery of radioactivity was 89.2+/-8.0% of the administered dose, with 26.1+/-4.2% in urine and 63.0+/-7.0% in feces, within 7 days of dosing. Only tazarotenic acid, the principle active metabolite formed via esterase hydrolysis of tazarotene, was detected in blood. One major urinary oxidative metabolite, tazarotenic acid sulfoxide, accounted for 19.2+/-3.0% of the dose. The majority of radioactivity recovered in the feces was attributed to tazarotenic acid representing 46.9+/-9.9% of the dose and only 5.82+/-3.84% of dose was excreted as unchanged tazarotene. Thus following oral administration, tazarotene was rapidly absorbed and underwent extensive hydrolysis to tazarotenic acid, the major circulating species in the blood that was then excreted unchanged in feces. A smaller fraction of tazarotenic acid was further metabolized to an inactive sulfoxide that was excreted in the urine.     

The metabolism of etintidine in rat, dog, and human

The metabolic fate of etintidine, a new H2-receptor antagonist, was studied in the rat, dog, and human. Following oral or iv administration of [14C]etintidine HCl to rats, 63-72% of the dose was eliminated in urine and 15-28% in feces over 3 days. In dogs, 52-70% of the administered dose was excreted in urine and 14-18% in feces over 5 days. In the urine of both species, the major portion (generally greater than 70%) of the radioactivity was associated with parent drug and its sulfoxide metabolite. In rats, a distinct sex-related difference in metabolism was observed following oral administration of 20 mg/kg doses, with males excreting nearly twice the amount of the sulfoxide relative to females. A significant sex-related difference in metabolism was not observed in dogs following oral administration of a comparable dose, nor was it observed in either species following iv drug administration. After oral administration of [14C]etintidine HCl to human volunteers, about 86% of the dose was recovered in urine and 13% in the feces over a 7-day period. In humans, the major urinary metabolite was the N'-glucuronide conjugate. Thus, sulfoxidation does not appear to be the major urinary metabolic pathway of the drug in humans, as it is in animals. The metabolic fate of etintidine and cimetidine, another H2-receptor antagonist, are compared in three species.     

Pharmacokinetics of 14C-etretinate in healthy volunteers and two patients with biliary T-tube drainage

The pharmacokinetic profile of 14C-etretinate, a retinoid that is effective in the treatment of psoriasis, was studied in six healthy male volunteers and two biliary T-tube patients. Following a 100 mg oral dose of 14C-etretinate (20 microcurie), etretinate and its major blood metabolites (etretin, isoetretin) were measured by HPLC and total carbon-14 was measured in blood, bile, urine, and feces by liquid scintillation counting. Etretinate was extensively metabolized in healthy volunteers and in T-tube patients. During the absorption phase, 75 per cent of the total radioactivity in the blood could be accounted for as etretinate, etretin, and isoetretin whereas these compounds accounted for only approximately 12 per cent of the blood radioactivity in T-tube patients over the same time period. The blood concentrations of etretinate, etretin, and isoetretin appeared to be substantially reduced in T-tube patients compared to those in healthy volunteers. A higher proportion of the total drug was excreted in the feces and bile of the T-tube patients (84 per cent) than in the feces of healthy volunteers (62 per cent). The major factor responsible for the observed decrease in etretinate blood concentrations following biliary cannulation appears to be the reduced absorption of etretinate due to the elimination of solubilizing bile salts in the duodenum. Carbon-14 related material was detected in urine and feces for as long as 3 weeks in healthy subjects supporting the previous observation that a long terminal elimination half-life exists for etretinate, even following a single dose of the compound.     

Arsenic species excretion after dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid (DMPS) treatment of an acute arsenic trioxide poisoning

We studied the urinary excretion of the different arsenic species in urine samples from a young man who tried to commit suicide by ingesting about 0.6 g arsenic trioxide. He received immediate therapy with dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid (DMPS) after his delivery into the hospital. We assessed urinary arsenite (inorganic trivalent arsenic), arsenate (inorganic pentavalent arsenic), pentavalent dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and pentavalent monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) in urine with ion-exchange chromatography and on-line hydride-technique atomic absorption spectrometry. The predominant amount of the excreted arsenic was unchanged trivalent inorganic arsenic (37.4%), followed by pentavalent inorganic arsenic (2.6%), MMA (2.1%), DMA (0.2%) and one unidentified arsenic species (0.7%, if calculated as DMA). In the first urine voiding in the clinic, the total arsenic concentration was 215 mg/l, which fell 1000-fold after 8 days of DMPS therapy. A most striking finding was the almost complete inhibition of the second methylation step in arsenic metabolism. As mechanisms for the reduced methylation efficiency, the saturation of the enzymatic process of arsenic methylation, the high dosage of antidote DMPS, which might inhibit the activity of the methyl transferases, and analytical reasons are discussed. The high dosage of DMPS is the most likely explanation. The patient left the hospital after a 12-day treatment with antidote.     

Mass balance study of [14C] rabeprazole following oral administration in healthy subjects

The study was designed to determine the excretion balance of radiolabeled rabeprazole in urine and feces and to examine the metabolite profile in plasma, urine and feces after a single oral dose of [14C] rabeprazole, preceded by once daily dose of rabeprazole for 7 days. Six healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The study was a single-center, open-label, multiple-dose, mass-balance study. Each subject received a single 20 mg dose of rabeprazole tablet for 7 days followed by the administration of 20 mg of [14C] rabeprazole as an oral solution after an overnight fast on Day 8. After oral dosing of [14C] rabeprazole, the mean Cmax of total radioactivity was 1,080 +/- 215 ng equivalent/ml with 0.33 +/- 0.13 hours of the mean tmax. The apparent elimination half-life of total [14C] radioactivity was 12.6 +/- 3.4 hours. The total [14C] recovery in urine and feces was 99.8 +/-0.7% by 168 hours after oral administration of [14C] rabeprazole, and mean cumulative [14C] radioactivity excreted in urine was 90.0 +/- 1.7% by 168 hours and 79.8 +/- 2.5% of the radioactivity was excreted in urine within 24 hours. Excretion via feces added to the total by 9.8%. The major radioactive component in the early plasma samples was rabeprazole, however the thioether and thioether carboxylic acid metabolites were the main radioactive components in the later plasma sample. These results support the previous finding that the substantial contribution of the non-enzymatic thioether pathway minimizes the effect of CYP2C19 polymorphism on the inter-individual variation ofplasma clearance of rabeprazole compared with other PPIs. Low levels of the sulfone metabolite were detected only in early plasma samples. No rabeprazole was detected in any urine and feces samples. The main radioactive components in urine were thioether carboxylic acid and mercapturic acid conjugate metabolites, and in the feces, the thioether carboxylic acid metabolite. The administration of [14C] rabeprazole was safe as evidenced by the lack of serious adverse events and the fact that all observed events were mild in intensity. [14C] rabeprazole was rapidly absorbed after oral administration and mostly excreted in urine.     

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.     

Arsenic excretion after treatment of arsenic poisoning with DMSA or DMPS in mice

The effects of 2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonic acid, Na salt (DMPS) on arsenic excretion in arsenic poisoning were studied using ICR mice. One group of mice was given arsenic trioxide (5 mg As/kg, s.c.) and another two groups were given DMSA or DMPS (100 mg/kg, i.p.) immediately after administration of the arsenic (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Arsenic excretion in urine and feces was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results obtained showed a marked arsenic excretion in the urine collected at the first 12 hr in the group treated with DMSA. Further remarkable arsenic excretion in the feces was seen in the group treated with DMPS, suggesting that arsenic might have been excreted in the bile.     

Effects of glutathione depletion on the acute nephrotoxic potential of arsenite and on arsenic metabolism in hamsters

Our previous study showed that pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), which inhibits glutathione synthesis, results in acute renal failure with oliguria in hamsters ingesting sodium arsenite (5 mg As/kg). For a deeper understanding of the relationship between arsenic metabolism and the subsequent development of nephrotoxicity, we studied excretion, tissue retention, biotransformation, pharmacokinetics, and histopathological events in the kidneys of hamsters both with and without BSO pretreatment. The total amount of arsenic excreted in the urine and feces within 72 hr of arsenite administration was more than fivefold lower in BSO-pretreated animals than in the controls without pretreatment (9.2 versus 53.4% of the arsenic dose). The persistence of high amounts of total arsenic was apparent in the blood, liver, and kidneys of BSO-pretreated hamsters, even though the content of inorganic arsenic steadily decreased with time. The disappearance of inorganic arsenic from the blood showed a biphasic elimination pattern characterized first by a rapid component with a half-life of 4.5 hr and second by a slower component with a half-life of 58.0 hr in the BSO-pretreated hamsters, while these half-lives were 0.6 and 11.0 hr, respectively, in the controls. BSO pretreatment not only impaired the excretion of inorganic arsenic, but also impaired its methylation. Combined BSO/arsenite treatment resulted in renal tubular necrosis which was prominent at 1 hr after arsenite administration. By 1 hr, the renal content of inorganic arsenic in the BSO-pretreated animals was 1.7 times higher than that in the controls. This study demonstrates that glutathione depletion elicits the nephrotoxic manifestations of arsenic poisoning.     

The disposition and metabolism of [14C]fluconazole in humans.

The disposition and metabolism of 14C-labeled fluconazole (100 microCi) was determined in three healthy male subjects after administration of a single oral capsule containing 50 mg of drug. Blood samples, total voided urine, and feces were collected at intervals after dosing for up to 12 days post-dose. Pharmacokinetic analysis of fluconazole concentrations showed a mean plasma half-life of 24.5 hr. Mean apparent plasma clearance and apparent volume of distribution were 0.23 ml/min/kg and 0.5 liter/kg, respectively. There was no evidence of any significant concentrations of metabolites circulating either in plasma or blood cells. Mean total radioactivity excreted in urine and feces represented 91.0 and 2.3%, respectively, of the administered dose. Mean excretion of unchanged drug in urine represented 80% of the administered dose; thus, only 11% was excreted in urine as metabolites. Only two metabolites were present in detectable quantities, a glucuronide conjugate of unchanged fluconazole and a fluconazole N-oxide, which accounted for 6.5 and 2.0% of urinary radioactivity, respectively. No metabolic cleavage products of fluconazole were detected.