The metabolic disposition of acifran, a new antihyperlipidemic agent, in rats and dogs

The metabolic disposition of the antihyperlipidemic agent acifran (AY-25, 712) was determined in rats and dogs. The synthesis of 14C-labelled acifran is described. Serum levels of 14C and acifran were measured in rats and dogs after p.o. and i.v. administration of 14C-acifran at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Over 80% of the 14C in serum was due to acifran. The drug was rapidly absorbed and the pharmacokinetics, unaffected by increasing the dose or by daily multiple doses, were characterized by a two-compartment open model. Food reduced the bioavailability of acifran by 27% in the dog. About 65% of the dose was absorbed in rats, and at least 88% in dogs. The elimination t 1/2 of acifran from serum was 1.5 h in the rat and 3 h in the dog. Acifran was partially bound to serum proteins, man greater than rat greater than dog; the drug was found to displace protein-bound warfarin in rat and dog, but not in human serum. Radioactivity did not tend to accumulate in tissues, except for the kidney, where the 14C concentration was five times higher than in the serum; elimination of 14C from all the tissues was similar to that from serum. Most of the absorbed dose was excreted in the urine. Acifran did not undergo enterohepatic circulation in the rat. Virtually all the urinary 14C in both species was due to the unchanged compound. In conclusion, the disposition of acifran was similar in rats and dogs. The drug was rapidly absorbed and eliminated, and underwent no detectable biotransformation. There was no tissue retention and excretion was mainly in the urine.     

Comparative in vitro studies on cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime

After its parenteral administration in man, cefotaxime is partially metabolized to the desacetyl derivative (24-30% appearing in urine as desacetyl form). A detailed study was therefore carried out in vitro to compare the antibacterial activity against a wide range of clinical isolates and also the beta-lactamase stability of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime, as well as other third-generation cephalosporins. The investigations of bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity were, in addition, extended to representative ureido-penicillins, cefuroxime, aminoglycosides and second-generation quinolones. Although cefotaxime was generally 4 to 8 times more active than its desacetyl derivative, smaller differences were observed against some strains of Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae and gonococci. A similar pattern was seen in relation to beta-lactamase stability, the parent antibiotic being generally more resistant to hydrolysis. Cefotaxime was, overall, the most active of the beta-lactam agents, except against pseudomonads, staphylococci and enterococci. In general, the antibiotic possessed comparable in-vitro efficacy to that of gentamicin, netilmicin and ciprofloxacin. Studies of combinations of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime were carried out by the checkerboard method on solid media and also using a killing curve system in liquid media. A useful degree of synergy was observed against the majority of test organisms. This valuable effect could enhance the activity of cefotaxime in vivo, despite partial desacetylation.     

The physiological disposition of the anti-tussive agent, 1,2,3,4a,9b-hexahydro-8,9b-dimethyl-4-[3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propionamido]dibenzofuran-3-one dihydrochloride Azipranone, in man, rat, dog and baboon.

1. The absorption, tissue distrigution, elimination and biotransformation of the anti-tussive agent Azipranone labelled with 14C have been investigated after oral dosing to rat, dog, baboon and man and parenteral administration to rat and baboon. 2. Levels of radioactivity in plasma were maximal within 20 min of dosing in the rat and after 1-2 h in the remaining species. The concn. declined thereafter with a half-life estimated at 1, 3-4 and 18-24 h for rat, dog, and baboon and man respectively. 3. Three human volunteers excreted 53, 62 and 70% of the radioactivity in the urine in 96 h while the remaining species excreted 50-70% of the dose in the faeces in the same period. 4. Radioactivity was rapidly and extensively eliminated in the bile of both rat and baboon after administration of [14C]Azipranone. 5. The 24 h urine samples from all species contained ten major and a similar number of minor radioactive components. 6. In hepatic microsomal preparations, biotransformations of Azipranone are catalysed by enzymes requiring both NADPH2 and cytochrome-P450.     

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of dofetilide in mouse, rat, dog and man.

1. Pharmacokinetics of dofetilide were studied in man, dog, rat and mouse after single i.v. and oral doses of dofetilide or 14C-dofetilide. 2. Dofetilide was absorbed completely in all species. Low metabolic clearance in man resulted in complete bioavailability following oral administration. Higher metabolic clearance in rodents, and to a lesser extent dogs, resulted in decreased bioavailability because of first-pass metabolism. 3. Following i.v. administration, the volume of distribution showed only moderate variation in all species (2.8-6.3 l/kg). High plasma clearance in rodents resulted in short half-life values (mouse 0.32, male rat 0.5 and female rat 1.2 h), whilst lower clearance in dog and man gave longer terminal elimination half-lives (4.6 and 7.6 h respectively). 4. After single i.v. doses of 14C-dofetilide, unchanged drug was the major component excreted in urine of all species with several metabolites also present. 5. Metabolites identified in urine from all species were formed by N-oxidation or N-dealkylation of the tertiary nitrogen atom of dofetilide. 6. After oral and i.v. administration of 14C-dofetilide to man, parent compound was the only detectable component present in plasma and represented 75% of plasma radioactivity. No single metabolite accounted for greater than 5% of plasma radioactivity.     

The metabolism of talampicillin in rat, dog and man

1. After administration of [phthalidyl-14C] talampicillin (Talpen) to rat, dog and man, radioactivity was excreted mainly in the urine (90%, 86% and 98% in rat, dog and man respectively). 2. After administration of [ampicillin-14C] talampicillin, radioactivity was excreted in the urine of rats and dogs to a lesser extent (35% in both species) and only a small proportion of the dose was excreted in the bile (6% in rats, less than 0.1% in dogs). 3. The pattern of radiometabolites was very similar in extracts of the urines of radiometabolites was very similar in extracts of the urines of rat, dog and man dosed orally with [phthalidyl-14C]talampicillin. The major metabolite was 2-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid. 4. Unchanged talampicillin was present in the hepatic portal vein blood of dog and thus reached the liver, whereas in rat, no parent compound could be detected in portal vein blood. This result may help to explain differences in toxicity of the compound in rat and dog. 5. Studies in vitro showed that the intestinal wall is an important site of hydrolysis of talampicillin in rat and dog.     

Practolol metabolism in various small animal species.

1. The metabolism of the beta-adrenergic blocking agent practolol has been studied in a variety of small animal species, using both ring- and acetyl-14C-labelled material. After oral dosing at 100 mg/kg, elimination of 14C in urine and expired air was monitored, and urinary metabolite patterns were examined by t.l.c. 2. Marmoset was unusual in extensively deacetylating practolol (c. 57% dose). Urinary elimination was low, with only 25% being recovered in 4 days; over 30% of urinary 14C was present as desacetyl practolol, whereas less than 50% was unchanged practolol. 3. Hamster was also atypical, in its extensive hydroxylation of practolol. Urine contained 60% dose; 11% of urinary radioactivity was present as 3-hydroxypractolol, much of the polar material present (48%) appeared to be a conjugate of this, and only 35% was present as practolol. 4. For the other species studied (rat, mouse, guinea-pig and rabbit, metabolism was more limited. Deacetylation was typically about 5%, but was somewhat higher in the mouse (8--14%). Urine was the major route of elimination and practolol represented 50--90% of urinary radioactivity. 5. Despite extensive toxicity studies, both in species which metabolize practolol similarly to man and in species such as the hamster and marmoset which metabolize practolol extensively, no animal model has been found for the human adverse reactions.     

Mechanism of action, antimicrobial activity, pharmacology, adverse effects, and clinical efficacy of cefotaxime

Cefotaxime sodium, a parenteral cephalosporin antibiotic, exerts its bactericidal action through inhibition of bacterial cell wall synthesis. Chemical structure modifications have enabled this compound to be resistant to the action of Richmond I, III, IV, and V beta-lactamase enzymes. Excellent activity against many gram-negative bacilli, especially Enterobacteriaceae, has been demonstrated. Antipseudomonal activity is generally poor, however. Activity against gram-positive cocci, with the notable exception of Streptococcus fecalis, is adequate. Anaerobic activity is variable, particularly against Clostridia and Bacteroides species. Acute, subacute, and chronic toxicity studies in animals were generally unremarkable. No mutagenic effects or reproductive toxicity have been noted in animals. In man, cefotaxime is desacetylated to a microbiologically active metabolite. Urinary excretion is approximately 50-60% and 15-20% of a dose for the parent compound and desacetyl metabolite, respectively. The elimination half-life of cefotaxime is about one hour, with the total body clearance being approximately twice that of the renal clearance. Severe renal dysfunction causes a prolongation of the elimination half-life of cefotaxime and particularly desacetyl cefotaxime. A relatively low degree of protein binding in part attributes to a wide bodily distribution of cefotaxime. Cefotaxime is effective in a variety of infectious processes caused by susceptible organisms. Local reactions at the injection site and hypersensitivity phenomena are the most common adverse effects. Comparative trials attesting to cefotaxime's clinical utility over other parenteral cephalosporins or amino-glycosides are very limited. Based on the available evidence, cefotaxime should be most useful in combating serious gram-negative infections, because of its excellent activity against most of these organisms and its low toxicity profile.     

Metabolism of (14C)-quazodine in the rat, dog, and man.

The pharmacokinetics of [¹⁴C]-quazodine, a new bronchodilator, were examined in man and dog. Absorption, metabolism, and excretion of quazodine were studied in the rat, dog, and man, while distribution of the drug was measured in rats. After iv dosage, clearance of unchanged drug from plasma was rapid in both dogs and man and followed a biexponential decay curve in accordance with the equation C_p = Ae^?αt + Be^?βt. A good fit between the actual data and the computer-generated curves was obtained employing a nonlinear regression analysis computer program. After po administration quazodine was rapidly absorbed in both man and dog, a peak plasma concentration being observed at 0.5 hr in man and at 1 hr in dogs. The drug did not localize in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs. Radioactivity was found in all tissues of rats at 1 hr after oral dosage, and no evidence for extreme drug localization or prolonged retention was found in any tissue including brain. In rats, 71.9% of the dose was recovered in urine and 14.2% in feces during the first 3 days after dosing. The 72-hr recoveries in dog urine and feces were 61.4 and 25.8%, whereas in humans these values were 84.1 and 1.1%, respectively. The major pathway for metabolism of quazodine in man, and to a lesser extent in the dog and rat, was by demethylation at the 7-position of the quinazoline ring-system followed by conjugation with glucuronic acid or sulfate. The glucuronide conjugate accounted for 78.0% of the radioactivity in human urine, 45.1% in dog, and 27.4% in rat urine. The amount of radioactivity present as the sulfate conjugate was 3.1, 15.3, and 10.5% in human, dog, and rat urine, respectively.     

Metabolic disposition and pharmacokinetics of pelrinone, a new cardiotonic drug, in laboratory animals and man

The metabolic disposition of pelrinone, a cardiotonic drug, was studied in mouse, rat, rabbit, dog, monkey and man. Pelrinone was rapidly and extensively absorbed in rodents, dogs, monkeys and man. Except in rabbits, the major portion of the serum radioactivity was due to parent drug. Pelrinone was moderately bound to human serum proteins and weakly bound to serum proteins from animals. Radioactive compounds were rapidly eliminated from rat tissues with the highest concentrations found in organs associated with absorption and elimination. After a 1.0 mg/kg i.v. dose, the rapid elimination of pelrinone from mouse, rat and dog serum precluded estimation of an elimination half life (t1/2). However, after higher oral or i.v. doses, a more prolonged elimination phase was apparent and the t1/2 of pelrinone ranged from 8-10 h in rodents and dogs. In human subjects given escalating oral or i.v. doses of pelrinone, the elimination t1/2 was independent of dose and averaged 1-2 h. The serum AUC of pelrinone was linearly dose-related following oral doses up to 20 mg/kg in dogs and 100 mg in man. In mice, a greater proportional increase in AUC occurred between oral doses of 2-100 mg/kg while in rats, the serum AUC increased in less than proportional manner from 10-200 mg/kg p.o. In all species, radioactive compounds were excreted mainly in the urine. No metabolites were detected in dog and human urine while small amounts of unconjugated metabolites were excreted in mouse and rat urine.     

The metabolic disposition of (S)-2-(3-tert-butylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3-cyanopyridine in rats, dogs, and humans

Studies of the metabolic disposition of (S)-2-(3-tert-butylamino-2-hydroxypropoxy)-3-[14C]cyanopyridine (I) have been performed in humans, dogs, and spontaneously hypertensive rats. After an iv injection of I (5 mg/kg), a substantial fraction of the radioactivity was excreted in the feces of rats (32%) and dogs (31%). After oral administration of I (5 mg/kg) the urinary recoveries of radioactivity for rat and dog were 19% and 53%, respectively, and represented a minimum value for absorption because of biliary excretion of radioactivity. In man, bililary excretion of I appeared to be of minor significance because four male subjects, after receiving 6 mg of I p.o., excreted 76% and 9% of the dose of radioactivity in the urine and feces, respectively. Unchanged I represented 58% of the radioactivity excreted in human urine. The half-life for renal elimination of I was determined to be 4.0 +/- 0.9 /hr. In contrast, unchanged I represented 7% and 1% of excreted radioactivity in rat and dog urine, respectively. A metabolite of I common to man, dog, and rat was identified as 5-hydroxy-I, which represented approximately 5% of the excreted radioactivity in all species. Minor metabolites of I in which the pyridine nucleus had undergone additional hydroxylation were present in dog urine along with an oxyacetic acid metabolite, also bearing a hydroxylated pyridine nucleus.     

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of cizolirtine, a new analgesic compound, in rat and dog.

1. The pharmacokinetics of cizolirtine citrate, a new analgesic compound, were studied in the rat and dog following single oral and intravenous doses. 2. Absorption of radioactivity was fast and complete regardless of the species, and no dose and food-related differences were found. However, the elimination half-life of unchanged cizolirtine was shorter in rat than in dog. 3. Tissue distribution of total radioactivity in rat differed widely and a high affinity for liver, kidney, gastrointestinal and pigmented tissues was observed. In blood and almost all tissues the highest concentrations were reached at 20 min; beyond that time the decline of radioactivity in most tissues was parallel to that in blood. 4. The percentage of radioactivity excreted in the rat was 68% in urine and 21% in faeces, the latter being apparently due to drug enterohepatic circulation. In the dog, 92 and 4% of the radioactivity was found in urine and faeces respectively. The contribution of renal excretion to cizolirtine elimination was <5% in rat and 20% in dog. Twelve metabolites were detected in rat and six in the dog by radio-hplc analysis of urine.     

Absorption,distribution, metabolism and excretion of cizolirtine,a new analgesic compound,in rat and dog

1. The pharmacokinetics of cizolirtine citrate, a new analgesic compound, were studied in the rat and dog following single oral and intravenous doses. 2. Absorption of radioactivity was fast and complete regardless of the species, and no dose and food-related differences were found. However, the elimination half-life of unchanged cizolirtine was shorter in rat than in dog. 3. Tissue distribution of total radioactivity in rat differed widely and a high affinity for liver, kidney, gastrointestinal and pigmented tissues was observed. In blood and almost all tissues the highest concentrations were reached at 20 min; beyond that time the decline of radioactivity in most tissues was parallel to that in blood. 4. The percentage of radioactivity excreted in the rat was 68% in urine and 21% in faeces, the latter being apparently due to drug enterohepatic circulation. In the dog, 92 and 4% of the radioactivity was found in urine and faeces respectively. The contribution of renal excretion to cizolirtine elimination was 5% in rat and 20% in dog. Twelve metabolites were detected in rat and six in the dog by radio-hplc analysis of urine.     

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of Kö 592 in man,dog and rat

Summary Plasma concentration, renal and faecal excretion, absorption and metabolism of the tritiated beta-adrenergic blocker Kö 592 were studied in man, dog and rat. The substance was absorbed to an extent of 90–100% in all species (rat within 30 min, dog within 80 min, man within 120 min). The half-life of radio-activity in the plasma was 3 h in man and dog, in the rat blood 11 h. Excretion is almost complete within the first 12 h in man and dog. While 10–20% of the substance appears in the faeces in rats, elimination in the dog and man is almost exclusively renal. Kö 592 is completely metabolized. The metabolites were isolated from urine and identified by mass spectrometry. With individual variations, 31% of the metabolites of man and dog were present as methylphenoxy lactic acid, 20% as p-hydroxy-Kö 592 and 50% as conjugates. Man conjugates only with glucuronic acid, the dog conjugates 50% with sulphate and 50% with glucuronide.     

Metabolism of thymoxamine. II. Studies with 14C-thymoxamine in man

Thymoxamine is rapidly and completely absorbed in man. Rapid biotransformation is observed after intravenous and oral administration of 40 mg 14C-thymoxamine HCl. No unchanged compound is found in the body. More than 90% of plasma and urine radioactivity could be ascribed to six metabolites: the desacetyl compound (metabolite I), the monodemethylated metabolite I (metabolite II), the sulfate conjugates of I and II (metabolites III and IV) and the glucuronides of I and II (metabolites V and VI). The unconjugated metabolites are observed in plasma only after intravenous administration. Similar patterns for polar metabolites are found in plasma and urine for both routes of administration. The sulfate fraction amounts to about 50-60% and the glucuronide fraction to about 30-40% of the radioactivity, the conjugates of metabolite I being more abundant than those of metabolite II. The elimination of the metabolites is rapid, the half-life of radioactivity elimination being 1.5 h during the first 12 hours and 12 h thereafter. 80% of the radioactivity dose is recovered in the urine within 4 hours. Recovery after four days amounts to 99.8% (i.v.) and 97.7% (oral). The results are discussed with regard to the application of the drug in man, taking into account that not only the unconjugated metabolites but also the sulfate conjugates are pharmacologically active.     

Biotransformation of sultopride in man and several animal species

The biotransformation of sultopride has been investigated in rat, rabbit, dog and man. In man sultopride was metabolically stable, and about 90% of an oral dose was excreted in urine unchanged and 4% as oxo-sultopride. Rat, rabbit and dog metabolized sultopride more extensively and excreted less than 40% of an oral dose of 14C-sultopride in urine. Four similar metabolites were excreted by the three animal species but the relative portions differed. The major radioactive component in rat urine was O-desmethyl sultopride, whereas oxo-sultopride and O-desmethyl sultopride were the major urinary metabolites in rabbit. Dog formed N-desethyl sultopride and oxo-sultopride as major urinary metabolites. The male rat excreted smaller amounts of unchanged sultopride in urine than did the female rat. The unchanged sultopride excreted in rat urine was increased slightly by repeated administration.     

Disposition and metabolism of benoxaprofen in laboratory animals and man.

1. The absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of benoxaprofen, a novel anti-inflammatory compound, has been studied in the dog, mouse, rat, rabbit, rhesus monkey and man. 2. Benoxaprofen was well absorbed after oral administration of doses of 1 to 10 mg/kg in all six species. Only unchanged drug was detected in plasma. It was extensively bound to plasma proteins, the highest binding occurring in man (99.8%) and rhesus monkey (99.6%). 3. Species differences were observed in the plasma elimination half-life, the longest being in man (33 h). The rat and mouse also had high values (28 and 24 h respectively) whereas in the other species, values were less than 13 h. 4. After an oral dose of [14C]benoxaprofen (20 mg/kg) to female rats, tissue concn. was highest in liver, kidney, lungs, adrenals and ovaries. Tissue distribution in the pregnant rat was identical to the normal female. The compound was found in the foetus but at a concn. lower than in all maternal organs. 5. There was a marked species difference in the route of excretion. In man, rhesus monkey and rabbit, excretion in the urine was a major route, whilst biliary--faecal excretion was the only effective route in the rat and dog. 6. No major metabolic transformation of benoxaprofen was observed. Man and dog excreted the compound predominantly as the ester glucuronide whereas the rat, mouse, rabbit and rhesus monkey excreted a large proportion of the dose unchanged.     

The disposition and metabolism of flurbiprofen in several species including man.

Flurbiprofen was rapidly absorbed in all species studied. 2. Half-lives of elimination measured 0 to 12 h after a single dose were: mouse 3.4 h, rat 2.5 h, dog 10.1 h, baboon 3.1 h and man 3.9 h. A second phase of elimination was seen in the dog. Flurbiprofen accumulated in the circulation of the dog on repeated dosing. 3. After dosing with [14C]flurbiprofen, tissue levels of radioactivity in dog and baboon were similar to that in plasma. In the rat, levels were slightly elevated in liver, kidney, large intestine and thyroid after repeated dosing. 4. The dog excreted equal amounts of radioactivity in urine and faeces. In other species renal excretion was the more important route. 5. Six metabolites have been detected, the most important being: 2-(2-fluoro-4'-hydroxy-4-biphenylyl)propionic acid (metabolite 1), 2-(i-fluoro-3',4'-dihydroxy-4-biphenylyl)propionic acid (metabolite 2) and 2-(2-fluoro-3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-4-biphenylyl)propionic acid (metabolite 3). The proportions of the metabolites and the extents of their conjugation varied among the species. 6. Metabolites were detected in the circulation of rat, mouse and baboon but not in dog and man. 7. Flurbiprofen did not affect the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme system of rat. 8. Flurbiprofen was extensively bound to serum protein of rat, dog, baboon and man.     

The Metabolism of Talampicillin in Rat,Dog and Man

1. After administration of [phthalidyl-¹⁴]talampicillin (Talpen® to rat. dog and man, radioactivity was excreted mainly in the urine (90%, 86% and 98% in rat, dog and man respectively).

2. After administration of [ampicillin-¹⁴C]talampicillin, radioactivity was excreted in the urine of rats and dogs to a lesser extent (35% in both species) and only a small proportion of the dose was excreted in the bile (6% in rats, less than 0·1% in dogs).

3. The pattern of radiometaboletes was very similar in extracts of the urines of rat, dog and man dosed orally with [phthalidyl-14C]talampicillin. The major metabolite was 2-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid.

4. Unchanged talampicillin was present in the hepatic portal vein blood of dog and thus reached the liver, whereas in rat, no parent compound could be detected in portal vein blood. This result may help to explain differences in toxicity of the compound in rat and dog.

5. Studies in vitro showed that the intestinal wall is an important site of hydrolysis of talampicillin in rat and dog.     

In vivo biotransformation of fenoctimine in rat,dog and man

1. The metabolism of fenoctimine (Fn) was studied in rat, dog and man following administration of ¹⁴C-Fn sulphate.

2. Seventeen Fn metabolites were isolated by hplc and tlc from rat bile, dog bile, dog urine, human urine, human faecal extracts, and human plasma and identified using nmr and MS.

3. The identified metabolites accounted for 75% of total radioactivity in rat bile, 80% in dog bile, and 40% in dog urine samples. In man, 90% of the urinary, 70% of the faecal, and > 50% of the plasma total radioactivity were identified.

4. Three major pathways for Fn metabolism were proposed. These pathways involved imino-bond cleavage, aromatic hydroxylation and oxidation of the aliphatic chain.

5. The imino-bond cleavage pathway was dominant in all species. However, the other two pathways differed in quantitative importance among the species studied.

6. The aromatic hydroxylation pathway appeared to be the most important means of biotransformation of Fn in dog since all but two of the metabolites were formed by this route.

7. The aliphatic oxidation pathway appeared to be important to the biotransformation of Fn in man and produced three major metabolites.     

Urinary metabolites of oxapadol (MD720111), a new non-narcotic analgesic agent,in the rat,dog and man

1. A number of metabolites of oxapadol were isolated from urine of rat, dog and man after administration of a single dose of ¹⁴C-labelled compound. They were identified by direct inlet mass spectrometry and chromatographic comparison with reference compounds.

2. Oxapadol was extensively metabolized and the unchanged drug was undetectable in rat or human urine; only traces were found in dog urine. Nine metabolites were identified in rat and dog urine, and six in man.

3. The routes of biotransformation were: (a) aromatic hydroxylation, mainly in the benzimidazole ring, (b) scission of the heterocyclic ring following two different pathways, and (c) a combination of the two. Regioselectivity was observed for aromatic hydroxylation, as only three of the four possible monohydroxy oxazepinobenzimidazoles could be detected.