Excretion and metabolism of recainam, a new anti-arrhythmic drug, in laboratory animals and humans

The metabolic disposition of recainam, an antiarrhythmic drug, was compared in mice, rats, dogs, rhesus monkeys, and humans. Following oral administration of [14C]recainam-HCl, radioactivity was excreted predominantly in the urine of all species except the rat. Metabolite profiles were determined in excreta by HPLC comparisons with synthetic standards. In rodents and rhesus monkeys, urinary excretion of unchanged recainam accounted for 23-36% of the iv dose and 3-7% of the oral dose. Aside from quantitative differences attributable to presystemic biotransformation, metabolite profiles were qualitatively similar following oral or iv administration to rodents and rhesus monkeys. Recainam was extensively metabolized in all species except humans. In human subjects, 84% of the urinary radioactivity corresponded to parent drug. The major metabolites in mouse and rat urine and rat feces were m- and p-hydroxyrecainam. Desisopropylrecainam and dimethylphenylaminocarboxylamino propionic acid were the predominant metabolites in dog and rhesus monkey urine. Small amounts of desisopropylrecainam and p-hydroxyrecainam were excreted in human urine. Selective enzymatic hydrolysis revealed that the hydroxylated metabolites were conjugated to varying degrees among species. Conjugated metabolites were not present in rat urine or feces, while conjugates were detected in mouse, dog, and monkey urine. Structural confirmation of the dog urinary metabolites was accomplished by mass spectral analysis. The low extent of metabolism of recainam in humans suggests that there will not be wide variations between dose and plasma concentrations.     

Species-related differences in the stereoselective glucuronidation of oxazepam

The concentrations of (R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-oxazepam glucuronides in plasma and urine of several species have been measured. The relative amounts of these diastereoisomers vary among species. Thus, in the plasma and urine of rhesus monkeys the concentrations of the R-isomer are higher, whereas in man and dog more of the S-isomer is present. In plasma and urine of miniature swine the amounts of the two diastereoisomers are about equal. In the urine of rabbits the S-isomer prevails. Similar species-related differences are observed in the in vitro formation of the isomeric oxazepam glucuronides. Homogenates of dog, miniature swine, rabbit, and rat liver produce more of the S-isomer, whereas with monkey liver the formation of (R)-oxazepam glucuronide is favored. The agreement between in vivo and in vitro data is fairly good for rhesus monkey, miniature swine, and rabbit. However, for the dog the ratio of S- to R-isomers in the liver homogenate is much higher than in plasma and urine. This species-dependent stereoselective glucuronidation of oxazepam is not related to the phylogenetic or dietary grouping of these species.     

Species differences in the disposition and metabolism of sulfinpyrazone

1. The disposition and metabolism of sulfinpyrazone have been studied in rats, guineapigs, rabbits, dogs, rhesus monkeys and miniature swine after intravenous administration of 100mg/kg of ¹⁴C-labelled drug.

2. In all species, the integrated plasma concentration (AUC, 0-24h) of total radioactivity was almost completely covered by the sum of the AUC-values of unchanged sulfinpyrazone and six metabolites, i.e. the sulphide, the sulphone, p-hydroxy-sulfinpyrazone, the p-hydroxy-sulphide, the p-hydroxy-sulphone and 4-hydroxy-sulfinpyrazone.

3. Comparison of the plasma level profiles of unchanged sulfinpyrazone and the metabolites revealed pronounced differences between the species. Unchanged sulfinpyrazone was the most prominent compound in plasma of rats, dogs, monkeys and swine, whereas the sulphide metabolite predominated in guinea-pigs. In plasma of rabbits, these two compounds were found in similar amounts.

4. Species with predominant renal excretion of the ¹⁴C dose, i.e. rabbits, dogs and monkeys, eliminated sulfinpyrazone to a high extent unchanged. The renal excretion of the sulphide metabolite was low in all species.

5. Species differences in the biotransformation of sulfinpyrazone explain previously observed differences in inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. This effect is intensive and long-lasting in species showing high plasma concentrations of the sulphide metabolite.     

Metabolic disposition of isoxicam in man, monkey, dog, and rat

Isoxicam a new nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent was radiolabeled with 14C at the 3-position of the benzothiazine nucleus. It was well absorbed following peroral administration to man, monkey, dog, and rat, reaching peak plasma concentrations in 4-8 hr. Over 90% of the plasma radioactivity was due to unchanged drug. Plasma elimination half-lives were 22-45 hr in man and 49-53 hr in dogs and 20-35 hr in rats and monkeys. Isoxicam was distributed to most tissues in rats, but the tissue-plasma ratio did not exceed unity, indicating a small volume of distribution. It was extensively metabolized with only a few per cent of the dose appearing as unchanged drug in the urine. The principal urinary metabolite in man was formed by hydroxylation of the methyl group on the isoxozole ring and accounted for 30-35% of an isoxicam dose. In the rat, oxoacetic acid, the major urinary metabolite, was formed by opening of the benzothiazine ring followed by hydrolytic cleavage of the C-3 to N-2 bond. In addition to the hydroxymethyl and oxoacetic acid, two unknown metabolites, accounting for only a small percentage of dose, were detected in the urine of all four species. Urinary excretion of 14C activity accounted for about 60% of a dose in man and rats, 31% in monkeys, and 17% in dogs. These results indicate that there is only a quantitative rather than a qualitative species difference in the metabolic disposition of isoxicam.     

Disposition of cefotaxime in rat, dog and man

The excretory pathway for the elimination of 14C-cefotaxime (14C-HR 756) was found to be the same for rat, dog and man with elimination into the urine being the most important route, accounting for greater than 80% of the dosed radioactivity. The amounts of unchanged cefotaxime eliminated in the urine ranged from 20-32% in rat and dog to 56% in man. The major metabolite in each species was the microbiologically active desacetyl cefotaxime, which was present in both plasma and urine. Two further metabolites, recently identified as the stereoisomeric forms of the opened beta-lactam ring form of desacetyl cefotaxime lactone were also found in the urine of dog and man.     

Metabolism, plasma or serum levels, and elimination of phenformin in guinea pigs, rats, and dogs.

14C-Phenformin hydrochloride was used for investigating the metabolism, plasma or serum levels, and elimination of the drug following 1.5-mg/kg po or iv doses to guinea pigs, rats, and dogs. The amounts of individual metabolites and unchanged drug were assessed in urine as well as in plasma or serum. The glucuronide of 1-(p-hydroxyphenethyl)biguanide was a major metabolite in the blood and urine of all three species. Guinea pig serum and urine contained a sizable quantity of unchanged drug. Dog plasma and urine had significant amounts of nonconjugated 1-(p-hydroxyphenethyl)biguanide and of an unidentified major metabolite. In all three species following intravenous drug administration, unchanged drug contributed significantly to the radioactivity found in blood and urine. The apparent half-lives of phenformin eliminateion were 0.3-0.8 day for guinea pigs and rats and 1-1.5 days for dogs. Urinary excretion data indicate apparent half-lives of approximately 1.3-1.5 days for the elimination of each of the three major metabolites in dogs.     

Biotransformation of the antidepressant D,L-rolipram. II. Metabolite patterns in man,rat, rabbit,rhesus and cynomolgus monkey

1. The metabolism of D,L-rolipram in man was studied by comparison of?h.p.l.c. radiochromatograms of plasma and urine obtained at various times following oral and/or s.c. administration to man, rat, rabbit, and rhesus and cynomolgus monkey.

2. Seven metabolites isolated previously from man, rat, and rhesus monkey urine by preparative?h.p.l.c. and identified by mass spectrometry and n.m.r. analysis were used for metabolite identification.

3. In plasma, 3-5 metabolites were found in addition to the unchanged drug. In urine, which was the main excretion route for rolipram metabolites, >10 metabolites were detected but not the parent compound.

4. Between 40 and 70% of the compounds eliminated renally, were identified by reference to isolated metabolites.

5. Biotransformation proceeded by ether cleavage at the methoxy and pentyloxy groups, and by hydroxylation in positions 2 or 3 of the pentyloxy ring followed by sulphation.

6. In man, not in the other species studied, the 5-position of the pyrrolidone ring was also hydroxylated. This compound cross-reacted with the antibody raised against rolipram which was used formerly for the determination of rolipram in biological fluids.     

Absorption, metabolism and excretion of safrole in the rat and man.

The metabolic disposition of different doses of [14C] safrole were studied in rat and man. In both species, small amounts of orally administered safrole were absorbed rapidly and then excreted almost entirely within 24 h in the urine. In the rat, when the dose was raised from 0.6 to 750 mg/kg, a marked decrease in the rate of elimination occurred as only 25% of the dose was excreted in the urine in 24 h. Furthermore, at the high dose level, plasma and tissue concentrations of both unchanged safrole and its metabolites remained elevated for 48 h probably indicating impairment of the degradation/excretion pathways. The main urinary metabolite in both species was 1,2-dihydroxy-4-allylbenzene which was excreted in a conjugated form. Small amounts of eugenol or its isomer 1-methoxy-2-hydroxy-4-allylbenzene were also detected in rat and man. 1'-Hydroxysafrole, a proximate carcinogen of safrole, and 3'-hydroxyisosafrole were detected as conjugates in the urine of the rat. However, in these investigations we were unable to demonstrate the presence of the latter metabolites in man.     

Preliminary Studies on the Absorption,Distribution, Metabolism,and Excretion of THIP in Animal and Man using 14C-labelled Compound

Abstract: Distribution of radioactivity in rats, serum levels in human volunteers and rats and elimination of radioactivity in volunteers, rats, and mice following oral administration of ¹⁴C-labelled THIP have been investigated. Peak values of radioactivity in the organs and in serum were seen half an hour after administration, indicating a rapid absorption. Highest concentrations of radioactivity were found in the kidneys, but radioactivity was seen in all investigated tissues including the brain. The radioactivity was mainly excreted with urine (84–93%). Thin-layer chromatography of urine from volunteers, rats, and mice showed that most of the excreted radioactivity corresponds to unchanged THIP. Three metabolites were found in urine from rats each in amounts of 2–7% of the total dose given. Two of these metabolites were also found in urine from the volunteers in amounts of 30–35% and <2%, respectively, and in urine from mice in amounts of 21% and 6% of the total dose, respectively. No radioactivity corresponding to unchanged THIP was found in faeces indicating complete absorption of THIP following oral administration. One of the metabolites, the main one in man and mouse, seemed to be a glucuronic acid conjugate of THIP, but the chemical structure of the metabolites has not yet been established.     

Metabolic disposition of 6-chloro-5-cyclohexyl-1-indancarboxylic acid (TAI-284), a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, in rhesus monkeys.

1. After oral administration of 6-chloro-5-cyclohexyl-1-indan[14C]carboxylic acid (TAI-284) to rhesus monkeys, the plasma concn. reached a plateau at 2 h, which persisted for 4 h and then declined with an approximate half-life of 24 h. More than 92% of the plasma radioactivity was derived from unchanged TAI-284. The plasma concn. of the ulcerogenic metabolite, 6-chloro-5-(cis-3'-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1-indancarboxylic acid (metabolite IIb), was much lower in monkeys than in rats. 2. In monkeys, elimination of the ingested radioactivity was complete in 96 h, the excretion being almost equally divided between urine and faeces. This excretory pattern was similar to that in rats. The major urinary metabolites in monkeys were TAI-284, 6-chloro-5-(trans-4'-hydroxycyclohexyl)-1-indancarboxylic acid (metablite III) and glucuronides of TAI-284 and its oxo or hydroxy derivatives (metabolite VI), whereas those in rats were dihydroxy derivatives of TAI-284 (metabolite V) and VI. Unchanged TAI-284 accounted for only a small part of the faecal radioactivity in monkeys and rats. 3. Both in monkeys and rats, some of the dose of radioactivity was excreted in bile to enter into entero-hepatic cycling. Biliary excretion of metabolite IIb was markedly smaller in monkeys than in rats. 4. These metabolic findings are discussed in relation to the variation in the TAI-284-induced intestinal ulceration between monkeys and rats.     

Species variations in the N-oxidation of chlorphentermine

The metabolism and excretion of orally administered or injected [¹⁴C]chlorphentermine has been studied in man, rhesus monkey, marmoset, rabbit, guinea-pig and rat. These species excreted 55–95% of the administered radioactivity in the urine over 5 days. Two metabolites were characterised by thin-layer and paper chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography and g.c.-m.s. and these were N-hydroxychlorphentermine and 1-(4'-chlorophenyl)-2-methyl-2-nitropropane. There are marked species differences in the excretion of N-oxidation products which were found in the urine of human volunteers. rhesus monkeys, rabbits and guinea-pigs, but not in the urine of marmosets or rats. The rat, rabbit and marmoset also excreted an unidentified unstable acid-labile precursor of chlorphentermine. The results are discussed in relation to the toxicity of the drug and to the metabolism of amphetamines in general.     

Biotransformation of linogliride,a hypoglycemic agent in laboratory animals and humans

Following oral administration of linogliride, a hypoglycemic agent, to rat (50 mg kg⁻¹), dog (30 mg kg⁻¹), and man (100 mg per subject), plasma, urine, and fecal extract sample pools were obtained. Nine metabolites plus unchanged linogliride were isolated and identified. The number of metabolites identified were: rat (5), dog (9), and man (1). In each species, more than 78% of the administered dose was recovered in the urine pools. Identified metabolites were estimated to account for >82% of the total amounts of drug-related sample in urine pools and >50% in plasma and fecal extract pools.Formation of linogliride metabolites in the three species can be described by four proposed pathways: pyrrolidine hydroxylation, aromatic hydroxylation, morpholine hydroxylation, and imino-bond cleavage. Comparison of the proposed metabolic pathways among species reveals a similarity between rat and dog. In these two species, pyrrolidine hydroxylation was quantitatively the most important pathway, with 5-hydroxylinogliride and dominant hypoglycemic active metabolite in all sample pools. Further oxidation of 5-hydroxylinogliride resulted in the formation of five minor metabolites. The other three pathways appeared to be quantitatively unimportant.Metabolism of linogliride in man occurred to a very limited extent. More than 90% of the total linogliride-related material in plasma was the unchanged drug. Greater than 76% of the administered dose was excreted unchanged in the urine. Only 5-hydroxylinogliride was identified in minor amounts in human samples.     

Preclinical characterization of 2-[3-[3-[(5-ethyl-4'-fluoro-2-hydroxy[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)oxy]propoxy]-2-propylphenoxy]benzoic acid metabolism: in vitro species comparison and in vivo disposition in rats.

Assessment of the pharmacokinetics of [14C]2-[3-[3-[(5-ethyl-4'-fluoro-2-hydroxy[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)oxy]propoxy]-2-propylphenoxy-]benzoic acid ([14C]LY293111), an experimental anti-cancer agent, suggested long-lived circulating metabolites in rats. In vivo metabolites of LY293111 were examined in plasma, bile, urine, and feces of Fischer 344 (F344) rats after oral administration of [14C]LY293111. Metabolites were profiled by high-performance liquid chromatography-radiochromatography, and identified by liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry and LC/NMR. The major in vivo metabolites of LY293111 identified in rats were phenolic (ether), acyl, and bisglucuronides of LY293111. Measurement of radioactivity in rat plasma confirmed that a fraction of LY293111-derived material was irreversibly bound to plasma protein and that this bound fraction increased over time. This was consistent with the observed disparity in half-lives between LY293111 and total radioactivity in rats and monkeys, and is likely due to covalent modification of proteins by the acyl glucuronide. In vitro metabolism of [14C]LY293111 in liver slices from CD-1 mice, F344 rats, rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys, and humans indicates that glucuronidation was the primary metabolic pathway in all species. The acyl glucuronide was the most prevalent radioactive peak (16% of total 14C) produced by F344 rat slices, whereas the ether glucuronide was the major metabolite in all other species (26-36% of total 14C). Several minor hydroxylated metabolites were detected in F344 rat slice extracts but were not observed in other species. The data presented suggest that covalent modification of proteins by LY293111 acyl glucuronide is possible in multiple species, although the relative reactivity of this metabolite appears to be low compared with those known to cause adverse drug reactions.     

Disposition and biotransformation of quinpirole, a new D-2 dopamine agonist antihypertensive agent, in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys

The disposition and metabolism of quinpirole were studied in rats, mice, dogs, and monkeys. A single 2 mg/kg dose of 14C-quinpirole was administered orally to rats, mice, and monkeys. Dogs were given a single 0.2 mg/kg iv dose of 14C-quinpirole. Of the dose administered, 75-96% was recovered in the urine within 72 hr, with the majority being excreted during the first 24 hr. Peak plasma concentrations of radioactivity and quinpirole were coincident and were observed within 0.25 hr in rodents and at 2 hr in monkeys. Unchanged quinpirole accounted for 0.9%, 36%, and 69% respectively. Biotransformation of quinpirole was compared by quantitating the urinary metabolites by HPLC. The percentage of the radioactivity in urine representing unchanged drug was determined for each species: monkey (3%), dog (13%), mouse (40%), and rat (57%). The majority of 14C-quinpirole was shown to be biotransformed in rats, mice, and monkeys through common metabolic pathways but to various extents. Most metabolites resulted from structural alterations (N-dealkylation, lactam formation, omega and omega-1 hydroxylation) that centered around the piperidine ring portion of the molecule. These metabolites were less important in dogs. The major metabolic pathway in dogs involved hydroxylation of a methylene carbon adjacent to the pyrazole nucleus of quinpirole followed by O-glucuronidation. Evidence of metabolism of the pyrazole moiety was found in the isolation of an N-glucuronide conjugate of quinpirole from monkey urine.     

Comparative biodisposition and metabolism of 14C-(+/-)-fenfluramine in mouse, rat, dog and man.

1. The comparative metabolism of fenfluramine was investigated in mouse, rat, dog and man following a single oral dose of 14C-(+/-)-fenfluramine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg), and also in rat after eight consecutive 12-h subcutaneous doses (24 mg/kg). 2. Main route of excretion of radioactivity in all species and at all doses was into urine (> 80%), with only minor amounts of radioactivity found in faeces. 3. From all species examined a total of 11 metabolites were observed in urine and plasma by t.l.c. and h.p.l.c. analysis and no metabolite was present in the plasma which was not present in urine. 4. All species dealkylate fenfluramine to the active metabolite norfenfluramine, to a relative greater or lesser extent, with plasma metabolic ratios (norfenfluramine/fenfluramine) showing inter-animal variation (rat > dog > mouse = man). 5. These differences are due to the efficient deamination of both compounds to polar inactive metabolites in man, with less dealkylation and lower plasma levels of norfenfluramine compared with the other species studied. 6. In conclusion, major species differences in the metabolism of (+/-)-fenfluramine, both qualitative and quantitative were observed, and no one species had a similar metabolic profile to that found in man.     

Comparative disposition of [14C]ertapenem, a novel carbapenem antibiotic, in rat, monkey and man

1. The disposition and metabolism of ertapenem, a carbapenem antibiotic, was examined in rat, monkey and man. Sprague-Dawley rats and Rhesus monkeys were given, by intravenous administration, radiolabelled doses of ertapenem (60 and 30 mg kg(-1), respectively), and healthy normal volunteers received a single fixed dose of 1000 mg. Urine and faeces were collected for determination of total radioactivity. 2. In healthy volunteers, [14C]ertapenem was eliminated by a combination of hydrolytic metabolism to a beta-lactam ring-opened derivative and renal excretion of unchanged drug. Approximately equal amounts were excreted as a beta-lactam ring-opened metabolite and unchanged drug (36.7 and 37.5% of dose, respectively). A secondary amide hydrolysis product accounted for about 1% of the dose in man. About 10% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in faeces, which suggested that a minor fraction underwent biliary and/or intestinal excretion. 3. In animals, a greater fraction of the dose was eliminated via metabolism; excretion of unchanged drug accounted for 17 and 5% of dose in rats and monkeys, respectively. In monkeys, the beta-lactam ring-opened and amide hydrolysis metabolites accounted for 74.8 and 7.59% of the dose, respectively, whereas in rats, these metabolites accounted for 31.9 and 20% of dose, respectively. 4. In vitro studies with fresh rat tissue homogenates indicated that lung and kidney were the primary organs involved in mediating formation of the beta-lactam ring-opened metabolite. The specific inhibitor of dehydropeptidase-I, cilastatin, inhibited the in vivo and in vitro metabolism of ertapenem in rats, which suggested strongly that the hydrolysis of ertapenem in lung and kidney was mediated by this enzyme.     

Species differences in the metabolism of a tricyclic psychotropic agent,SQ 11,290-C

The metabolism of SQ 11,290-¹⁴C (4-[3-(7-chloro-5,11-dihydrodibenz[b,e]-[1,4]-oxazepin-5-yl)propyl]-α,β-¹⁴C₂-1-piperazineethanol, dihydrochloride) was studied in mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, New Zealand White or Dutch rabbits, monkeys and man after po administration. The excretion of SQ 11,290-¹⁴C, its metabolites, or both, was chiefly in the feces (with the exception of hamsters and man). Rats and rabbits of either strain excreted 2–5% of the dose—mice and hamsters excreted 20–42%—as ¹⁴CO₂. Hamsters appeared to excrete radioactivity in a quantitative manner most similar to that observed in man, but the metabolites found in the urine and feces of these 2 species were not similar. The disposition of SQ 11,290-¹⁴C in albino and pigmented rabbits cannot be distinguished on the basis of the excretion of radioactivity, but different metabolites appear to be excreted in the urine. No unchanged SQ 11,290-¹⁴C was detected in the excreta of humans. One percent of the dose or less was present as unchanged SQ 11,290-¹⁴C in the urine of any animal species. In the feces, an average of 2–6% of the dose was excreted by animal species as unchanged SQ 11,290-¹⁴C. Whereas albino rabbits excreted in the feces only 3.6% of the dose as unchanged drug, Dutch rabbits excreted about 16.7% of the dose as unchanged drug. In those human subjects excreting large amounts of radioactivity as ¹⁴CO₂, cleavage or degradation of the side chain, or both, rather than hydroxylation of the ring system as had been found previously in dogs, appeared to be a major metabolic pathway.     

The metabolite patterns of eltoprazine in man, dog, rat and rabbit

To compare the metabolism of eltoprazine of dog, rat and rabbit with that in man, urine samples were collected after dosing with 14C-eltoprazine. The 14C-labelled metabolites were separated by chromatography and detected by their radioactivity. This resulted in so-called metabolite patterns. The human metabolite pattern contained peaks that were all found in that obtained from the dog's urine. The dog's metabolite pattern had two peaks that were (almost) absent in all other species. The rat's urine gave a pattern which had only two peaks in common with the human pattern. Unchanged drug was excreted in significant amounts by man, dog, and rat, but not by rabbit. This excretion was even a little more pronounced after intravenous injection of the drug. In man, the ratio between unchanged drug and metabolites was fairly constant with time after dosing, while this ratio decreased in the animal species. The major part of the metabolites were sulphate- or glucuronide conjugates, but hydrolysis of these required extraordinary amounts of enzyme. We do not yet know whether the observed species differences reflect differences in conjugating activity or (and) oxidative metabolism. We could not identify important differences in the metabolite patterns that were due to sex or route of drug administration. Also, the site of the 14C-label in the drug molecule hardly affected the metabolite patterns; the only effect was the excretion by the rat of a very polar but minor component when it was dosed with 14C-piperazine labelled eltoprazine. This component was absent when 14C-phenyl labelled eltoprazine was given.     

Identification of major urinary metabolites of nafarelin acetate, a potent agonist of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, in the rhesus monkey

Nafarelin acetate (less than Glu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-3-(2-naphthyl)-D-Ala-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2) is a potent agonistic analogue of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. After a single iv administration of nafarelin acetate (with 14C label at C-3 of 3-(2-naphthyl)-D-Ala) to female rhesus monkeys, about 80% of the radioactivity was eliminated in urine. Five major radioactive urinary metabolites were isolated and purified by reversed phase HPLC. Four of these metabolites, identified by amino acid analysis, were short peptides: the 5-10-hexapeptide amide, the 6-10-pentapeptide amide, the 5-7-tripeptide, and the 6-7-dipeptide. The fifth metabolite, which accounted for about 15% of the radioactivity administered, was shown by NMR and mass spectrometry to be 2-naphthylacetic acid. A possible pathway of its formation is by oxidative deamination of 3-(2-napthyl)-D-Ala to give the corresponding alpha-keto acid, followed by oxidative decarboxylation of the alpha-keto acid. These five metabolites together accounted for about 70% of the radioactivity recovered in the urine of rhesus monkeys, or more than half of the radioactivity in the administered dose. A minor metabolite, which was not isolated, coeluted with 3-(2-naphthyl)-D-Ala in two solvent systems on HPLC. Nafarelin acetate was also present in small amounts. Several of these metabolites were also present in plasma of the rhesus monkey.     

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.