| Abstract: | The influence of the serotonin antagonist ketanserin on the kinetics of digoxin and digitoxin were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Subjects received a single intravenous dose of digoxin (1.25 mg) or of digitoxin (1.0 mg) on two occasions: once in the control state, and again during treatment with ketanserin, 40 mg twice daily. Ketanserin caused a prolongation of digoxin elimination half-life (50 versus 40 h) and reduction in clearance (2.4 versus 3.7 ml/min/kg), but differences were not significant. For digitoxin, ketanserin caused a small but significant (p less than 0.005) increase in volume of distribution (0.89 versus 0.78 L/kg), but no significant effect on half-life (7.0 versus 6.8 days), or clearance (0.063 versus 0.059 ml/min/kg). Thus, ketanserin coadministration is not likely to alter steady-state concentrations of digoxin or digitoxin during clinical use of these two digitalis glycosides. |
