Comparative metabolism of flunarizine in rats, dogs and man: an in vitro study with subcellular liver fractions and isolated hepatocytes.

1. The biotransformation of 3H-flunarizine ((E)-1-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-4-(3-phenyl-2-propenyl)piperazine dihydrochloride, FLUN) was studied in subcellular liver fractions (microsomes and 12,000 g fraction) and in suspensions or primary cell cultures of isolated hepatocytes of rats, dogs and man. The major in vitro metabolites were characterized by h.p.l.c. co-chromatography and/or by mass spectrometric analysis. 2. The kinetics of FLUN metabolism was studied in microsomes of dog and man. The metabolism followed linear Michaelis-Menten kinetics over the concentration range 0.1-20 microM FLUN. 3. A striking sex difference was observed for the in vitro metabolism of FLUN in rat. In male rats, oxidative N-dealkylation at one of the piperazine nitrogens, resulting in bis(4-fluorophenyl) methanol, was a major metabolic pathway, whereas aromatic hydroxylation at the phenyl of the cinnamyl moiety, resulting in hydroxy-FLUN, was a major metabolic pathway in female rats. In incubates with hepatocytes, these two metabolites were converted to the corresponding glucuronides. 4. In human subcellular fractions, aromatic hydroxylation to hydroxy-FLUN was the major metabolic pathway. In primary cell cultures of human hepatocytes, oxidative N-dealkylation at the 1- and 4-piperazine nitrogen and glucuronidation of bis(4-fluorophenyl)methanol were observed. The in vitro metabolism of FLUN in humans, resembled more than in female rats and in dogs than that in male rats. 5. The present in vitro results are compared with data of previous in vivo studies in rats and dogs. The use of subcellular fractions and/or isolated hepatocytes for the study of species differences in the biotransformation of xenobiotics is discussed.

Biotransformation of sufentanil in liver microsomes of rats, dogs, and humans.

The biotransformation of sufentanil (SUF), an analog of the synthetic opioids fentanyl and alfentanil, was investigated in liver microsomes of rats, dogs, and humans. The drug was extensively metabolized and the metabolism was found to be very similar, both kinetically and metabolically, in the three species. The initial metabolism of SUF occurred monophasically in man and dog and biphasically in the rat over a concentration range of 0.13-20.1 microM. The apparent Vm values were 7.30 and 6.15 nmol metabolized.min-1.mg protein-1, and the apparent Km values were 4.98 microM and 15.2 microM for dog and human microsomes, respectively. In rat microsomes, apparent Km values were 0.10 and 20.8 microM, and the apparent Vm values were 0.10 and 7.32 nmol metabolized.min-1.mg protein-1 for the high and low affinity site, respectively. The major metabolic pathways were similar in the three species and included oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen, oxidative N-dealkylation of the piperidine ring from the phenylpropanamide nitrogen, oxidative O-demethylation, and aromatic hydroxylation. Desmethyl-SUF was formed at the shorter incubation times but quickly metabolized into secondary metabolites. The major metabolites which could be detected at the end of the incubation were N-[4-(methoxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide, N-[4-(hydroxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide, and N-phenylpropanamide. The relevance of the in vitro results is discussed in relation to previous in vivo studies of the metabolism of SUF in rats, dogs, and humans.

Excretion and biotransformation of cisapride in rats after oral administration.

The excretion and biotransformation of cisapride, a novel gastrokinetic drug, were studied after single (10, 40, and 160 mg/kg) and repeated (10 mg/kg/day) po administration to rats, using three different radiolabels. In fasted rats, cisapride was absorbed almost completely, except for the 160 mg/kg dose. Cisapride was metabolized extensively to at least 30 metabolites. The excretion of the metabolites amounted to more than 80% of the dose at 24 hr and was almost complete at 96 hr after dosing. In bile duct-cannulated rats, 60% was excreted in the bile within 24 hr, 45% of which underwent enterohepatic circulation. The main urinary metabolites, 4-fluorophenyl sulfate and norcisapride, primarily resulted from the N-dealkylation at the piperidine. Another major metabolic pathway was aromatic hydroxylation, occurring on either the 4-fluorophenoxy or the benzamide rings. The resulting phenolic metabolites were eliminated as conjugates in the bile; a large portion of them were subjected to a rapid enterohepatic circulation before their final excretion in the feces. Minor metabolic pathways included piperidine oxidation, O-dealkylation, O-demethylation of the methoxy substituent at the benzamide, and amine glucuronidation. Only minor quantitative dose- and sex-dependent differences could be observed for the mass balance of the metabolites. Upon repeated po dosing, steady state excretion rates were already attained after two to three doses, and excretion and metabolite patterns were very similar to those after single dose administration.

Metabolism of alfentanil by isolated hepatocytes of rat and dog.

1. The biotransformation of 3H-alfentanil was studied using suspension cultures of isolated hepatocytes of male and female rats and of dogs. 2. In hepatocytes of the male rat, alfentanil was readily metabolized, following linear Michaelis-Menten kinetics over the concentration range 5-400 microM. The metabolism was strongly inhibited by the cytochrome P-450 inhibitors metyrapone, alpha-naphthoflavone and piperonyl butoxide. 3. The major metabolites of alfentanil, which were formed in suspension cultures of male rat hepatocytes, were identified by h.p.l.c. co-chromatography and by mass spectrometry and included N-[4-(hydroxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide, N-[4-(methoxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide or noralfentanil and N-[1-[2-(4-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1-H-tetrazol-1-yl)ethyl]- 4-(hydroxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide or desmethylalfentanil. 4. The major in-vitro metabolic pathways of alfentanil in hepatocytes of the three sources were oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen and oxidative O-demethylation at the methoxymethyl moiety.

Excretion and biotransformation of alfentanil and sufentanil in rats and dogs.

The excretion and biotransformation of alfentanil (ALF) and sufentanil (SUF), two recent analogues of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, were studied after single iv administration of the tritium-labeled drugs in male rats and dogs. The drugs were almost completely metabolized in the two species, which resulted in a large number of metabolites. The excretion of the metabolites was rapid and exceeded 95% within 4 days, except for that of ALF metabolites in dogs (about 85%). For ALF, excretion of the radioactivity with the urine (73% in rats, about 76% in dogs) exceeded that with the feces. For SUF, excretion of the radioactivity with the urine amounted to 38 and 60% and that with the feces to 62 and 40%, in rats and dogs, respectively. Bile-cannulated rats excreted 68% with the bile within 24 hr after SUF dosing, and about 22% of this biliary radioactivity was subjected to enterohepatic circulation. After an ALF dose, the biliary excretion amounted to 24%, and the enterohepatic circulation was minimal. The main metabolic pathways of the two drugs were the oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen and at the amide nitrogen, oxidative O-demethylation, aromatic hydroxylation, and the formation of ether glucuronides. N-[4-(Hydroxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide (M6) was the main metabolite of both ALF and SUF in rats. In dogs, the glucuronide of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanamide (M5) was the main metabolite of ALF. After SUF dosing in dogs, N-[4-(methoxymethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-N-phenylpropanamide was more abundant than M5.

Excretion and biotransformation of ketanserin after oral and intravenous administration in rats and dogs.

The excretion and biotransformation of ketanserin, a novel serotonin S2-receptor blocking agent used in hypertension and related diseases, were studied after single po (1 or 10 mg/kg) and iv (2.5 mg/kg) administration in rats and dogs, using two different radiolabels. Orally administered ketanserin was well absorbed and almost completely metabolized in both species. The excretion of the metabolites was rapid and amounted to about 90% within 4 days. In the various groups of rats and dogs, excretion of the radioactivity with the feces (48 to 67%) exceeded that with urine (27 to 43%). In po dosed bile-cannulated rats, 57% was excreted with the bile within 24 hr, whereas about 30 to 40% of the biliary radioactivity was subjected to enterohepatic circulation. The major urinary, biliary, and fecal metabolites were characterized by HPLC and mass spectrometric analysis. The main metabolic pathways of ketanserin were the aromatic hydroxylation at the quinazolinedione moiety, the oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen, reduction of the ketone function and piperidine oxidation, followed by ring scission. The mass balance of the metabolites, as estimated by reversed-phase HPLC with on-line radioactivity detection, was very similar between male and female rats, as well as between rats po dosed at 10 mg/kg and iv dosed at 2.5 mg/kg. In rats, major urinary metabolites resulted from the N-dealkylation pathway, whereas hydroxyketanserin was the main biliary and fecal metabolite. In dogs, the N-dealkylation pathway was less abundant, whereas higher doses resulted in smaller relative amounts of hydroxylated metabolites and larger relative amounts of ketanserin-ol, resulting from the ketone reduction. Dog plasma levels of ketanserin-ol exceeded those of the parent drug from about 5 hr after po dosing.

Excretion and metabolism of lorcainide in rats, dogs and man.

After p.o. or i.v. administration of 3H-lorcainide, excretion of the radioactivity was almost complete within four days. In rats and dogs, about 35% of the dose was excreted in the urine and about 60% in the faeces. However, in humans, 62% was excreted in the urine and 35% in the faeces. In rats, about 70% of the orally administered radioactivity was excreted in the bile within 24 hours. Enterohepatic circulation was proven by "donor-acceptor" coupling in rats. Lorcainide was extensively metabolized. Urinary and faecal metabolites were isolated by extraction and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and characterized by chromatographic comparison with reference compounds, by mass spectrometry, and NMR. The mass balance for unchanged lorcainide and its major metabolites (determined by radio-HPLC) was very similar in the urine and faeces. Only minor quantitative differences were observed between intravenously and orally dosed animals, and between male and female rats. Major biotransformation pathways in the three species were: hydroxylation, O-methylation and glucuronidation. 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-lorcainide was the main metabolite. alpha-Oxidation resulting in alpha, 4-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-lorcainide, was observed in dogs only. Minor pathways were: oxidative N-dealkylation and amide hydrolysis. A remarkable 5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethoxy-metabolite was identified unambiguously in the three species.

Excretion and metabolism of flunarizine in rats and dogs.

The excretion and metabolism of (E)-1-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-4-(3-phenyl-2-propenyl)piperazine dihydrochloride (flunarizine hydrochloride, R 14 950, Sibelium) were studied after single oral doses in rats and dogs, using tritium-labelled as well as 14C-labelled drug. Flunarizine was well absorbed in both species. The mass balance for the unchanged drug and its major metabolites in urine, bile and faeces, as estimated with radio-HPLC, ALLOWED an explanation of the differences observed for the excretion pattern of the radioactivity in flunarizine-14C and flunarizine-3H dosed rats, and in male and female rats. Main metabolic pathway in male rats was the oxidative N-dealkylation resulting in bis(4-fluorophenyl)methanol and a number of complementary metabolites of the cinnamylpiperazine moiety, of which hippuric acid was the main one. In female rats and male dogs, however, hydroxy-flunarizine was the main metabolite, resulting from the aromatic hydroxylation of the phenyl ring of the cinnamyl moiety. Enterohepatic circulation of bis(4-fluorophenyl)methanol and hydroxy-flunarizine was proved by "donor-acceptor" coupling in rats; in bile and urine, these two metabolites were present mainly as glucuronides. The glucuronide of hydroxy-flunarizine was also the main plasma metabolite in dogs.

Plasma protein binding and distribution of fentanyl, sufentanil, alfentanil and lofentanil in blood.

The in vitro plasma protein binding and distribution in blood of fentanyl and three analogues were studied in rats, dogs and healthy volunteers. In human plasma, 84.4% of fentanyl was bound, 92.5% of sufentanil, 92.1% of alfentanil and 93.6% of lofentanil. Plasma protein binding of the four analgesics was independent of their concentration over the whole therapeutic range. Plasma protein binding of alfentanil was much less pH dependent than that of the three other analgesics. Attention was drawn to the possible contribution of the "acute phase' protein alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (alpha 1-AGP), of lipoproteins and of blood cells to the binding of fentanyl and its analogues in blood.

On the pharmacokinetics of domperidone in animals and man III. Comparative study on the excretion and metabolism of domperidone in rats, dogs and man.

The excretion and metabolism of the novel gastrokinetic and antinauseant drug domperidone were studied after oral administration of the 14C-labelled compound to rats, dogs and man, and after intravenous administration to rats and dogs. Excretion of the radioactivity was almost complete within four days. In the three species, the radioactivity was excreted for the greater part with the faeces. Biliary excretion of the radioactivity amounted to 65% of the dose 24 hours after intravenous administration in rats. Unchanged domperidone as determined by radioimmunoassay, accounted in urine for 0.3% in dogs, 0.4% in man, and in faeces for 9% in dogs and 7% in man. The main metabolic pathways of domperidone in the three species were the aromatic hydroxylation at the benzimidazolone moiety, resulting in hydroxy-domperidone -the main faecal metabolite-, and the oxidative N-dealkylation at the piperidine nitrogen, resulting in 2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-1H-benzamidazole-1-propanoic acid the major radioactive urinary metabolite- and 5-chloro-4-piperidinyl-1,3-dihydro-benzimidazol-2-one. In urine the two first metabolites were present partly as conjugates. A mass balance for the major metabolites in urine, faeces, bile and plasma samples was made up after radio-HPLC (reverse-phase HPLC with on-line radioactivity detection) of various extracts. Only minor species differences were detected.