Skip to main content
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1970 Jul;39(3):564–572. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1970.tb10364.x

The kinetics of amylobarbitone metabolism in healthy men and women

K Balasubramaniam, S B Lucas, G E Mawer, P J Simons
PMCID: PMC1702606  PMID: 5472203

Abstract

1. Sodium amylobarbitone (3·54 mg/kg) was given by intravenous injection to seven healthy men and nine healthy women who were not receiving other drugs. Serum amylobarbitone and urine hydroxyamylobarbitone concentrations were measured by gas-liquid chromatography. There was no significant difference between the groups either in the serum amylobarbitone concentration/time curves or in the urinary excretion of hydroxyamylobarbitone.

2. The serum amylobarbitone concentration decayed over 48 h as a double exponential function of time; the first exponential component had a mean half-time of 0·6 h (males 0·56 ± 0·06 h, females 0·62 ± 0·08 h, ± S.E.) and the second exponential component had a mean half time of 21 h (males 22·7 ± 1·6 h, females 20·0 ± 1·0 h, ± S.E.).

3. The urinary excretion of hydroxyamylobarbitone over 48 h accounted for 34% of the dose (males 33·8 ± 3·2%, females 35·2 ± 3·0%, ± S.E.). One male and two female subjects excreted hydroxyamylobarbitone partly as a conjugate which was readily hydrolysed in acid.

4. An elimination constant (kel) derived from the serum concentration/time curve by the application of a two compartment model was approximately proportional to β (h-1), the rate constant of the second exponential component. There was a positive correlation (r=0·78, P<0·001) between β and the mean rate of urinary excretion of hydroxyamylobarbitone during the 24 to 48 h period.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BUTLER T. C. The metabolic hydroxylation of phenobarbital. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1956 Mar;116(3):326–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Balasubramaniam K., Mawer G. E., Rodgers E. M. The estimation of amylobarbitone and hydroxyamylobarbitone in serum by gas liquid chromatography. Br J Pharmacol. 1969 Oct;37(2):546P–547P. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bush M. T., Sanders E. Metabolic fate of drugs: barbiturates and closely related compounds. Annu Rev Pharmacol. 1967;7:57–76. doi: 10.1146/annurev.pa.07.040167.000421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kamm J. J., Van Loon E. J. Amobarbital metabolism in man. A gas chromatographic method for the estimation of hydroxyamobarbital in human urine. Clin Chem. 1966 Nov;12(11):789–796. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MAYNERT E. W. Ethyl (3-hydroxyisoamyl) barbituric acid as the principal metabolite of amytal. J Biol Chem. 1952 Mar;195(1):397–402. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Mawer G. E., Lee H. A. Value of forced diuresis in acute barbiturate poisoning. Br Med J. 1968 Jun 29;2(5608):790–793. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5608.790. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Maynert E. W. The alcoholic metabolites of pentobarbital and amobarbital in man. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Oct;150(1):118–121. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. RAVENTOS J. The distribution in the body and metabolic fate of barbiturates. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1954 Apr;6(4):217–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. RICHARDS R. K., TAYLOR J. D. Some factors influencing distribution, metabolism and action of barbiturates; a review. Anesthesiology. 1956 May;17(3):414–458. doi: 10.1097/00000542-195605000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Riegelman S., Loo J. C., Rowland M. Shortcomings in pharmacokinetic analysis by conceiving the body to exhibit properties of a single compartment. J Pharm Sci. 1968 Jan;57(1):117–123. doi: 10.1002/jps.2600570123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Schenkman J. B., Frey I., Remmer H., Estabrook R. W. Sex differences in drug metabolism by rat liver microsomes. Mol Pharmacol. 1967 Nov;3(6):516–525. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES