Bunolol metabolism by dogs: isolation and identification of two acidic metabolites

Disposition of levobunolol after an ophthalmic dose to rabbits

The ocular and systemic disposition of levobunolol (LBUN), an antiglaucoma agent, was studied in albino rabbits. After topical administration to eyes, LBUN was rapidly adsorbed, with 2.5% of the dose bioavailable to the intraocular tissues as intact drug and 46% to the systemic circulation. On passage across the cornea, approximately 4.7% of a topically applied LBUN dose was biotransformed to dihydrolevobunolol (DHB), and subsequently became bioavailable to intraocular tissues. The major sites of ocular metabolism were the cornea epithelium and the iris-ciliary body. Another 12% of the topical LBUN dose entered the systemic circulation as DHB after presystemic biotransformation. Our study indicated a rapid absorption of LBUN into the aqueous humor after topical dosing. The tpeak was 15 min after dosing and the Cmax was 4 micrograms/mL. Dihydrolevobunolol (DHB) was formed steadily and reached a maximum in the aqueous humor 45 min after dosing. After distribution equilibrium had been reached, the aqueous humor concentrations of both LBUN and DHB declined. Six hours after dosing, the concentration of DHB in the aqueous humor was approximately 10 times higher than that of its parent compound. Because DHB is equivalent to its parent compound in beta-blocking activity, its formation in the rabbit eye may contribute to the pharmacodynamic effects observed after topical doses of LBUN.

Bunolol metabolism by dogs: urinary excretion of 5-hydroxytetralone

1. Anion exchange and t.l.c. were used to collect the polar drug metabolites present in urine of dogs treated orally with [14C]bunolol. 2. A new metabolite, 5-hydroxytetralone, was isolated, purified, and identified by u.v.,i.r. and mass spectroscopy. 3. 5-Hydroxytetralone represented 1.7% dose excreted in urine collected for 24 h after bunolol administration. 4. Properties of the metabolite are discussed in relation to the question of whether 5-hydroxytetralone was excreted as a conjugate.

l-Bunolol metabolism in rats: identification of urinary metabolites

Urine collected for 24 hr from rats given a single oral dose of 3H-l-bunolol (10 mg/kg) was found to contain only 25.8% of the dose and more than 30 labeled compounds. Nine compounds were identified and quantified as follows: bunolol (0.35% of urinary tritium), bunolol glucuronide (5.12%), bunolol sulfate (0.08%), dihydrobunolol (0.08%), dihydrobunolol glucuronide (0.74%), dihydrobunolol sulfate (0.12%), hydroxydihydrobunolol (0.58%), beta-(5-oxytetralonyl)lactic acid (0.74%), and (5-oxytetralonyl) acetic acid glucuronide (1.12%). The total quantity of identified labeled compounds was only 2.3% of the dose and 8.9% of the urinary radioactivity.

Bunolol metabolism by dogs: identification of basic metabolites and their conjugates

Female beagles dosed once with encapsulated 14C-bunolol (10 mg/kg) excreted 61% of the isotope in urine in 24 hr. The pooled urine contained a minimum of 18 labeled compounds. Two previously unknown metabolites were purified and were identified by UV and mass spectral data; they were hydroxybunolol (10.1% of urinary radioactivity) and hydroxydihydrobunolol (9.8%). The urine also contained bunolol (0.7% of urinary carbon-14), dihydrobunolol (0.5%), conjugated dihydrobunolol (2.8%), beta-(5-oxytetralonyl)lactic acid (16.3%), and (5-oxytetralonyl) acetic acid (7.1%).