[The inhibitory effect of cardiac glycosides on 86 Rb-uptake of erythrocytes. I. Studies on the determination of cymarin (k-strophantin-a) and digitoxin]

Kinetics of partitioning and binding of digoxin and its analogues in the subcompartments of blood

The kinetics of digoxin and analogues (metabolites) in the subcompartments of blood, erythrocytes and plasma, were first order and concentration independent. The rate and extent of red blood cell partitioning of the tested compounds were, according to first-order kinetics, identical in the presence and absence of structurally related compounds and dependent on lipophilicity and temperature; red blood cell penetration was a reversible process. Erythrocyte partitioning of digoxin and its analogues was postulated to be by passive diffusion. There was significant intracellular binding of the compounds, and hemoglobin was the major ligand. The kinetics of red blood cell partitioning of the individual compounds were fitted according to a closed two- or three-compartment modeL. The latter indicated the existence of two kinetically separable compartments within the red blood cells. Model-independent mean transit times of red blood cell-plasma water partitioning of the compounds depended largely on the lipophilicity and were a thousand times greater for the least lipophilic analogues than for the most lipophilic derivatives. Red blood cell partitioning of digoxin and its metabolites under in vivo and in vitro conditions, were equivalent. Plasma protein binding of the tested compounds was concentration independent, unaltered in the presence of the analogues, and temperature independent between 24 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Binding to albumin in buffer solution was significantly larger than to albumin in plasma for all the compounds. Binding of digoxin and its analogues to albumin in buffer solution increased with increasing lipophilicity of the compounds.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methyl proscillaridin in healthy man

The aim of this study was to obtain data about the pharmacological properties of a new glycoside derivative in man. Plasma concentrations and ECG parameters were measured after oral and intravenous administration of a single dose of 1.2 mg methyl proscillaridin in 16 healthy volunteers, using a strictly randomized, two-period change-over design. Glycoside concentrations were measured using a modified 86Rb-erythrocyte-assay. QT-duration, corrected for frequency (QTc), was the principal variable measured in the ECG. By either route, there was a maximum plasma level after 1 hour, which had decreased to a minimum at 3 hours, followed by a second peak at 4 to 10 hours (orally greater than iv). From 10 to 72 hours the concentrations decreased with a median t 1/2 of 23.3 hours (iv) and 33.0 hours (orally). Comparison of the ratio of plasma concentrations following oral and iv administration resulted in a bioavailability of 69% using the 48 hour plasma levels, and 59% using the areas under the concentration-time curves. The mean QTc was maximally shortened to 28 msec at 1 hour after iv and to 19 msec at 10 hours after the oral dose. A distinct similarity between time-concentration and time-QTc curves was seen after the initial distribution phase, both after oral and intravenous administration. The new derivative shows a rapid elimination. Its bioavailability is reasonably high.