Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism of an .ALPHA.,.BETA.-Blocker, Amosulalol Hydrochloride, in Mice: Biliary Excretion of Carbamoyl Glucuronide

The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of an alpha,beta-blocker, amosulalol hydrochloride, were investigated in mice. After intravenous administration (10 mg/kg), the plasma concentration of the unchanged drug declined biphasically, with a terminal half-life of 1.1 h. The maximum plasma concentrations were reached at 0.25 h after oral administration, and then declined with apparent half-lives of 0.8-1.3 h. The systemic bioavailability of a 10-mg/kg dose was 38.7%. The area under the plasma concentration curve increased more than proportionally to the dose, which suggests metabolic saturation. After oral and intravenous administrations of (14)C-labelled amosulalol hydrochloride, 64.7% and 81.0% of the radioactivity were recovered, respectively, in the urine within 48 h. HPLC-UV and LC/MS analyses demonstrated that the major urinary metabolite was the glucuronide of M-2 (desmethyl metabolite at the o-methoxyphenoxy group) followed by M-5, the M-3 glucuronide, and the M-4 glucuronide, in that order. In the bile sample, amosulalol carbamoyl glucuronide was found as a new metabolite of this drug.