Premium
Pharmacokinetics of Nalidixic Acid in Old and Young Volunteers
Author(s) -
BARBEAU GILLES,
BELANGER PIERREM.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1982.tb02640.x
Subject(s) - nalidixic acid , pharmacokinetics , volume of distribution , liter , metabolite , clearance , body weight , elimination rate constant , medicine , plasma clearance , half life , age groups , physiology , chemistry , antibiotics , urology , biochemistry , antibiotic resistance , demography , sociology
Plasma levels of active naphthyridine were measured in healthy old (mean age 77.3 years) and young (mean age 25.4 years) subjects following oral administration of 1 Gm nalidixic acid. The plasma levels of active naphthyridine, i.e., nalidixic acid and its metabolite 7‐hydroxynalidixic acid, were generally higher in the old group, particularly in the elimination phase. Significant variations in the pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained between the two groups of volunteers. The plasma half‐life of active naphthyridine averaged 11.5 hours in old subjects and 2.7 hours in the younger group. Diminished renal function in the geriatric group may explain the slower elimination of the drug in the old subjects. The mean values of the other parameters calculated were: apparent volume of distribution, 0.55 (old) and 0.47 (young) liter/kg body weight; area under the curve, 327.7 (old) and 156.3 (young) μg/ml · hr; total body clearance 2.9 (old) and 8.3 (young) liters/hr; absorption rate constant, 0.29 (old) and 0.52 (young) hr. −1