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PLASMA LEVELS FOLLOWING SINGLE INTRAVENOUS, ORAL AND MULTIPLE ORAL DOSAGE IN NORMOTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE SUBJECTS
Author(s) -
Barnett A. J.,
Bobik A.,
Carson V.,
Korman J. S.,
McLean A. J.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1977.tb02670.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pharmacology , anesthesia , plasma concentration
SUMMARY 1. The pharmacokinetics of methyldopa after oral and intravenous administration was studied in hypertensive and normotensive patients. After intravenous administration methyldopa plasma concentrations decayed according to a two‐compartment open model. 2. For intravenous administration the overall elimination constant K e1 was 0.56 ± 0.03 h −1 , the volume of distribution of the central compartment 0.29±0.08 1 kg −1 and the plasma clearance rate 11.2±0.6 1 h −1 . 3. Plasma half‐times during the β‐phase of the methyldopa plasma decay curve following intravenous and oral administration were 2.8±1.3 and 2.1±0.7 h, respectively. 4. Maximal plasma levels in hypertensive out‐patients show great variation and range from 0 to 1.9 μg ml −1 . 5. No relationships were found between maximal methyldopa plasma levels in patients under treatment and control of hypertension.