Skip to main content
Log in

Pharmacokinetics of n-propyl-ajmaline-bitartrate in elderly patients with ventricular ectopic activity

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

11 patients (9m, 2f, median age 59 years) with ventricular ectopic activity of at least Lown grade III received 20 mg N-Propylajmaline-bitartrate (N-PAB)* p.o. Plasma concentrations of N-PAB were determined with HPLC from blood samples within 26 hours after administration. An open two-compartment model was used. In 8 patients with normal function of the liver and the kidneys, the median clearance of N-PAB was 6.86 ml/min/kg and the median volume of distribution was 1.56 1/kg. Two patients had a clearly diminished clearance of 1.58 ml/min/kg without obvious impairment of liver or renal function. One patient with chronic glomerulonephritis (plasma creatinine 3.4 mg/dl) had a N-PAB clearance of 2.79 ml/min/kg. None of the Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the pharmacokinetic parameters of N-PAB with age, plasma albumin, albumin/globulin-quotient, plasma creatinine and cholin-esterase were significant. All calculated parameters were in the range determined in young subjects. It is concluded that physiological changes with age do not lead to significant changes of the pharmacokinetics of N-PAB. On the other hand in patients with increased levels of plasma creatinine a diminished clearance of N-PAB can be expected. It is also possible that patients without an obvious impairment of liver or renal function may have diminished N-PAB clearance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Holloway D.A. (1974): Drug problems in the geriatric patient. Drug Intel Clin Pharm8, 632–642.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hurwitz N. (1969): Predisposing factors in adverse reactions to drugs. Br Med. J.1, 536–539.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Crooks J., O’Malley K., Stevenson I.H. (1976): Pharmacokinetics in the elderly. Clin Pharmacokinet1, 280–296.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Triggs E.J. (1975): Pharmacokinetics in the aged: a review. J. Pharmacokinet Biopharm3, 387–418.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Vestal R.E. (1978): Drug use in the elderly: a review of problems and special considerations. Drugs16, 358–382.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hausleiter H. J., Achten G., Khan M.A., Kukovetz W.R., Beubler E. (1982): Pharmacokinetik und Biotransformation von N-Propyl-ajmalinhydrogentartrat beim Menschen. Eur. J. Drug. Metab. Pharmacokinet7, 329–339.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Zekorn C, Achtelt G., Hausleiter H.J., Moon C.H., Eichelbaum M. (1985): Pharmacokinetics of N-Propylajmaline in relation to polymorphic sparteine oxidation. Klin. Wochenschr.63, 1180–1186.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Grundevik I., Persson B.A. (1982): Assay of N-propylajmaline in blood plasma by Ion-pair-liquid-liquid chromatography. J. Liqu. Chromatogr.5, 141–150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. SAS User’s guide: statistics. (1982): SAS Institute North Carolina.

  10. Wagner J.G. (1979): Fundamentals of clinical pharmacokinetics. Drug Intelligence Publications Illinois.

  11. Kiechel J.R. (1982): Biotransformation of drugs during aging. Gerontology 28 (Suppl. 1), 101–112.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Shand D.G. (1982): Biological determinants of altered pharmacokinetics in the elderly. Gerontology 28 (Suppl. 1), 8–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Bender A.D. (1965): Effect of increasing age on the distribution of peripheral blood flow in man. J. Am. Geriat Soc.13, 192–198.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bender A.D. (1968): Effect of age on intestinal absorption. J. Am. Geriat Soc.16, 1331–1339.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Novak L.P. (1972): Aging, total body potassium, fat-free mass and all mass in males and females between ages 18 and 85 years. J. Geront.27, 438–443.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Vestal R.E., Norris A.H., Tobin J.D., Cohen B.H., Shock N.W., Andres R. (1975): Antipyrine metabolism in man: influence of age, alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Clin. Pharmacol. Ther.18, 425–432.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Woodford-Williams E., Alvarez D., Webster B., Kandless B., Dixon M.P. (1964): Serum protein patterns in normal and pathological aging. Gerontologica10, 86–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Klotz U., Avant G.R., Hoyumpa A., Schenker S., Wilkinson G.R. (1975): The effect of age and liver disease on the disposition and elimination of diazepam in adult man. J. Clin. Invest.55, 347–359.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Shader R.I., Greenblatt D.J., Harmatz J.S., Frank K., Koch-Weser J. (1977): Absorption and disposition of chlordiazepoxide in young and elderly male volunteers. J. Clin. Pharmacol.17, 709–718.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lisalo E., Kangas L., Selig M. (1977): Pharmacokinetics of nitrazepam in young volunteers and aged patients. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol.4, 646–647.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Nation R.L., Triggs E.J., Selig M. (1977): Lignocaine kinetics in cardiac patients and aged subjects. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol.4, 439–448.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. O’Malley K., Crooks J., Duke E., Stevenson I.H. (1971): Effect of age and sex on human drug metabolism. Br. Med. J.11, 607–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Hewick D.S., Moreland T.A., Shepherd AMM., Stevenson I.H. (1975): The effect of age on the sensitivity to warfarin sodium. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol.2, 189–190P.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kato R., Takanaka A. (1968): Metabolism of drugs in old rats. Jap. J. Pharmacol.18, 381–388.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Bach B., Hansen J.M., Kampmann J.P., Rasmussen S.N., Skovsted L. (1981): Disposition of antipyrine and Phenytoin correlated with age and liver volume in man. Clin. Pharmacokinet.6, 389–396.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Rowe J.W., Andres R., Tobin J.D., Norris A.H., Shock N.W. (1976): The effect of age on creatinine clearance in man: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. J. Geront.31, 155–163.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Schramm A., Jenett M., Gerhardt K.H. (1981): Veränderungen der Nierenfunktion und -morphologie im Alter. Z. Geront.14, 354–369.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ochs Hr., Greenblatt D.J., Woo E., Smith T.W. (1978): Reduced quinidine clearance in elderly patients. Am. J. Cardiol.42, 481–485.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Haasis R., Mikulla A., Roth W. (1980): Klinische Studie zur Interaktion zwischen Prajmaliumbitartrat und β-Methyldigoxin. Med. Welt.43, 883–888.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Elfner, R., Achtert, G., Hausleiter, H.J. et al. Pharmacokinetics of n-propyl-ajmaline-bitartrate in elderly patients with ventricular ectopic activity. European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics 12, 77–82 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03189865

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03189865

Key words

Navigation