Pharmacokinetics of chlormethiazole in healthy volunteers and patients with cirrhosis of the liver

Summary

The pharmacokinetics of chlormethiazole after oral and intravenous administration was studied in six healthy volunteers and eight patients with alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Plasma concentration-time curve after the intravenous infusion could adequately be described by two- or three-compartment open models both in healthy volunteers and in the patients. Based on the areas under the plasma concentration-time curves, the systemic bioavailability of oral chlormethiazole was about ten times greater in the patients than in healthy controls. The elimination of chlormethiazole was relatively less retarded in the patients, as indicated by a decrease of about 30% in its plasma clearance. In the patients the plasma protein binding of chlormethiazole was decreased, but the volume of distribution and half-life of elimination were unchanged. The increase in bioavailability of chlormethiazole was associated with significant alteration in the serum levels of bilirubin, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, prothrombin-proconvertin activity (P + P) and elimination rate of antipyrine or¹⁴C-aminopyrine. The increased bioavailability of oral chlormethiazole was due to impaired first-pass metabolism in the cirrhotic liver. A considerable reduction in dose seems to be indicated if oral chlormethiazole is used in patients with advanced cirrhosis of the liver. A substantial fraction of dose, averaging 15%, was lost during the intravenous infusion, presumably due to adsorption to the infusion tubing.