The absorption, distribution and excretion of photomirex in the rat.

The absorption, distribution, and excretion of photomirex were investigated in the rat. Photomirex was absorbed slowly after oral administration, appeared in the blood at 1.5 hr, and reached the peak concentration 4 hr after dosing. Elimination from the blood was studied in rats receiving single intravenous doses; the semilog-arithmic decay curve was found to be triphasic. The highest concentrations were present in the rat, liver, and skin. Approximately 38--42% of the orally dosed photomirex was excreted in the feces in the first 3 days and 51--55% was eliminated in 28 days. Only trace amounts of photomirex were found in the urine (less than 0.09% of the total dose in 24 hr). Photomirex constituted about 95% of the total radioactivity found in the tissues and feces. No metabolite was detected in the radioactive material extracted from tissues or feces.