Amiodarone pharmacokinetics. I. Acute dose-dependent disposition studies in rats.

Single intravenous bolus doses of amiodarone hydrochloride of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mg/kg were administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats to determine the effects of dose on amiodarone pharmacokinetics. Serial blood samples and total urine were collected over 48 hr and assayed for amiodarone and desethylamiodarone by HPLC. The blood amiodarone concentration-time curves for the four doses were best described by a triexponential equation with terminal half-lives (t1/2 gamma) ranging from 17 to 20 hr. Over the dose range studied, no changes in gamma, t1/2 gamma, or central compartment volume (Vc = 1.2-1.4 L/kg) were observed. On the other hand, reductions in amiodarone clearance (CL) and steady-state volume of distribution (Vss) of 44% (17.7 to 10.0 ml/min per kg) and 50% (16.4 to 8.2 L/kg), respectively, were noted as the dose of amiodarone increased. The conversion of amiodarone to desethylamiodarone (fm) was dose-independent and amounted to approximately 10% of each amiodarone dose. No amiodarone or desethylamiodarone was detected in the urine of any of the treated animals. The blood-to-plasma concentration ratio of amiodarone was concentration-independent and therefore did not account for the dose-dependent changes in Vss and CL observed. The data suggested that the dose-dependent changes noted were due to an alteration in the volume (s) of the peripheral tissue compartment(s).