Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of isosorbide-dinitrate after intravenous and oral administration.

The bioavailabilities of a conventional and two slow release 20 mg isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) formulations were compared after oral administration in a three way cross-over study in 8 male volunteers. In a further group of 6 male volunteers the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of ISDN were investigated after intravenous infusion of a median dose of 14.1 mg for 2.5 h. A new analytical procedure was developed for the determination of isosorbide-5-mononitrate-2-glucuronide (IS-5-MN-2-Glu) and of isosorbide (IS). Kinetic data analysis on a molar basis was performed by the program package KIN-PAK providing model independent parameters. The median elimination half-lives of ISDN, IS-5-MN, IS-2-MN and IS-5-MN-2-Glu were 0.7, 5.1, 3.2 and 2.5 h, respectively. The systemic clearance of ISDN was 3.71/min and the distribution volume 2521 (3.1 l/kg). Apart from IS-5-MN-2-Glu, with a renal clearance of 5.9 l/min which suggested substantial glucuronidation in the kidney, the renal clearances of ISDN, IS-5-MN, IS-2-MN and the corresponding amounts excreted were negligible. 27.8% of the administered ISDN was excreted as IS-5-MN-2-Glu (8.7%) and IS (19.1%). Calculations based on the two mononitrate metabolites formed from ISDN showed an incomplete recovery of 84.1%, leading to the assumption that a simultaneous denitration to IS must have occurred. The rate of denitration at each nitro group in ISDN was almost twice as high as for the same position in the corresponding mononitrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)