Apparent dose-dependent absorption of chlorothiazide in dogs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oral dose on the absorption of chlorothiazide in the dog. Chlorothiazide was quantitatively excreted in the urine after administration of 50-mg and 250-mg intravenous doses. In contrast, the urinary recovery of chlorothiazide after oral administration showed appreciable interanimal variation and decreased from 70.4% to 26.7% on the average as the oral dose was increased from 125 mg to 750 mg. Oral administration of a single 15-mg dose of propantheline bromide (a potent inhibitor of gastric emptying and intestinal motility) at--1 hr increased the absorption of a 250 mg oral dose of chlorothiazide in three out of four dogs. These results suggest that chlorothiazide absorption is dose dependent and apparently site specific.