Biliary and urinary excretion of drug conjugates: effect of diuresis and choleresis on excretion of harmol sulphate and harmol glucuronide in the rat.

1. Harmol (7-hydroxy-1-methyl-9H-pyrido [3,4b] indole) is converted to harmol sulphate and harmol glucuronide in the rat in vivo. Harmol sulphate is excreted mainly in urine, while harmol glucuronide is excreted about equally in bile and urine, when harmol is given intravenously. 2. In rats with ligated kidneys, only choleresis produced by glycodehydrocholate and dehydrocholate caused enhanced biliary excretion of harmol sulphate; harmol glucuronide was unaffected. Several other bile salts had no effect. 3. Mannitol diuresis markedly increased urinary excretion of harmol sulphate, and decreased its biliary excretion. Harmol glucuronide was much less affected. 4. Nafenopin pretreatment increased liver weight and bile flow, and enhanced biliary excretion of harmol sulphate at the expense of its urinary excretion. 5. For harmol sulphate, urine and bile are compensatory pathways of elimination that can be influenced by urine and bile flow changes through diuresis and choleresis.