The effect of age on the competitive C- and N-oxidative pathways of methaqualone in women.

The urinary excretion of the N-oxide and the glucuronides of five C-monohydroxy metabolizes of methaqualone has been studied in a group of young women aged 24-34 years and in a group of elderly women aged 85-87 years. The rate of appearance of the metabolites in the urine was slower in the elderly group but the relative importance of the six metabolites was the same in the two groups. There were differences in some metabolite ratios between the two groups, but only one difference approached statistical significance. The metabolite excretion in a 80 year old woman who had received methaqualone daily for over ten years was consistent with that of the elderly group. The results indicate that the ageing process per se and chronic weak hepatic enzyme induction in the elderly are not accompanied by changes in the relative importance of competitive metabolic pathways.