[Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies of muzolimine in patients with hepatogeneous ascites (author's transl)].

A clinical pharmacological study was carried out with 11 patients suffering from hepatogeneous ascites. After pretreatment with spironolactone (twice daily 100 mg), 80 mg of a new loop diuretic, muzolimine, were administered orally in addition to 100 mg of spironolactone. The diuretic effect started rapidly, reached its maximum about 6 h after administration and declined slowly until 24 h. The electrolyte profile showed a pronounced excretion of sodium and chloride, whereas potassium excretion was distinctly lower. Sodium/potassium ratio was 5.9 during the first 8 hours, and the mean ratio was 5.2 during 24 hours. Urinary volume and sodium excretion were significantly correlated with plasma levels of muzolimine. Mean plasma half-life of muzolimine in these patients with liver cirrhosis was 7.9 h and was thus longer than in healthy volunteers.