Metabolism of propionyl erythromycin lauryl sulfate. I. Fate of the propionyl erythromycin moiety in the rat.

  • 1 May 1975
    • journal article
    • Vol. 3  (3) , 155-63
Abstract
The absorption, excretion, and metabolism of propionyl erythromycin (PE) has been studied in the rat. The major routes of metabolism of PE are ester hydrolysis and N-demethylation. The rates of these two reactions have been examined in vivo using radiolabeled PE. The plasma half-life of the ester is 5.5 hr. The correlation of blood levels of radioactivity with 14CO2 production indicates that the ester is continually hydrolyzed after absorption. The half-life of the dimethyl-amino moiety of the desosamine sugar is estimated at 1.5 hr. This relatively short half-life compared to that of the ester is supported by the fact that at 3.5 hr after dosing there is twice as much desmethyl-PE in plasma as PE. After oral administration of either 14C-PE or 14C-erythromycin, 70% of the radioactivity is absorbed in 6 hr. The major route of excretion is via bile. Approximatley 40% of the absorbed dose is excreted in bile in the first 6 hr after dosing. Tissue levels of radioactivity after administration of 14C-erythromycin or 14C-PE indicate that PE or a metabolite accumulates in the tissue during chronic dosing, whereas erythromycin-related levels are similar after single or multiple doses.

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