title: Excretion pathways of amphotericin B.
abstract: The role of the biliary system in excretion of amphotericin B was explored in a dog model that allowed either external diversion of all bile or complete biliary obstruction. In dogs with biliary diversion, which were given a single dose of amphotericin B intravenously, excretion of amphotericin B in the bile lasted for seven to 10 days and accounted for only 3% +/- 2% (mean +/- SD) of the dose, whereas excretion in the urine was prolonged (23--35 days) and greater (21% +/- 5% of the dose); the stool contained no amphotericin B. However, bile salt depletion may have depressed biliary excretion of amphotericin B: in a dog with an intact biliary system, 19% of the dose was excreted in the stool over 11 days. In dogs given amphotericin B daily, serum levels were 19% +/- 3% higher during periods of biliary obstruction than during periods of free bile flow (P less than 0.05). Thus, excretion of amphotericin B in the bile (less than or equal to 19% of the dose) and in the urine (21% of the dose) accounted for a minority of total drug clearance. Nevertheless, prolonged excretion of amphotericin B by these routes after a single dose suggests that infrequent doses of amphotericin B may provide effective treatment for certain forms of fungal infection.
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism*; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D000666:Amphotericin B