title: Metabolic studies of ornidazole in the rat, in the dog and in man.
abstract: 1. Ornidazole, labelled with 14C in the imidazole ring, administered orally to rats, dogs and men was largely excreted in the urine, predominantly as metabolites, with less than 4% of the drug being excreted unchanged. Free and conjugated metabolites were found in the ratio of approx. 1 : 2. 2. The pattern of free ornidazole and metabolites was different in the three species: while ornidazole predominated in man, ornidazole and metabolite M1 in the dog, the most extensive metabolic pattern was found in the rat. 3. The following metabolites were identified: M1, 1-chlorlo-3-(2-hydroxymethyl-5-nitro-1-imidazolyl)-2-propanol; M2, 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole; M3, N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)acetamide: M4, 3-(-2-methyl-5-nitro-1-imidazolyl)-1, 2-propanediol; M5, acetamide. 4. The formation of metabolite M3 and M5 indicated cleavage of the imidazole ring between N-1/C-5 and C-2/C-3. Other ring scissions were not observed. Metabolites carrying a free amino group were not detected. On the basis of the structures identified, a scheme is suggested for the metabolism of ornidazole.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000378:metabolism*; D009950:Ornidazole / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D009950:Ornidazole