title: Bioavailability of diltiazem as a function of the administered dose.
abstract: Diltiazem undergoes extensive first-pass metabolism; extrapolation from single to repeated administration thus underestimates plasma concentration values. In order to validate the hypothesis of a partially saturable first-pass effect, four single doses of diltiazem (10, 20, 40, and 120 mg) were administered at weekly intervals to eight healthy volunteers. Results showed that: (a) the inter-subject variability was highest at the lowest dose at the highest dose; (b) bioavailability was almost nil in 3 of 8 of the subjects after the administration of the 10 mg dose; (c) the mean bioavailability increased with the dose from 11.8 +/- 2.5 per cent after 10 mg to 28.2 per cent after 120 mg; (d) the elimination half-life was dose-related; (e) the renal excretion of diltiazem increased with the administered dose from 1.0 +/- 0.3 per cent after 10 mg to 3.0 +/- 0.5 per cent after 120 mg; (f) the greatest amounts of circulating metabolites were present after the lowest doses. These results are consistent with a partially saturable first-pass effect for diltiazem.
authors.affiliation: Synthélabo Recherche (L. E. R. S.), Department of Clinical Research, Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Regazzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rondanelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ascalone
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Morselli
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004110:Diltiazem