title: Pharmacokinetics of ergotamine in healthy volunteers following oral and rectal dosing.
abstract: Twenty-four healthy volunteers participated in a study on the disposition of ergotamine following oral and rectal administration. Plasma samples were collected surrounding each dose of medication and a new mass spectrometry method was used for quantitation of the samples. A mean peak plasma concentration of 454 pg/ml was measured an average of 50 min following a 2 mg rectal dose. In contrast, the 2 mg oral dose produced a mean peak plasma concentration of 21 pg/ml an average of 69 min following the dose. Area under the concentration time curve indicated a relative bioavailability of 5% for the oral dosage form. Conflicting data on ergotamine disposition highlight the factors which may be responsible for determining bioavailability and pharmacologic activities of the compound.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001682:Biological Availability; D004878:Ergotamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D013488:Suppositories
chemical_list: D013488:Suppositories; D004878:Ergotamine