title: Pharmacokinetics of galanthamine (a long-acting anticholinesterase drug) in anaesthetized patients.
abstract: The pharmacokinetics of the long-acting anticholinesterase drug, galanthamine, were investigated in eight patients. After i.v. injection of 0.3 mg kg-1, the decrease in the serum concentration of galanthamine followed a biexponential curve. The serum concentration decreased rapidly from 543 +/- 47 ng ml-1 to 128 +/- 14 ng ml-1 between 2 and 30 min with a T1/2 alpha of 6.42 +/- 2.15 min, and then declined more slowly with a T1/2 beta of 264 +/- 28 min. Total serum clearance of galanthamine amounted to 5.37 +/- 0.87 ml min-1 kg-1, and the renal clearance was 1.36 +/- 0.10 ml min-1 kg-1. The cumulative urinary excretion of galanthamine between 0 and 48 h after injection amounted to 28.0 +/- 5.4% of the administered dose. The biliary excretion of galanthamine during 24 h amounted to 0.2 +/- 0.1% of the dose. There was no evidence of glucuronide or sulphate conjugation of galanthamine.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005702:Galantamine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005702:Galantamine