title: Bioavailability and elimination of digitoxin in patients with hepatorenal insufficiency.
abstract: Following administration of digitoxin, 1 mg intravenously, the pharmacokinetics of this glycoside were studied in eight healthy volunteers and in eight patients with hepatorenal insufficiency (mean creatinine clearance 19.6 +/- 2.9 ml/min; antipyrine clearance 25.6 +/- 3.2 ml/min; means +/- SEM). Liver cirrhosis of the patients was confirmed by liver biopsy. Plasma protein binding of digitoxin (means +/- SEM) was 95.1 +/- 0.7% in the patients and 95.6 +/- 1.2% in the volunteers (NS). Total body clearance of digitoxin was 0.0530 +/- 0.0040 ml/min/kg of body weight in the patients and 0.0547 +/- 0.0043 ml/min/kg of body weight in the healthy subjects (NS). When elimination half-lives of the patients and the volunteers were compared, there was also no significant difference (7.0 +/- 0.77 days in the patient group and 7.8 +/- 0.8 days in the volunteers). Our data concerning digitoxin kinetics in patients with hepatorenal insufficiency do not indicate an accumulation of the drug in these patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001682:Biological Availability; D001835:Body Weight; D004074:Digitoxin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004074:Digitoxin