title: The physiological disposition and metabolism of enalapril maleate in laboratory animals.
abstract: N-[1-(S)-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl]-L-alanyl-L-proline (MK-422), is a potent angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, but as a diacid is poorly absorbed in laboratory animals. Enalapril maleate, the monoethyl ester of MK-422, proved to be significantly better absorbed in both rats and dogs. Peak levels of radioactivity in plasma occurred in 30 min in rats and 2 hr in dogs after a single dose of 14C-enalapril maleate (1 mg/kg, po). Rats excreted 26% of the dose in the urine and 72% in the feces in 72 hr; dogs excreted 40% of the dose in the urine and 36% in the feces. After the intravenous dose, the presence of radioactivity in the feces of both species suggested that some biliary excretion had occurred. Absorption was estimated to be 34% in the rat and 61% in the dog. The major metabolite of enalapril maleate in dogs, accounting for 86% of the urine radioactivity, was identified as MK-422 by GC/MS. A procedure was developed for the quantitation of MK-422 and enalapril in plasma and urine by their inhibition of purified ACE. The assays showed that enalapril was absorbed intact in dogs and converted to MK-422 after absorption.
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001711:Biotransformation; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D004656:Enalapril; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004151:Dipeptides; D004656:Enalapril