Plasma chloroquine and desethylchloroquine concentrations in children during and after chloroquine treatment for malaria.
Twelve children with acute falciparum malaria were treated with 25 mg/kg chloroquine orally in three divided doses at 24 h intervals. Concentrations of chloroquine and its metabolite, desethylchloroquine, were measured in plasma from the beginning of treatment for up to 7 days using a high pressure liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.) technique. Chloroquine was detectable in plasma within 30 min of giving the drug. Peak level was reached in 1-8 h after the first dose of 10 mg/kg and the peak concentrations ranged between 65 and 263 ng/ml. Chloroquine concentration declined slowly in plasma after stopping drug administration so that the concentration at the seventh day was 37.5% of the concentration on the third day. The apparent half-life was 3-4 days. Desethylchloroquine was detectable in plasma within 30 min of giving chloroquine and peak levels were reached in 2-12 h. Peak concentration after the first dose of chloroquine ranged between 9 and 62 ng/ml. Desethylchloroquine was also slowly cleared from plasma and mean concentration at the end of 7 days was 49% of the mean concentration at the end of 3 days.
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*
D002738:Chloroquine; C007278:desethylchloroquine