title: The pharmacokinetics of two erythromycin esters in plasma and in saliva following oral administration in humans.
abstract: An improved highly sensitive fluorimetric methods has been employed to measure plasma and saliva levels of erythromycin propionate and stearate in eight healthy volunteers following a single oral dose of 7.5 mg/kg. The plasma curves exhibited a mean half-life of 5.22 +/- s. e. m., 0.86 h-1 for the propionate and 2.97 +/- 0.22 h-1 for the stearate. Peak levels were reached at the 2nd h (4.07 +/- 0.29 microgram/ml for the propionate; 2.15 +/- 0.14 microgram/ml for the stearate). The area under the total plasma concentration curve was about 3-fold higher in the case of propionate. The concentration in saliva was about 20% of the corresponding concentration in plasma for the propionate and about 25% for the stearate. A significant positive correlation was observed between plasma and saliva levels for both macrolides.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin; C011807:erythromycin propionate; C011462:erythromycin stearate