title: Carvedilol stereopharmacokinetics in rats: affinities to blood constituents and tissues.
abstract: Carvedilol, a lipophilic beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with vasodilating activities, is characterized by a high as well as stereoselective metabolic clearance and distribution volume. Tissue distribution of carvedilol enantiomers and their conjugates were determined under steady-state conditions in rats (p.o., 10 mg/kg, repetitive dosage; n = 5) and after single i.v. administration in control rats and rats with surgical portacaval shunt (pcs) (10 mg/kg; n = 3 each group). In addition, in vitro plasma protein binding was evaluated. The plasma protein binding of carvedilol in rats is > 98% for total plasma (tp) and > 96% for rat serum albumin (rsa) solution (4%), with enantioselectivity ratios of 1.53 (tp) and 1.27 (rsa). Significantly higher unbound fractions were observed in pcs rats, in part due to reduced protein concentrations. In contrast to plasma, where a preponderance of the R-enantiomer with an S/R ratio of 0.6 was found, S-carvedilol was predominant in all tissues (heart, liver, kidneys, lung, spleen, muscle, and adipose tissue), with S/R ratios of 1.3-1.4 in most of these tissues and 2.3 in liver. This preferential tissue partitioning of S-carvedilol was in accordance with its higher unbound fraction in plasma. Carvedilol accumulated predominantly in the highly perfused and/or eliminating organs liver, kidneys, and lung (tissue/plasma ratios; lung: S 76, R 34; liver: S 21, R 5; kidney: S 8, R 3). A similarly enantioselective distribution into the heart of control as well as pcs rats was observed, where the S-enantiomer concentrations exceeded the plasma concentrations 7-fold.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Pharmakologisches Institut für Naturwissenschaftler, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mutschler
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spahn-Langguth
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000818:Animals; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D008297:Male; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol