Enantioselective Effect of Flurbiprofen on Lithium Disposition in Rats.
OBJECTIVE
Lithium is administered for treating bipolar disorders and is mainly excreted into urine. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit this process. In this study, we examined the enantioselective effect of flurbiprofen on the disposition of lithium in rats.


METHODS
Pharmacokinetic experiments with lithium were performed.


RESULTS
Until 60 min after the intravenous administration of lithium chloride at 30 mg/kg as a bolus, 17.8% of lithium injected was recovered into the urine. Its renal clearance was calculated to be 1.62 mL/min/kg. Neither creatinine clearance (Ccr) nor pharmacokinetics of lithium was affected by the simultaneous injection of (R)-flurbiprofen at 20 mg/kg. (S)-flurbiprofen impaired the renal function and interfered with the urinary excretion of lithium. The ratio of renal clearance of lithium to Ccr was decreased by the (S)-enantiomer.


CONCLUSIONS
This study clarified that the (S)-flurbiprofen but not (R)-flurbiprofen inhibited the renal excretion of lithium in rats.
Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan.
Yuichi
Y
Uwai
Masashi
M
Matsumoto
Tatsuya
T
Kawasaki
Tomohiro
T
Nabekura
D000818:Animals; D005480:Flurbiprofen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D005480:Flurbiprofen; D018021:Lithium Chloride