Pharmacokinetics of intravenous and oral metformin and r,s-verapamil in Sinclair, Hanford, Yucatan and Göttingen minipigs

Aim: Oral and intravenous pharmacokinetic (PK) studies were conducted in four different minipig strains: Sinclair, Yucatan, Hanford and Gottingen after administration of metformin or R,S-verapamil (R,S-VER). Results: The results indicated that the PK of metformin was similar between all minipig strains, except for the Gottingen which had higher plasma clearance. The plasma clearance of both (+)-(R)- and (−)-(S)-VER was significantly lower in Sinclair compared with the clearance in other strains. The (+)-(R)-NOR to R,S-VER ratio was significantly higher in the Sinclair. There was a preferential conversion of R,S-VER to (+)-(R)-NOR over (−)-(S)-NOR in all minipig strains. Conclusion: This work highlights the importance of considering the impact of metabolic and dispositional differences in minipig strains when conducting PK studies.