Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bumetanide after intravenous and oral administration to rats: Absorption from various GI segments

Bumetanide, 2, 8, and 20 mg/kg, was administered both intravenously and orally to determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bumetanide in rats (n=10–12). The absorption of bumetanide from various segments of GI tract and the reasons for the appearance of multiple peaks in plasma concentrations of bumetanide after oral administration were also investigated. After iv dose, the pharmacokinetic parameters of bumetanide, such ast1/2 (21.4, 53.8 vs. 127 min),CL (35.8, 19.1 vs. 13.4 ml/min per kg),CLNR (35.2, 17.8 vs. 12.6 ml/min per kg) andVSS (392, 250 vs. 274 ml/kg) were dose-dependent at the dose range studied. It may be due to the saturable metabolism of bumetanide in rats. After iv dose, 8-hr urine output per 100g body weight increased significantly with increasing doses and it could be due to significantly increased amounts of bumetanide exreted in 8-hr urine with increasing doses. The total amount of sodium and chloride exreted in 8-hr urine per 100g body weight also increased significantly after iv dose of 8 mg/kg, however, the corresponding values for potassium were dose-independent. After oral administration, the percentages of the dose excreted in 24-hr urine as unchanged bumetanide were dose-independent. Bumetanide was absorbed from all regions of GI tract studied and approximately 43.7, 50.0, and 38.4% of the orally administered dose were absorbed between 1 and 24 hr after oral doses of 2, 8, and 20 mg/kg, respectively. Therefore, the appearance of multiple peaks after oral administration could be mainly due to the gastric emptying patterns. The percentages of bumetanide absorbed from GI tract as unchanged bumetanide for up to 24 hr after oral doses of 2, 8, and 20 mg/kg (96.2, 95.4 vs. 98.2%) were not significantly different, suggesting that the problem of precipitation of bumetanide in acidic gastric juices or dissolution may not contribute significantly to the absorption of bumetanide after oral administration. Urine output per 100g body wt increased at oral doses of 8 and 20 mg/kg.