Abstract

The disposition of [14C]piritrexim in male rats after iv (5 and 10 mg/kg) and po (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) doses was studied. After an iv dose of 10 mg/kg, rats excreted an average of 57% of the dose in feces and 32% in urine; after a po dose of 10 mg/kg, 84% of the dose was excreted in feces and 9% in urine. After iv doses, the elimination of unchanged drug from plasma was first order, with a t1/2 of 0.6 hr; at any time point, unchanged drug accounted for less than 50% of the total radiocarbon in the plasma. Oral bioavailability of unchanged drug was less than 5%. O-Demethylation and subsequent conjugation were the main pathways of metabolism; the demethyl metabolites of piritrexim were potent inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase and were cytotoxic to cells in culture. Concentrations of radiocarbon were highest in liver 24 hr after an iv dose, but less than 1% of the radiocarbon was unchanged drug. Concentrations of radiocarbon in liver after po doses were approximately 40% of those attained after equivalent iv doses.