RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Stereoselective disposition of carprofen, flunoxaprofen, and naproxen in rats. JF Drug Metabolism and Disposition JO Drug Metab Dispos FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 853 OP 857 VO 19 IS 5 A1 S Iwakawa A1 H Spahn A1 L Z Benet A1 E T Lin YR 1991 UL http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/19/5/853.abstract AB The stereoselective dispositions of carprofen, flunoxaprofen, and naproxen were studied in rats after i.v. administration of racemate (11 mumol/kg) or enantiomer (5.5 mumol/kg). The total clearances of the (R)-enantiomers of carprofen and flunoxaprofen were significantly greater than those of the (S)-enantiomers. The clearance of (S)-naproxen was similar to the value for (R)-naproxen. There were no marked differences in steady-state volume of distribution between (R)- and (S)-enantiomers for carprofen, flunoxaprofen, or naproxen. The (R)- to (S)-enantiomer inversion ratio for flunoxaprofen in rats was 0.54. The ratios for naproxen and carprofen were 0.02 and 0.003, respectively. Biliary excretion of (R)-carprofen and of its glucuronide were higher than those of the (S)-enantiomer and its glucuronide. In contrast, biliary excretion of the (S)-enantiomers of flunoxaprofen, naproxen, and of their glucuronides were greater than those of their antipodes. Insignificant amounts of the parent enantiomers and of the glucuronides of these three drugs were excreted in urine. These results indicate that there is a wide variation in the extent of inversion at a chiral center for these three 2-arylpropionates and in the stereoselective disposition of their acyl glucuronides.