Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of denaverine hydrochloride in healthy subjects following intravenous, oral and rectal single doses.

The neurotropic-musculotropic spasmolytic agent denaverine hydrochloride is used mainly in the treatment of smooth muscle spasms of the gastrointestinal and urogenital tract. Despite its commercial availability as a solution for intravenous or intramuscular administration (ampoule) and as a suppository formulation, no pharmacokinetic data in man was available to date. Therefore, the objectives of this clinical trial were to determine the basic pharmacokinetic parameters of denaverine after intravenous administration, to assess the feasibility of using the oral route of administration and to characterise the bioavailability of the suppository formulation. To achieve this, healthy subjects received 50 mg denaverine hydrochloride intravenously, orally and rectally in aqueous solutions and rectally as suppository in an open, randomised crossover design. Total body clearance, volume of distribution at steady-state and half-life of denaverine are 5.7 ml/min per kg, 7.1 l/kg and 33.8 h, respectively. The absolute bioavailability after oral administration of an aqueous solution is 37%. First-pass metabolism leading to the formation of N-monodemethyl denaverine was found to be one reason for the incomplete bioavailability after oral administration. Rectal administration of an aqueous solution of denaverine hydrochloride resulted in a decreased rate (median of C(max) ratios: 26%, difference in median t(max) values: 1.9 h) and extent (31%) of bioavailability compared to oral administration. Using the suppository formulation led to a further reduction in rate (median of C(max) ratios: 30%, difference in median t(max) values: 3 h) and extent (42%) of bioavailability compared to the rectal solution.