Effects of haemodialysis on the pharmacokinetics of muzolimine.

Unlabelled: High ceiling diuretics allow a better control of fluid balance in dialysis patients with a minimum urine flow of 500 ml/day. The pharmacokinetics of the high ceiling, long acting diuretic muzolimine (M) was investigated in 6 patients on regular dialysis therapy.

Methods: Concentrations of unchanged M in plasma were determined by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) after a single oral dose of 240 mg up to 26 h: A) during and after the performance of dialysis lasting for 3 h, B) 20 h after finishing haemodialysis therapy (non-blind randomized cross-over study).

Results: The M plasma levels and the M half-lives did not differ between the two treatment groups (half-life A: 5.1 +/- 0.24 h; B: 4.8 +/- 0.51 h). The M peak concentrations were between 2 and 5 micrograms/ml and were reached 2 h post administration or even earlier. The mean M plasma levels 24 h after administration were in the same range (A: 0.33 +/- 0.16 microgram/ml; B: 0.33 +/- 0.11 microgram/ml).