Pharmacokinetics of [6]-gingerol after intravenous administration in rats with acute renal or hepatic failure.

The pharmacokinetics of [6]-gingerol were investigated in rats with acute renal failure induced by bilateral nephrectomy, or those with acute hepatic failure induced by a single oral administration of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), to clarify the contribution of the kidney and liver to the elimination process of [6]-gingerol. After bolus intravenous administration, a plasma concentration-time curve of [6]-gingerol was illustrated by a two-compartment open model. There was no significant difference in either the plasma concentration-time curve or any pharmacokinetic parameters between the control and nephrectomized rats. It is suggested, therefore, that renal excretion does not contribute at all to the disappearance of [6]-gingerol from plasma in rats. In contrast, hepatic intoxication with CCl4 elevated the plasma concentration of [6]-gingerol at the terminal phase. Its elimination half-life increased significantly, from 8.5 to 11.0 min, in CCl4-intoxicated rats. The extent of [6]-gingerol bound to serum protein was more than 90% and was affected very slightly by the CCl4-intoxication. These aspects indicate that [6]-gingerol is eliminated partly by the liver.