Studies on the absorption, distribution and elimination of 6-o-chlorophenyl-2,4-dihydro-2(N-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-methylene-8-nitro-1H-imidazo[1,2-a] [1,4]benzodiazepin-1-one methanesulphonate in the male rat and rabbit.

The fate of a novel imidazo-benzodiazepine (I) was studied in male rats and rabbits using 14C and 3H-labelled I. In both species the compound was rapidly and widely absorbed after an oral dose of 5 mg/kg to give peak tissue and plasma levels after 1 hour in the rat and 4 hours in the rabbit. The highest concentrations of radioactivity were present in the liver (rat) and liver, kidney and subcutaneous fat (rabbit). Plasma levels of radioactivity fell to 3% of the maximum value in 24 hours in the rat but 48 hours were required for a similar fall in the rabbit. The main route of elimination of radioactivity was via the bile followed by excretion in the faeces. For the rat the rate of biliary elimination was 16.6% of the administered dose/hour; for the rabbit this rate was 5.6%/hour. Recovery of administered radioactivity during 0-24 hours for urine and faeces respectively was 4.8% and 69% for the rat and 23.2% and 10.9% for the rabbit. Up to 97% of the radioactivity administered to rats could be recovered in the excreta in the 7 days following dosing. Up to 90% of the dose administered to rabbits appeared in the excreta during 10 days. No unchanged (I) could be detected in the urine or bile. The radioactive metabolites were polar products, some of which were in the form of glucuronide conjugates.