Metabolism and disposition of 2',3'-di-O-nitro-adenosine-5'-(N-ethyl-carboxamide) in dogs.

2',3'-Di-O-nitro-[8-3H]-adenosine-5'-(N-ethyl-carboxamide) (20 micrograms/kg) was denitrated completely within 1-3 hr in perorally and intravenously dosed dogs. Extremely rapid disappearance of the unchanged drug in serum was parallelled by the instantaneous appearance of mononitrates with 3'-mononitrate levels exceeding those of 2'-mononitrate three-fold. The mononitrates were eliminated with a half-life of 30-70 min, giving rise to the completely denitrated product, adenosine-5'-(N-ethyl-carboxamide) (NECA). The latter product was not further metabolized and was eliminated with a half-life of about 4 hr. Urinary excretion averaged 50% of the administered dose within 4 days and was represented essentially by the completely denitrated drug. Volatile 3H-label of the drug was found in serum and urine during in vivo experiments. Oral bioavailability of the drug was about 90%. In vitro studies indicated that thiols are involved in denitration and reactions are catalysed by glutathione S-transferases, which were partially purified from dog liver. Nitrate ester cleavage was more easily accomplished at the 2'-position than at the 3'-position of the drug and resulted in the liberation of inorganic nitrite. Comparison of in vitro denitration rates gave the following ranking order; 2',3'-di-O-nitro-NECA greater than isosorbide-2,5-dinitrate greater than 2'-nitro-NECA greater than 3'-nitro-NECA greater than isosorbide-2-mononitrate, while nitrate ester cleavage of isosorbide-5-mononitrate was not detectable.