Plasma Kinetics and Biliary Excretion of Colchicine in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease after Oral Administration of a Single Dose and after Long-Term Treatment

Abstract

Rudi J. Raedsch R, Gerteis C. Schlenker T, Plachky J. Walter-Sack I, Sabouraud A, Scherrmann JM, Kommerell B. Plasma kinetics and biliary excretion of colchicine in patients with chronic liver disease after oral administration of a single dose and after long-term treatment. Scand J Gastroenterol 1994; 29:346-351.

Plasma kinetics and biliary excretion of colchicine in patients with chronic liver disease were evaluated after oral administration of a single dose and after long-term treatment. A single oral dose of 1 mg colchicine led to a mean peak concentration of 3.60 ± 1.04 ng/ml at a peak time of 2.16 ± 0.34 h and a mean area under the plasma concentration time curve, extrapolated from time 0 to infinity, of 24.90 ± 8.47 ng h/ml. Comparable values were obtained after repeated administration. Distribution half-life was 2.83 ± 0.74 h, and terminal plasma elimination half-life was 9.81 ± 2.08 h; the mean apparent volume of distribution and the mean apparent plasma clearance were 1448 ± 4061 and 175.3 ± 47.61/h. respectively. Colchicine concentrations in bile (2025 ± 1368 ng/ml) were clearly higher than in plasma. Long-term treatment with colchicine (1 mg/day) in patients with various stages of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) was associated with colchicine concentrations varying from <0.15 to 2.0 ng/ml, with a slight tendency to higher concentrations in PBC stages III–IV than I–II. Although about 20% of colchicine is excreted in bile within 24 h, accumulation of colchicine may appear only in patients with advanced liver disease and cholestasis.

Key Words:

• Biliary excretion
• colchicines
• liver diseases
• plasma concentrations
• primary biliary cirrhosis