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Xenobiotica
the fate of foreign compounds in biological systems
Volume 15, 1985 - Issue 2
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Research Article

Dose-dependent elimination of theophylline in rats

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Pages 165-171 | Received 05 Dec 1983, Accepted 30 Aug 1984, Published online: 22 Sep 2008
 

Abstract

1. The effect of different doses on the rate of metabolism of theophylline in rats was investigated.

2. After doses of 52 or 115 mg/kg, the initial concn. decayed according to a first-order process with an apparent half-life of about four hours. However, after four to eight hours the slope of the curves declined, resulting in elimination half-lives of about 70 min. Similar half-lives of 70 min were also found after doses of 6 or 11 mg/kg.

3. The AUC increased disproportionately with dose, indicating capacity-limited elimination.

4. No differences were observed in capacity-limited elimination of the two major metabolites of theophylline: the ratio between the amounts of 1, 3-dimethyluric acid and 1-methyluric acid formed was independent of the dose of theophylline.

5. The initial apparent first-order decay after higher doses resulted from a combination of capacity-limited metabolism and compensatory increased diuresis of unchanged theophylline.

6. It is concluded that linear pharmacokinetics of theophylline in rats apply only to doses not exceeding 10 mg/kg.

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