Effect of acute and chronic moderate hypoxia on diltiazem kinetics and metabolism in the dog.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether moderate hypoxia affects the disposition of diltiazem. Six male beagle dogs received diltiazem (0.6 mg/kg) on three occasions: (1) while breathing air, i.e. during normoxia; (2) 1 h after initiating exposure to a FiO2 of 0.08, a FiCO2 of 0.035 and a FiN2 of 0.885, i.e. during acute hypoxia and normocapnia, and (3) during chronic hypoxia, i.e. after 120 h of exposure to a FiO2 of 0.08. Multiple blood samples were withdrawn and urine was collected to assay diltiazem and metabolites [N-desmethyl diltiazem (MA), deacetyl diltiazem (DAD) and N-desmethyl deacetyl diltiazem (M2)]. Breathing air, mean arterial partial pressure of oxygen was 83.2 +/- 3.2; during acute hypoxia 42.2 +/- 0.7; and during chronic hypoxia, 41.9 +/- 0.6 mm Hg. Acute hypoxia did not alter diltiazem disposition. Compared to dogs with normoxia, chronic hypoxia reduced diltiazem metabolic clearance, from 64 +/- 3 to 51 +/- 5 ml/min/kg (p < 0.05), as well as its volume of distribution, from 11.4 +/- 1.2 to 9.1 +/- 0.3 liters/kg (p < 0.05). Chronic hypoxia decreased the fraction of diltiazem metabolic clearance, normalized by the glomerular filtration rate, generating the M2 metabolite, although this experimental condition did not affect the formation of MA or DAD. It is concluded that chronic moderate hypoxia reduced diltiazem systemic clearance because it decreased selected pathways of biotransformation.