ELIMINATION OF A QUATERNARY PYRIDINIUM SALT DELIVERED AS ITS DIHYDROPYRIDINE DERIVATIVE FROM BRAIN OF MICE

1‐Methylpyridine‐2‐carbaldehyde oxime, a quaternary pyridinium salt, can be delivered efficiently through the blood‐brain barrier in its dihydropyridine prodrug form. This redox system was used to study the elimination rate from the brain of a small quaternary salt. It was found that the oxime is eliminated relatively fast from the brain, which supports a hypothesis for the existence of an active transport mechanism for eliminating organic ions from the brain. The possibilities of using the pyridinium salt ⇌ dihydropyridine redox system for specific delivery of drugs to the brain are discussed. Copyright © 1978 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company