PHARMACOKINETICS OF QUININE IN CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE

The pharmacokinetics of quinine were investigated in a) six healthy male Thai subjects, and b) nine male Thai patients with a moderate degree of chronic liver disease, after a single oral dose of 600 mg quinine sulphate, t(max) and t(1/2,2) were significantly prolonged in patients (median [range] t(max) 2 [1-5] vs 1.6 [0.8-2] h; t(1/2,z) 23.4 [7.4-41.7] vs 9.7 [7.8-17,2]h), and V-z/F was significantly larger (median [range] 4.21 [2.33-15.87] vs 2.78 [1.49-3.38] 1 kg(-1)). Median (range) concentration of the plasma unbound Qn fraction collected from the patients at 4 h after drug administration was 17 (8.4-17.8)% of total drug concentration.