Studies on the urinary fecal and biliary excretion of d,1 methadone by countercurrent distribution.

Abstract

The Craig countercurrent procedure was used to study the excretion of d,l methadone in urine, feces and bile of the rat, dog and man. Less than 10 per cent of a d,l methadone dosage was accounted for in the urine or feces of rats as the unchanged compound. The urinary excretion of d,l methadone in man was found to be equally low. In the bile of the rat and the dog, two fractions were partially separated and characterized as basic amines. In both species the main fraction was found to be more soluble in acetate buffer than d,l methadone. The minor fraction in both species was found to be a substance with solubility properties corresponding to those of d,l methadone.