The antipyrine test in clinical pharmacology: Conceptions and misconceptions

Abstract

Since its introduction 11 years ago,75, 77 the antipyrine test, devised to determine quantitatively the effect of individual environmental factors on hepatic drug-metabolizing capacity in normal subjects, has been widely used by clinical pharmacologists, as indicated by the large number of applications listed in Table 1. Yet there have been several technical modifications, new extensions and unresolved problems, and an increasing number of apparently conflicting results. This warrants a fresh look at the antipyrine test and a critical reassessment of its applications and limitations.