Pharmacokinetics of antipyrine, warfarin and paracetamol in the brushtail possum

• Published in: Journal of applied toxicology 1999-05, Vol.19 (3), p.157-161
• Main Authors: Eason, C. T., Wright, G. R. G., Gooneratne, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetaminophen - blood; Acetaminophen - pharmacokinetics; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic - pharmacokinetics; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacokinetics; Anticoagulants - pharmacokinetics; antipyrine; Antipyrine - blood; Antipyrine - pharmacokinetics; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Female; Half-Life; hepatotoxicity; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic Clearance Rate; Opossums - metabolism; paracetamol; pharmacokinetics; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; possum; Sex Factors; Toxicity: digestive system; Trichosurus vulpecula; warfarin; Warfarin - blood; Warfarin - pharmacokinetics; Xenobiotics - blood; Xenobiotics - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0260-437X; 1099-1263
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1263(199905/06)19:3<157::AID-JAT559>3.0.CO;2-K

The plasma pharmacokinetics of antipyrine, warfarin and paracetamol have been studied in the Australian brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). The plasma elimination half‐lives (t1/2) were 1.2 h for antipyrine, 11.9 h for warfarin and 5.2–12.9 h for paracetamol. Our data indicate that the clearance of these three xenobiotics in the possum is similar to that reported in eutherian mammals. There was no dose‐dependent increase in paracetamol plasma t1/2 over the dose range 100–1000 mg kg−1, indicating a lack of capacity saturation. This observation may in part explain the unusual resistance of the possum to the hepatotoxic effect of high doses of paracetamol. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.