Relationship between pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour of bufuralol and its metabolite Ro 3-7410 in hypertensive patients

The relationship between the plasma concentrations of bufuralol and its major hydroxymetabolite (Ro 3-7410) and β-blocking activity was studied in 10 patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension. Blood samples and haemodynamic data were obtained during rest and after a single-level exercise test on a bicycle cycloergometer, prior to and up to 32 h after administration of a single oral dose of bufuralol 30 mg. Bufuralol was rapidly absorbed, following a first-order process with a lag time. The calculated maximal plasma concentration ranged from 44.6 to 200.3 ng/ml. The half-life of bufuralol was 2.75±1.15 h (mean±SD). Up to 50% of the parent drug was transformed into Ro 3-7410, which showed less interpatient variability in concentration and a fairly constant half-life, which was three times longer than that of the parent drug. In general, the heart rate (HR) was slightly decreased, although 2/10 patients showed an initial increase. The resting HR returned to its pre-treatment level within 6 h, the exercise HR took up to 32 h to return to the pre-treatment level. The drug reduced both resting and exercise blood pressure (BP). The former was reduced from 153.0±14.2/93.5±8.5 to 134.5±14.0/77.0±6.8 mmHg (systolic/diastolic BP; mean±SD) with 6 h after treatment. Similarly, the exercise BP was reduced from 199.0±15.2/98.5±8.8 to 171.0±9.9/88.5±8.5 mmHg at the 6th h post-dosing. The BP values had not returned to their pre-treatment levels even 32 h after treatment. Thus, bufuralol and its metabolite Ro 3-7410 induced a long-lasting antihypertensive effect and inhibited the cardio-acceleratory effect of exercise, and there was a good correlation between the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour of the drug.