Abstract-Relationship between pharmacological activities and blood levels of a new anticholinergic agent . as well as excretion, and distribution in the gastro intestinal tract were investigated in cats. The time courses of inhibitory effect of SA-504 on gastric motility were closely related to those of blood levels of SA-504 after intra gastric administration of 3H-labelled compound. Effects of SA-504 on the pupil of the eye, heart rate and blood pressure were much less than its inhibitory effects on gastric motility. The contents of 3H-SA-504 in the gastric wall were extremely high as compared with those in the blood and heart. About 23 % of the radioactivity ad ministered orally as 3H-SA-504 was excreted into the bile and 20% into the urine during a 24 hour period, suggesting that more than 4000 of the dose is absorbed from the alimentary tract of cats within 24 hours.Timepidium bromide (SA-504) is a potent spasmolytic agent with a low potency of side effects, such as mydriasis and dry mouth (1, 2). It is well known that, in general, anti cholinergic quaternary ammonium compounds are not well absorbed from the gastrointes tinal tract. However, it has been demonstrated that SA-504, a quaternary ammonium drug, produced clear inhibition on the gastric motility of cats when administered into the stomach, although the inhibitory action is obviously weaker than that after i.v. injection (3). This suggests that a sufficient amount of the drug for reducing the gastric motility is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract of cats. To confirm the above assumption, relationship between blood levels and pharmacological activities of 3H-SA-504 was studied in cats. The intestinal absorption of 3H-SA-504 estimated by measuring biliary and urinary excretion of radioactivity, and distribution in the gastrointestinal tract were also investigated.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Synthesis of 3H-SA-504The synthesis of 3H-SA-504 was carried out by the catalytic hydrogenation of brominated SA-504 with '3H,' gas, as shown in Fig. 1. Brominated SA-504 (100 mg) was dissolved in 2 ml of 3 °0 KOH-MeOH and hydrogenated in the presence of palladium black (10 mg). The specific activity of the product was 100 ,,iCi/nig and the radiochemical purity was more than 98 % as determined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC).