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1. Ten healthy subjects received two treatments: a single 1 g oral dose of nalidixic acid (NA) followed 1 h later by either an infinitesimal dilution of the drug (NA 7CH) or by succussed water which served as placebo. The study was repeated 18 months later in 10 different subjects. 2. A further 10 healthy subjects received three treatments: a single 100 mg oral dose of atenolol (AT) followed 3 h later by either placebo or a dilution of AT (AT 7CH) or of bisoprolol (BI 7CH). The homoeopathic preparations were administered by the sublingual route. 3. In the first NA experiment NA 7CH significantly shortened the elimination half-life of NA from 8.6 +/- 2.2 (placebo) to 6.4 +/- 1.6 h (NA 7CH). In the second NA experiment none of the pharmacokinetic parameters was modified significantly by the administration of NA 7CH. Neither AT 7CH nor BI 7CH modified the pharmacokinetics of AT.

The pharmacokinetics of piroximone (PI) were determined in patients with renal failure (inulin clearance less than 50 ml min-1 per 1.73 m2) using two protocols: (a) 10 patients received a single i.v. infusion of 0.5 mg kg-1 PI and the data were compared with those from seven healthy subjects receiving the same regimen; (b), a single oral dose of either 25 or 50 mg PI was given to 20 patients. PI concentrations were assayed by h.p.l.c. in plasma and urine over 48 h. After i.v. administration to healthy subjects PI was distributed rapidly and eliminated with a mean half-life of 1.3 +/- 0.2 h. The urinary recovery of unchanged PI was 64% of the dose. In the patients the extent of renal elimination of PI was decreased (-78%) in relation to the degree of renal insufficiency as assessed by inulin clearance (r = 0.97, P < 0.0001). Mean Cmax, AUC and t1/2,z values after i.v. infusion were increased by 47%, 127% and 77%, respectively, in comparison with healthy subjects. Similar results were obtained after oral administration. Until chronic dosing studies are undertaken, PI dosage should be adapted in relation to renal function.

1 The acute effects of a high dose of piretanide, a new potent diuretic were studied in eight patients with severely impaired renal function (GFR between 0.09 and 0.17 ml s-1 1.73 m-2). 2 After hydration and following two control periods, a single dose of 48 mg piretanide was ingested. Thereafter, urine was collected every 30 min for 2 h and every hour for the next 4 h. Urinary fluid losses were replaced orally (100 ml of water ever hour) and intravenously (isotonic saline + glucose infusion). 3 The following measurements were made: urine flow rate, clearances of inulin, PAH, urea, creatinine, uric acid, osmolar and free water clearances, excretion rates of sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, phosphate, bicarbonate, ammonium, titratable acidity and urine pH. 4 Piretanide (48 mg) appeared to be effective in advanced renal insufficiency, producing a significant increase in urine flow rate, in sodium, chloride, potassium and calcium excretion and in Cosm. 5 There was no significant change in GFR, as measured by inulin clearance, or in the other measured parameters.

1. The kinetics of a single oral dose (300 mg) of cicletanine a new antihypertensive drug with diuretic properties, and its effects on the urinary excretion of electrolytes and of the major stable metabolites of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 were studied in patients with normal renal function (n = 6), mild (n = 9) and severe (n = 10) renal insufficiency. 2. In normotensive subjects with normal renal function, cicletanine was rapidly and regularly absorbed, its apparent elimination half-life established around 7 h, and both its renal clearance (0.4 ml min-1) and its cumulative renal excretion (0.85% of the administered dose), were low. Mild renal insufficiency did not significantly alter these parameters, while severe renal impairment reduced the renal clearance and the cumulative urinary excretion of cicletanine and increased its apparent elimination half-life (31 h). However the area under the plasma curve was not changed due to reduced plasma concentrations in these patients. 3. Cicletanine induced a rapid and marked (four fold as a mean) increase in the urinary excretion of water, sodium and potassium which lasted for 6 to 10 h, in subjects with normal renal function. Renal insufficiency did not alter the slope of the calculated plasma concentration-effects curves but reduced the maximum effect observed for water, sodium and potassium. 4. A single oral dose of cicletanine did not change the urinary excretion of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and thromboxane B2 in the three groups of patients studied, the basal values of which being found to be closely related to the creatinine clearance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1 The pharmacological actions of piretanide, a new high efficiency diuretic, were studied in sixteen patients with GFR (inulin clearance) varying from 0.1--2.5 ml/s. 2 After hydration and following two control periods, a single dose of 6 mg piretanide was ingested. Thereafter, urine was collected every 30 min for 2 h and every hour for the next 4 h. Fluid losses were replaced. 3 The following measurements were made: urine flow rate, clearances of inulin, PAH, urea, creatinine, uric acid, osmolar and free water clearances, excretion rates of sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, phosphate, bicarbonate, ammonium, titratable acidity and urine pH. 4 Main results showed piretanide was efficient in the group with normal GFR (inulin clearance greater than 1.5 ml/s) and in the group with slightly decreased GFR (1.0 less than inulin clearance less than 1.4 ml/s), in terms of diuresis, natriuresis, kaliuresis and calciuresis. It was inefficient in the group with severe renal insufficiency (inulin clearance less than 0.3 ml/s). 5 Free water clearance showed preservation of diluting ability to a large extent. 6 In the three groups, no significant change in inulin clearance and PAH clearance occurred.

Tubular maximal transport of glucose (TmG), plasma glucose threshold ( PGT ) and fractional maximal tubular reabsorption (TmG/GFR) were measured in fourteen kidney-grafted patients. Seven patients showed decreased PGT and normal or decreased TmG/GFR (type A or B renal glycosuria (RG) ), whereas seven other patients showed normal values. No difference was found between the two groups with respect to parameters of renal function and to clinical parameters characterizing kidney transplantation. The only difference observed between the two groups was the rate of decrease of plasma creatinine levels during the 1st week after transplantation: it was faster in the group without renal glycosuria. No difference was seen between the two groups of patients with respect to the number of rejection episodes occurred over the first 12 months.