Pharmacokinetics of iopentol in the rat

The pharmacokinetic properties and potential metabolism of iopentol have been investigated after intravenous injection in rats. The elimination was rapid, with more than 95 per cent of the injected dose recovered in urine and faeces within the first 24 h. The biologic half-life of iopentol in rat blood was 24 min. There was no significant biotransformation and only trace amounts were detected in tissues 24 hr after the injection of 200 mg I/kg or 7 days after the injection of 1 or 10 g I/kg.