Disposition of nitroglycerin in the beagle dog after intravenous and buccal administration

The disposition of nitroglycerin was studied in dogs using a crossover design for I.V. (0.85 mg/kg) and buccal (0.75 mg/kg) administration. The pharmacokinetic parameters after I.V. administration are comparable to those in man. The mean values are: t1/2 = 9.2 min; V beta = 3.8 L/kg, Cltot = 238 ml/kg. Similar values were obtained after buccal administration. The bioavailability buccally is 47%. After 7 days pretreatment with nitroglycerin (0.75 mg/kg twice daily, buccally), the area under the I.V. curve (0.85 mg/kg) decreased by about 23%, indicating possible enzyme induction.