Effective plasma concentration of N-acetylprocainamide in rats

Six groups of rats received saline or N-Acetylprocainamide (NAPA) 2--50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally. Thirty minutes later heart rates were measured and simultaneously a blood sample was withdrawn from each rat. There was a linear relationship between plasma concentrations and the administered doses, suggesting linear pharmacokinetics for NAPA. The heart rate was decreased significantly when the average NAPA plasma concentration was 16.8 microgram/ml, which is similar to that found in man.