Identification of a prazosin metabolite and some preliminary data on its kinetics in hypertensive patients

A metabolite of prazosin was detected in serum from hypertensive patients treated with prazosin. Its structure as 2-(1-piperazinyl)-4-amino-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline was established by UV, IR, and mass-spectrometry. An assay method for simultaneous determination of prazosin and its metabolite in serum, urine and saliva is described. Preliminary data about the kinetics of prazosin and the metabolite after a single oral dose of prazosin 1 mg, and after multiple doses of 1 to 5 mg t.i.d. for 6-82 days in 7 patients with hypertension, are presented. After the single dose the metabolite level was much lower than that of intact drug, even though the former was eliminated much more slowly than the latter. The slow elimination of the metabolite led to its eventual accumulation in serum during multiple administration. The mean accumulation ratio of the metabolite was estimated to be at least 5.5 (from 3.0 to 7.9). Prazosin itself had a low accumulation ratio, so the mean steady-state level of the intact drug on multiple administration was several times lower than that of metabolite. As this metabolite has some hypotensive effect in animals, it may account for part of the therapeutic activity of parzosin in patients. The mean steady-state concentration of intact prazosin during the course of treatment were found to be significantly lower than that predicted from a single dose study.