[Pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of a nitroglycerin ointment formulation (author's transl)]

A comparative pharmacokinetic study was performed for three different nitroglycerin application forms. Serum concentrations were determined in six healthy male volunteers aged from 25 to 29 years. The serum concentrations of nitroglycerin after application of nitroglycerin ointment (Neos-nitro-ointment), of a sustained-release capsule and a sublingual capsule demonstrated that the ointment shows a similar absorption rate (Kr = 0.957 h-1) as the sustained-release capsule (Kr = 1.244 h-1) and furthermore results in a twice as high serum concentration when given in a 30.4 mg nitroglycerin dose as compared to one sustained-release capsule. Since the elimination rate of nitroglycerin was determined similar in all three application forms with a half-life of t1/2 approximately equal to 5 min it can be stated that the duration of effect after the application of ointment is longer than that of the sustained-release form based on the higher serum concentration.