Placental transfer of etozolin and ozolinone during the first half of gestation in man

The placental transfer of etozolin and its pharmacologically active metabolite ozolinone was studied in 48 patients during the first (44 patients) and second (4 patients) trimester. 24 patients received a single oral dose of etozolin 400 mg 2-20 h prior to interruption of pregnancy by curettage or prostaglandin infusion. 24 other patients received 3 oral doses of etozolin 400 mg (11 patients) or 800 mg (13 patients) on 3 consecutive days, and pregnancy was terminated 2-10 h after the last dose. The fetal tissue/maternal serum and placental tissue/maternal serum ratios of etozolin and ozolinone were found to lie between 0.3 and 0.6. The serum levels were lower in pregnant than in non-pregnant patients. The low placental and fetal concentrations of etozolin and ozolinone suggest that these drugs may prove useful when a diuretic is indicated in the treatment of oedema and hypertension during pregnancy.