Pharmacokinetics of sustained-release tablets of metoprolol in Chinese

Single and repeated oral doses pharmacokinetic studies of metoprolol sustained-release tablets (Sino-Swed Pharmaceutical Co Ltd) were performed on 12 Chinese healthy subjects in an open randomized crossover manner, using metoprolol tablets from Sweden Astra International Pharmaceutical Co Ltd as control. Drug concentrations in plasma were assayed by gas chromatography-electron-capture detector method. The percent of drug absorbed in vivo at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 h correlated well with the amount of drug released in vitro at corresponding time (P > 0.05). Pharmacokinetic parameters in Chinese after metoprolol tablets were comparable to the reported data in foreigners.