[Biliary and pancreatic excretion of etoposide]

Although biliary excretion of Etoposide is thought to be one of the main excretory routes, less investigation has been performed in human because of the clinical difficulties of bile collection. In the present study, the biliary and pancreatic excretion of Etoposide was examined through the hepaticus- or pancreaticus drainage in two pancreatoduodenectomized patients. The drug (95 mg) was infused for 30 min. Blood, bile and pancreatic juice were taken consecutively during and after infusion. Etoposide in the samples was measured as an unchanged type by HPLC. Etoposide was detected in the bile at the same level or more of the blood, their correlation being significant during the observation period. Recovery of the unchanged drug from the hepatic bile in the present series was 2.7-3.0% during the period of 3.5 hrs. And total recovery was estimated as 3.5-4.0% from AUC of the further extended concentration curve. Pancreatic excretion of Etoposide was minimum, its ratio with blood concentration being 2-3%. Recovery for 3.5 hrs. was less than 0.02%. From the data obtained, the biliary excretion of Etoposide was discussed together with its metabolites.