Absorption of beta-methyl-digoxin determined after a single dose and under steady state conditions

Single doses of beta-methyl-digoxin 0.4 mg were given to groups of 17-18 healthy volunteers as an intravenous infusion lasting 2 hours, or orally as Lanitop Liquidum or Lanitop tablets. The serum glycoside concentration and urinary glycoside excretion were measured over 8 and 32 h. The absolute bioavailability from the oral preparations in comparison with the infusion was lower for the first 8 h than for the entire 32 h of the investigation; the relative bioavailability from tablets was the same as from the solution for both periods. For both periods the area under the serum concentration/time curve and the urinary glycoside excretion were significantly lower after administration of the tablets than after intravenous infusion. Taking the average of both parameters, the absolute bioavailability of beta-methyl-digoxin was about 80% from the solution and about 70% from the tablets. In 18 patients undergoing intravenous or oral therapy with beta-methyl-digoxin steady state glycoside concentration were compared in a cross-over study of intravenous maintenance therapy with Lanitop ampoules or oral treatment with Lanitop tablets. For a standard daily dose of 0.2 mg beta-methyl-digoxin the serum concentrations were 1.35 +/- 0.10 ng/ml during both intravenous and oral administration. The intra-individual variation in glycoside concentration after changing from intravenous to oral maintenance therapy, or vice versa, was about the same as during continued intravenous or oral administration. It is concluded that the rate of rise of serum concentration after a single dose may be a useful indicator of the rate of absorption, but that the area under the serum concentration/time curve and the urinary glycoside excretion up to 32 h are unsuitable for determining equivalent doses of different formulations or routes of administration of digitalis glycosides.