METABOLISM OF THE ULTRASHORT-ACTING THIOBARBITURATE, METHITURAL (NERAVAL)

¹ Biochemistry Department, Schering Corporation, Bloomfield, N. J.

The metabolism of methitural and thiopental was compared in the dog and the rat. Methitural like thiopental was rapidly absorbed into the body fat depots. Countercurrent distribution studies showed that the substance present in fat was actually methitural and that no unchanged methitural was excreted in the urine. Methitural was degraded by the liver and was eliminated from the rat carcass more rapidly than was thiopental. The rapid absorption into fat and the degradation by the liver account for the short duration of and rapid recovery from methitural anesthesia.