PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - GRAHAM CHEN
AU  - E. M. K. GEILING
TI  - OBSERVATIONS BEARING ON THE MECHANISM OF THE ELIMINATION OF QUININE AND ATABRINE FROM THE CIRCULATION AND TISSUES
DP  - 1944 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 120--132
VI  - 82
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/82/2/120.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/82/2/120.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1944 Oct 01; 82
AB  - A simple, rapid and accurate procedure was devised for the determination of quinine and its fluorescent degradation products in blood and tissues. The rate at which atabrine and quinine leaves the circulation following intravenous injection has been determined in chickens after partial blockage of the reticulo-endothelial system; in dogs with hepatic injury; in rabbits with leukopenia, and following evisceration, and in heart-lung preparations. In all cases, the alkaloid disappeared rapidly as in normal animals. The seat of elimination was found to be the capillaries, principally of the lung. In heart-lung preparations there was no indication of any destruction of the injected atabrine for at least one hour, while 70 per cent of the injected quinine was destroyed enzymatically in 5 minutes. With the diminution of the quantity of quinine, there was a correspondingly increased amount of its fluorescent degradation products in the blood and tissues.