Abstract
The 14C-labeled methadone administered to female rats was found to be distributed differently in the pregnant as compared with nonpregnant female control animals. The liver of the pregnant rat showed a 50% decrease in the concentration of methadone whereas a 3-fold increase in the concentration of methadone was found in the uterus. The concentrations in some of the other tissues studied varied to some extent; however, no significant differences were observed. The concentration of methadone in the fetal tissues was significantly lower than that found in the maternal tissues in all cases with the exception of the brain. The concentration of methadone in the brain of the fetus was 2 to 3 times the concentration present in the maternal brain. The three methods used in this study all gave similar values and comparisons with regard to the distribution of methadone in the nonpregnant, pregnant and fetal tissues.
Footnotes
- Received October 28, 1971.
- Accepted January 12, 1972.
- © 1972 by The Williams & Wilkins Co.
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