Urinary Metabolism and Excretion of Carbinoxamine after Oral Administration to Man

The metabolism of carbinoxamine, 2-[(4-chlorophenyl)-2-pyridinyl-methoxy]-N, N-dimethylethaneamine, was studied in adult male volunteers after an oral dose of 15 mg. Solvent extracts of urine obtained with or without enzyme hydrolysis were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after derivatization with MSTFA/TMSCl (N-methyl-N-trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide/trimethyl chlorosilane). The structures of metabolites were determined based on the electron impact (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) mass spectra. Nonconjugated metabolites identified in the urine were carbinoxamine, nor-carbinoxamine, and bits-nor-carbinoxamine. Parent drug, nor-carbinoxamine, and bits-nor-carbinoxamine were also detected as conjugated forms. These metabolites observed in human urine were different from those previously reported in the rat. Urinary excretions of carbinoxamine were reached to maxima in 4 hours after drug administration with 4.9%-8.1% and 2.5-4.2% of the dose excreted during 24 h as carbinoxamine and its glucuronide, respectively.