Excretion of Urinary N-C14-Methyl Morphine and Pulmonary C14O2 in the Monkey and Dog after Subcutaneous Injection of the Labelled Drug.

Abstract

The urinary excretion and C14O2 elimination in dogs and monkeys receiving 2.0 mg/kg of N-C14-methyl morphine were as follows: dogs excreted 13-15% of total dose as free morphine and 48-52% as conjugated morphine and about 0.2% as exhaled C14O2. Monkeys excreted 6-14% as free morphine and 55-71% as conjugated morphine and about 1% as exhaled C14O2. It was concluded that in the dose range of 2 to 30 mg/kg of morphine the magnitude of the dose does not alter the metabolic pattern in dogs and monkeys. Furthermore, within a given species closely related congeners of morphine (levor-phanol) may be metabolized quite differently than morphine.