OBSERVATIONS ON THE FATE OF PHENOTHIAZINE IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS

Abstract

The investigation of the fate of phenothiazine in sheep, horses, dogs, rabbits, and pigs has been based upon the identification of the urinary excretion products, which was facilitated by chromatographic analysis and observation of absorption spectra.In the sheep the drug is oxidized in the rumen and is excreted as leucophenothiazone conjugated with sulphuric acid. Horses and dogs also excrete leucophenothiazone, whereas rabbits excrete mainly leucothionol, all in conjugated form. The urine of pigs, after acidification, contains free phenothiazine, with smaller amounts of thionol and phenothiazone. These observations on the fate of phenothiazine indicate no fundamental difference between herbivorous and other animals.