Michaëlis--Menten kinetics of phenazone elimination in the perfused pig liver

The purpose of the present study was to define the elimination kinetics of phenazone (NFN) in the isolated perfused pig liver. In five experiments phenazone was administered as constant infusion to obtain steady-state periods over a wide range of concentrations. The elimination of phenazone followed saturation kinetics (concentrations 0.1-12 mmol x 1(-1) and the maximal elimination rate (Vmax) was on average 102 mumol x min-1 x kg-1 liver and the Michaëlis-constant (Km) of 2.6 mmol x 1(-1). Estimates of Vmax and Km for the microsomal phenazone hydroxylase activity measured in liver biopsies found to be considerably lower than in the perfused liver. The hepatic elimination of phenazone during perfusion of pig liver at phenazone concentrations corresponding to human therapeutic doses follows first-order kinetics.