Failure of Oral Activated Charcoal to Accelerate the Elimination of Amiodarone and Chloroquine

1 The effect of activated charcoal on the elimination of amiodarone and chloroquine was studied in the rat.

2 The study consisted of two separate experiments. Amiodarone and chloroquine were injected subcutaneously at doses of 200 mg kg^-1 and 100 mg kg^-1, respectively. Six rats in both experiments were put on a charcoal-containing diet 48 h after drug administration, while the control groups remained on a normal diet.

3 Treatment with repeated oral activated charcoal had no effect on the true elimination of amiodarone and chloroquine.

4 These results suggest that, after the distribution of amiodarone and chloroquine into peripheral compartments, their rate of elimination cannot be significantly accelerated with multiple oral doses of activated charcoal.