Pharmacokinetics of Bismuth following Oral Administration of Wei Bi Mei in Healthy Chinese Volunteers

BACKGROUND: Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy achieves higher eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori. High level of bismuth in blood may result in damage of many organs. Wei Bi Mei is a new bismuth-containing drug combining chemicals and Chinese medicine portions. The present research is to study the pharmacokinetics of bismuth to evaluate the safety and rational use of Wei Bi Mei granules. Material and Methods. Seven healthy Chinese adult subjects were enrolled in this research, which included a single-dose study and a multiple-dose study. Wei Bi Mei granules were administered orally to the subjects at corresponding time. Blood and urine were collected. All samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: For single-dose Wei Bi Mei granules administration, the mean time to peak concentration (t(max)) of bismuth was 2.29 ± 0.76 h, and the mean peak concentration (C(max)) of bismuth was 0.85 ± 0.55 ng/mL. For multiple-dose Wei Bi Mei granules administration, the C(max) was 2.25 ± 1.18 ng/mL at day two, and the volume of distribution (V(d)) was (22.97 ± 9.82) × 10(3) L. The urinary excretion of bismuth was the fastest during the first two days, with a mean excretion rate of 3.84 ± 1.23 ng/h. The bismuth concentration in urine was significantly reduced at day 16. CONCLUSION: Bismuth has a washout period of approximately two months. The concentration of bismuth in blood was far less than the “safe level.” Thus, Wei Bi Mei is a highly safe therapeutic medicine, with a good clinical application value. Wei Bi Mei should be recommended more widely for use in bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.