Metaproterenol Tablets

Generic name: metaproterenol sulfate
Dosage form: tablet
Drug class:Adrenergic bronchodilators

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jul 22, 2021.

Metaproterenol Tablets Description

Metaproterenol sulfate in tablet form is an oral bronchodilator.

Each tablet, for oral administration, contains 10 mg or 20 mg of metaproterenol sulfate. In addition, each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, lactose anhydrous, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and pregelatinized starch.

Metaproterenol sulfate, 1-(3,5 dihydroxyphenyl) -2-isopropyl-aminoethanol sulfate, is a white, crystalline, racemic mixture of two optically active isomers. It has the following structural formula:

Metaproterenol Tablets - Clinical Pharmacology

Metaproterenol sulfate is a beta adrenergic agonist bronchodilator.

The pharmacologic effects of beta adrenergic agonist drugs, including metaproterenol, are at least in part attributable to stimulation through beta adrenergic receptors of intracellular adenyl cyclase, the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to cyclic-3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (c-AMP). Increased c-AMP levels are associated with relaxation of bronchial smooth muscle and inhibition of release mediators of immediate hypersensitivity from cells, especially from mast cells.

Pharmacokinetics: Absorption, biotransformation and excretion studies in humans following oral administration have indicated that an average of less than 10% of the drug is absorbed intact; it is not metabolized by catechol-O-methyltransferase nor converted to glucuronide conjugates but is excreted primarily as the polar sulfate conjugate, metaproterenol-3-O-sulfate, formed in the gut.

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