The metabolism and excretion of methylglucamine (N-methyl-D-glucamine) in the rat

Methylglucamine is a commonly used cation in radiocontrast media. The present study sheds light on its fate in the rat. When administered intraperitoneally, 93% of the compound was excreted unchanged in the urine in 24 hr. When administered orally, about 15% of the dose was found in the urine, about 40% in the faeces and 20% in expired air in 24 hr. When administered orally to rats whose gut flora had been depleted by treatment with neomycin sulphate, 19% was excreted in the urine, 69% in the faeces and 3% in expired air in 72 hr. This indicated that the gut flora played a role in the degradation of the compound and its eventual loss as expired carbon dioxide.