Disposition and metabolism of buspirone and its metabolite 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-piperazine in the rat.

After i.v. injection (10 mg/kg) to rats, buspirone is rapidly cleared from blood with a t1/2 (beta) or 30 min. After the same dose is given orally, the drug is not detectable in blood or brain within the limits of sensitivity of the method. The metabolite 1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-piperazine (1-PP) has a longer t1/2 than buspirone. It is present to about the same extent in rat plasma and brain after either i.v. or p.o. buspirone. Unlike buspirone, 1-PP accumulates in the brain reaching concentrations between four-and five times those in plasma. Its brain AUC is higher than that of buspirone even when buspirone is given i.v. The results suggest that 1-PP may contribute to the pharmacological effect of the parent drug.