Fate of Intravenously Administered Glucosamine in the Rat

Summary 1. Following the intravenous administration of glucosamine-HCl to the rat, 80-90% disappears from the blood within the first 10 minutes, in intact animals, as well as those in which the liver or kidneys have been excluded from the general circulation. 2. No destruction is evident when glucosamine is incubated with whole blood for 10 minutes. Glucosamine is destroyed, however, under neutral or alkaline pH conditions after a more prolonged period of time. 3. Intravenously administered glucosamine-HCl becomes rapidly distributed in all tissues of the body, with the greatest concentration increases appearing in the kidneys, liver, and intestines. In total amount, however, most of the administered dose is found in muscle, connective tissue, blood and liver. 4. Approximately 50% of intravenously administered glucosamine-HCl is destroyed in the body in a period of less than 1 hour.