Single dose primaquine has no effect on paracetamol clearance

Abstract

The kinetics of paracetamol and the formation of metabolites were evaluated in 6 healthy volunteers before and during concomitant administration of a single dose (45 mg) of primaquine. There was no effect of the antimalarial drug on either conjugation (to paracetamol glucuronide and paracetamol sulphate) or oxidation (as judged by the presence of paracetamol cysteine and paracetamol mercapturate) pathways. Although primaquine inhibits certain oxidative metabolism (e.g. of antipyrine) it has no effect, in therapeutic doses, on paracetamol metabolism.