Pharmacokinetics of Selegiline in a Rabbit Model

Time-dependent distribution of selegiline was monitored in various tissues of rabbits treated with a dose of 30 mg/kg intravenously. Selegiline content was determined by validated RPHPLC method following 5,15, 30, 60 and 120 minutes of treatment. The present study confirming earlier data showed that selegiline readily penetrates through the blood brain barrier, however, as a new result, high selegiline concentrations were measured in the lacrimal glands, lungs and testes as well as in the eyes of rabbits at each time point studied. When selegiline concentrations in the different eye segments were determined, a time-dependent decline of selegiline tissue levels was observed in the iris, the cornea and the intraocular lens, while the maximum level of selegiline in the retina found at 15 min and even at 60 min, was similar to that determined at 5 min following administration.