Absolute and relative bioavailability of lithium dosage forms in the beagle dog.

The absolute and relative bioavailability of three dosage forms containing lithium salts was determined using the Beagle dog as a model in a single dose crossover design study. A difference in the half-life of elimination was observed between the i.v. and the p.o. routes of administration. No significant differences were found for the apparent volume of distribution between routes of administration and the tested dosage forms. The fraction of dose absorbed was 0.42 +/- 0.058 and 0.75 +/- 0.18 for p.o. solution and p.o. tablet, respectively.